President pays tribute
President Obama pays tribute to Doctorow:
E.L. Doctorow was one of America's greatest novelists. His books taught me much, and he will be missed.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) July 22, 2015
Billboard interview
Carter talks about why he started SMASHD Labs to Billboard.
There’s definitely a huge amount of accelerators out there, but there was a void for one that focused on brand, and that’s a space we have a lot of experience at and that makes this unique. Selfishly, it works for the Atom Factory — by being able to put 25 of the smartest entrepreneurs from around the world in your office. We get a lot of value out of that as well…[I want] A diverse team — the crux of my personal mission is to open up entrepreneurship to everybody, so Silicon Valley doesn’t have a patent on innovation. We want to open up the process to people outside of that network — the team would be diverse, hard-working entrepreneurs with technical expertise that are looking to gain traction on their product.
On the importance of data:
There’s always going to be a place for artists — but when you look at what humans have actually done to devalue music, from a pure monetary valuation standpoint, this is the part where our industry needs a lot of help. SoundCloud is worth its $1.5 billion valuation, but there’s no way in the world that SoundCloud should be worth more than The Beatles’ catalog. From a value proposition, we have a huge opportunity to re-value our business… I think the music is undervalued. I think up to this point we’ve done a poor job of valuing our content.
Campares self to Picasso
Madonna says says she still has things to talk about and compares herself to Picasso.
I like to compare myself to other kinds of artists like Picasso. He kept painting and painting until the day he died. Why? Because I guess he felt inspired to do so. Life inspired him, so he had to keep expressing himself, and that’s how I feel…I don’t think there’s a time, a date, an expiration date for being creative. I think you go until you don’t have any more to say.
Self-defense claim
Reagan claims self-defense in the killing of his girlfriend Nesci. He claims that she came after him with a knife and was trying to disarm her when he fatally wounded her. If convicted, he will spend a maximum of 26 years to life in prison. His lawyer:
While defending himself against her assault with a deadly weapon, Robert tried to disarm her, and in the intense struggle that ensued, she tragically suffered a fatal wound. Robert is not guilty of committing any criminal offense.
Visits Gabon
Messi visits Gabon and is driven around the country’s capital city Libreville by the president himself before heading to Port-Gentil to lay a foundation stone for the stadium. The government denies it paid him around $3.8 million to visit the country.
The Gabonese Republic strongly denies having paid, or having pledged to pay any amount of money to the international Argentine soccer player, Lionel Messi. Mr. Messi visited Gabon from the 17th to the 18th of July 2015 after having been invited by President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Gabon’s opposition party, the Union du Peuple Gabonais (UPG) criticizes Messi’s shorts and t-shirt attire for a meeting with President Ondimba.
The messiah of football arrived in Gabon like he were going to a zoo: dirty, unshaven and his hands in his pockets, looking for peanuts to throw to them!
Israel moves to legalize settlements
A committee is formed to legalize Jewish settlements in the West Bank that international law currently calls unlawful. Israel’s Justice Minister Shaked says she wants to help establish the legal status of Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
There are many areas in Judea and Samaria where the status is unregulated. The time has come to dispel the legal fog and to enable the residents of Judea and Samaria—most of them in settlements set up by generations of Israeli governments—to stop worrying about the constant threat to the very ownership of their homes.
Rejects legalization
Buhari informs United States lawmakers that Nigeria cannot shift its anti-gay stance. Speaking at the joint session of U.S. Senate and House Committees on Foreign Affairs he says sodomy is against Nigeria’s law and abhorrent to its culture. The president’s special adviser:
The issue of gay marriage came up here yesterday, PMB was pointblank. Sodomy is against the law in Nigeria, and abhorrent to our culture. Talks shifted to another matter once PMB emphatically stated Nigeria’s stand on same sex marriage. The issue was not pushed,
Vows to recover crude oil funds
Buhari alleges that 250,000 barrels of crude are being stolen every day, with the profits going into individual bank accounts. He tells an audience at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington that the United States and other countries are helping us to trace such accounts now.
We will ask that such accounts be frozen and prosecute the persons. The amount involved is mind-boggling. Some former ministers were selling about one million barrels per day. I assure you that we will trace and repatriate such money and use the documents to prosecute them.
Victims identified
The victims are identified as members of the same family. The shooter and only current suspect is identified as Matthew Fields, age 32, one of those found dead at the scene. The adult woman who later died on route to the hospital is identified as Fields estranged wife Rebecca Manning, age 37. The two children found dead at the scene were Manning two sons, Jacob Smith, age 9 and Jared Smith Age 8. All died from gunshot wounds inflicted by Fields. The two children were shot in their beds, but it is unclear with the others were shot. Both boys were students at Johns Creek Elementary School. The only survivor of the attack is Manning’s father, Jerry Manning, age 75, who is being treated for multiple gunshot wounds at a local trauma hospital. Sheriff:
The shooting appears to be domestic-related and it all took place inside the home. it appears all the victims lived at the home. The motive is still unknown.
Hackathon Hackers AMA
In an ask-me-anything session with the Hackathon Hackers public Facebook group (link) Altman talks about YC, investment and his daily routine:
When considering a startup for YC, would you say you spend more time getting to know the team, or getting to know the product? The team, but the product is important evidence that the team is good. I need to believe in all 3 of the the team, the product, and that the market will be big in 10 years.
What is your morning ritual: I get up late, have an espresso, and immediately start work. I try to get roughly caught up on email before I leave the house, then if I need to write anything or review a complex deal I do that, and then I head to the office and work on my top few priorities for the day. I try to schedule my meetings in the afternoon.
Birthday tribute
Kensington Palace guards play a special musical tribute for the prince who turns two years old.
Thank you to the Grenadier Guards for playing ‘Happy Birthday’ at today’s Guard Change! #HappyBirthdayPrinceGeorgehttps://t.co/Gkcal0kShn
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 22, 2015
Trade comments on VMA nomination
Swift and Minaj trade comments on Twitter due to Minaj being not nominated for a VMA for Anaconda, while Swift was nominated for Bad Blood.
Minaj: If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year
Swift: I’ve done nothing but love & support you…It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot…
Minaj: Huh? U must not be reading my tweets. Didn’t say a word about u. I love u just as much. But u should speak on this. I’m still confused as to why u just tweeted me when I made it abundantly clear…
Gives out Graham’s telephone number
After Graham calls him “The world’s biggest jackass” Trump responds by telling a South Carolina audience that Graham is a “stiff” who could never get a job in the private sector. He then reads Graham’s telephone number aloud, encouraging everyone “let’s try it.”
He doesn’t seem like a very bright guy. He actually probably seems to me not as bright as Rick Perry. I think Rick Perry probably is smarter than Lindsey Graham.
Responds to Trainwreck punchline
Hathaway responds after being a punchline in Schumer’s Trainwreck. In the film, Schumer’s character tells her boyfriend that after he wins a charity award, he’s acting like Hathaway on Oscar night. Hathaway won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in Les Miserables.
https://instagram.com/p/5YEzZ2l0Kl/
Call to police night before shooting
Reports say that police responded to a domestic violence 911 call the night before the fatal shooting occurred. The call was made by passersby, not anyone in the home. When police arrived they say,there was no sign of any disturbance or physical fight and the people in the home denied a problem. Fields was not in the home when the police arrived. Despite the serious argument the neighbors reported they saw and heard, Rebecca Manning told police when they arrived, “No, nothing’s going on,” and that nothing had occurred in the past between herself and her estranged husband. Police:
There were no signs of a fight at the home Tuesday night when deputies went to check on the family after getting calls from passers-by. Fields wasn’t there and those at the home were uncooperative. There was nothing more the deputies could do. It’s up to victims to open up and say something or else no one else can help…If there are no outward signs of violence in the home and everyone there says nothing is going on, you just can’t pick somebody and say, ‘You look like the instigator,’ and arrest the person.
Discovers second mountain range
NASA releases a photo showing another mountain range on the lower left edge of Pluto’s heart-shaped region. The peaks are about 1 to 1.5 km (0.5 to 1 mile) high, about the size of the Appalachians. The new range is just west of the region within Pluto’s heart called Sputnik Planum (Sputnik Plain) and some 110 km (68 miles) northwest of Norgay Montes. This newest image further illustrates the remarkably well-defined topography along the western edge of Tombaugh Regio.
There is a pronounced difference in texture between the younger, frozen plains to the east and the dark, heavily-cratered terrain to the west. There’s a complex interaction going on between the bright and the dark materials that we’re still trying to understand.
Vows to compete again
Fanning vows to get back on his surf board despite the trauma of his recent shark attack:
Surfing has given myself and my family so much. It’s gotten me through the hardest times in my life. So to turn my back on surfing, it just wouldn’t feel right…I guess someone was looking out for me. To walk away from a shark attack with not a scratch on you, it’s a miracle really.
He sends a message to the shark:
Thanks for not eating me.
Orders flags to half-staff
President Obama orders flags to be lowered to half-staff at the White House and federal buildings across the country until July 25, to honor the victims of the shooting, after facing pressure from lawmakers and others.
We honor their service. We offer our gratitude to the police officers and first responders who stopped the rampage and saved lives. We draw strength from yet another American community that has come together with an unmistakable message to those who would try and do us harm: We do not give in to fear. You cannot divide us. And you will not change our way of life.
Orders flags to half-staff
Trump orders the flags on his properties to fly at half-staff to memorialize the marines who were killed in the Chattanooga attack. His campaign criticizes President Obama for not ordering American flags lowered.
Nix and Hydra
NASA releases photos of Pluto’s moons Nix and Hydra. Nix is about 42 km (26 miles) long and 36 km (22 miles) wide. Nix’s surface is a light gray with an area that is light red which scientists think might be a crater. Hydra is about 55 km (34 miles) long and 40 km (25 miles) wide and has at least two large craters.
Before last week, Hydra was just a faint point of light, so it’s a surreal experience to see it become an actual place, as we see its shape and spot recognizable features on its surface for the first time.