Speeds up
New Horizons fires its thrusters for 23 seconds speeding up about a half mile per hour in order to perfect its course through the Pluto system. Without the adjustment, the probe would have arrived 20 seconds late and 114 miles (184 kilometers) off-target from the spot where it will measure the properties of Pluto’s atmosphere. Those measurements depend on radio signals being sent from Earth to New Horizons at precise times as the spacecraft flies through the shadows of Pluto and Pluto’s largest moon, Charon. The probe is 16 million km (10 million miles) from the Pluto system and about 4.75 billion km (2.95 billion miles) from Earth.
This maneuver was perfectly performed by the spacecraft and its operations team. Now we’re set to fly right down the middle of the optimal approach corridor.
Condemns attacks
President Buhari condemns the latest terrorist attacks by the Boko Haram terrorists describing them as enemies of everybody. He also vows to hunt down the militants to the last man. The President says he is deeply touched by these mindless incidents of violence on innocent people during the month of Ramadan.
Make no mistake about it: this government is ever determined to discharge its fundamental duty of protecting the lives of its citizens from physical threats from any groups bent on creating chaos, confusion, and on destroying social and economic life of the people.
Flees country
Ntavyohanyuma, the head of Burundi’s parliament, says he has fled the country for Belgium due to violence
For the moment, I am forced to stay in Brussels… I stayed here given the difficulties in my country, difficulties which are due to the illegal third mandate of the president. On the eve of the election … I would like to say to him (Nkurunziza) that the mandate he wants to have is illegal. I would like to say to him that forcing through the election is senseless
Official statement: Mitchell speaking, improving
Mitchell’s official website elaborates on her condition, saying the artist is speaking and her condition is improving:
Joni did in fact suffer an aneurysm. However, details that have emerged in the past few days are mostly speculative. The truth is that Joni is speaking, and she’s speaking well. She is not walking yet, but she will be in the near future as she is undergoing daily therapies. She is resting comfortably in her own home and she’s getting better each day. A full recovery is expected.
Proposes to Obama
During his weekly interview with the national radio station, Mugabe mocks America’s decision to legalise gay marriage by vowing to travel to the White House and proposing to Barack Obama.
I’ve just concluded – since President Obama endorses the same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance – thus if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington, DC, get down on my knee and ask his hand. I can’t understand how this people dare to defy Christ’s explicit orders as our Lord prohibited mankind from sodomy.
Wants to reduce flag flown by fans
France reiterates the sport’s policy preventing the use of the flag in any official capacity:
In all areas that NASCAR controls on a given race weekend, the flag has no presence,” France said. “We have been clear in support of this position throughout our industry and to those across the country who have called for the eradication of the Confederate Flag.
He also says the sport is looking into how it can reduce the flag’s presence among fans who might fly it in the infield.
We will be as aggressive as possible to disassociate NASCAR events from an offensive and divisive symbol. We are working with the industry right now to achieve that goal.
Gay marriage reaction
Cook welcomes the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing same-sex couples to marry:
Today marks a victory for equality, perseverance and love.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 26, 2015
‘Proud’ to celebrate ruling
Clinton says she is celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage.
Proud to celebrate a historic victory for marriage equality—& the courage & determination of LGBT Americans who made it possible. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 26, 2015
Bans Univision staff from Miami golf resort
In response to being dropped by the network, Trump sends a letter to Univision CEO Falco informing him that “no Univision officer or representative” is allowed to use his Trump National Doral, the resort and golf club immediately adjacent to Univision offices in Miami.
Please be advised that under no circumstances is any officer or representative of Univision allowed to use Trump National Doral, Miami—its golf courses or any of its facilities. Also, please immediately stop work and close the gate which is being constructed between our respective properties. If this is not done within one week, we will close it…Please congratulate your Mexican Government officials for having made such outstanding trade deals with the United States. However, inform them that should I become President, those days are over. We are bringing jobs back to the U.S. Also, a meaningful border will be immediately created, not the laughingstock that currently exists.
Univision responds:
[Univision Communications Inc.] employees should not stay at Trump properties while on company business or hold events/activities there.
Calls West ‘poser’
When asked if he still believed his previous Tweet that West was “an idiot and a poser” Cosby says:
Yes, I said that! It all stands on what you produce, what you actually put down. Kanye West can’t write, sing, or play. So I have trouble with him as anything but a poser. Produce? That means he sits in a chair while the engineer does the work. He’s a poser! And I’m not backing off it.
Confirms Mitchell’s condition
Cosby confirms that Mitchell had an aneurysm and says she is currently unable to communicate.
I have not spoken with her. To my knowledge she is not speaking yet. She is home, she is in care, she is recovering. She took a terrible hit. She had an aneurysm, and nobody found her for a while. And she’s going to have to struggle back from it the way you struggle back from a traumatic brain injury…She’s a tough girl and very smart. So, how much she’s going to come back and when, I don’t know and I’m not going to guess. I love her… She’s probably the best of us — probably the greatest living singer-songwriter.
U.S unsure attacks are linked
Although attacks in Tunisia, France and Kuwait are linked by timing, and a claim of responsibility by ISIS, the U.S. states it is too early to tell if they were directly organized and managed:
If the assessment [finds] that the attacks were linked, officials [will] seek to determine whether the Islamic State had actively directed, coordinated or inspired them.
Gunman identified
Islamic State identifies Rezgui as the gunman by his jihadi pseudonym, Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani, while local authorities in Tunisia confirm his real name as Seifeddine Rezgui. Tunisian Prime Minister’s report:
Seifeddine Rezgui came from the town of Gaafour in the Siliana region and had been a student at the University of Kairouan. He was 23-years-old and studying aviation. Rezgui had never travelled abroad.
Witnesses added that Rezgui looked to be about 20 to 25 years old and had long black hair and a beard.
Pre-trial summary letter
Both sides submit a letter (text) to the court summarizing the arguments they plan to raise in advance of a July 1 pre-trial hearing. Nungessers lawyer’s expand on their original claims, saying that despite Nuingesser being cleared by the University, Columbia did not curtail Sulkowicz’s activities, and actually honored her:
Emma’s time and indeed her academic work at Columbia has largely been defined by her part in the gender based anti-male discriminatory harassment campaign against Plaintiff Nungesser[;] these honors constitute yet another instant of Defendant Columbia directly rewarding, encouraging and celebrating Emma Sulkowicz’s role in the gender based discriminatory harassment.
They also say Columbia allowed Sulkowicz to display pornographic material that had Nungesser’s name attached to it in an art exhibition, and allowed Sulkowicz to carry the mattress to her (and Nungesser’s) graduation:
At the graduation ceremony, Emma Sulkowicz was given a special university privilege contrary to the rules by Defendant Columbia to carry the mattress to her and Plaintiff Nungesser’s graduation in another instance of Defendant Columbia perpetrated gender based discriminatory harassment of Plaintiff Nungesser
They also claim that Columbia allowed Sulkowicz to:
build a public persona surrounding her false allegations, which has led to the posting of videos and other proposed performances depicting Plaintiff Nungesser as a rapist.
Columbia’s attorneys do not rebut any of Nungesser’s claims, and while the school acknowledges that Sulkowicz’s campus activism made her a major figure in the sexual assault debate, it claims she was an independent third-party actor, and the school cannot be held responsible or liable for her conduct. The letter concludes by saying both sides are open to a pre-trial settlement.
Only seven black people hired in 2013
The social network company reveals that more than half of its US staff are white, with the proportion dropping slightly from 57% to 55%. The proportion of Asian employees increased by 2% to 36%, but the shares of hispanic and black people or those of “two or more races” remain flat at 4%, 2% and 3% respectively. Facebook’s senior leadership has 73% filled by white people. Facebook also made little progress increasing the proportion of female employees, 68% of its global employees are male – a decrease of 1%. Among its employees working on its core technology 84% are male, down from 85% last year. Facebook hired an additional seven black people out of an overall headcount increase of 1,231 in 2013. At that time Facebook employed just 45 black staff out of a total US workforce of 4,263. There are no black people in senior management.
Reacts to ‘Obamacare’ decision
Pres. Obama reacts to the Supreme Court decision on Affordable Care Act subsidies:
After multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay.
He adds that, had the decision gone otherwise:
America would have gone backwards. That’s not what we do.
Upholds Fair Housing Act
In a 5-4 decision, justices re-affirm a 47-year-old federal law that cracks down on housing discrimination. They hold that the law allows for both claims for intentional discrimination, and claims on practices that are not intended to discriminate, but have a discriminatory effect. According to Justice Kennedy, writing on behalf of the majority, which includes Justices Ginsburg, Kagan, Sotomayor and Breyer.
Much progress remains to be made in our nation’s continuing struggle against racial isolation. The Court acknowledges the Fair Housing Act’s continuing role in moving the nation toward a more integrated society.
In dissent Justice Thomas said the court was in danger of constructing “a scheme that parcels out legal privileges to individuals on the basis of skin color.”
Calls Young a ‘hypocrite’
Trump says that, despite Young’s call for him to not use Rockin’ In The Free World, that the artist had recently come to him for funding for his streaming music service, Pono. He also says the song was just one of 10 songs used as background music. and that he “Didn’t love it anyway.”
For the nonbeliever, here is a photo of @Neilyoung in my office and his $$ request—total hypocrite. pic.twitter.com/Xm4BJvetIa
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2015
Young’s management confirms that the photo was taken during a meeting when Young was trying to raise funds for the music service.
Defends flag
Jones defends the Confederate flag in an all caps posting on Facebook:
I THINK ALL OF HAZZARD NATION UNDERSTANDS THAT THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG IS THE SYMBOL THAT REPRESENTS THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE WHICH KEEPS US “MAKIN’ OUR WAY THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW HOW. THAT FLAG ON TOP OF THE GENERAL LEE MADE A STATEMENT THAT THE VALUES OF THE RURAL SOUTH WERE THE VALUES OF COURAGE AND FAMILY AND GOOD TIMES.
OUR BELOVED SYMBOL IS NOW BEING ATTACKED IN A WAVE OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS THAT IS UNPRECEDENTED IN OUR NATION OF FREE SPEECH AND FREE EXPRESSION. ACTIVISTS AND POLITICIANS ARE VILLIFYING SOUTHERN CULTURE AND OUR HERITAGE AS BEING BIGOTED AND RACIST. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE. AND WE KNOW THAT IN HAZZARD COUNTY THERE WAS NEVER ANY RACISM.
WE ARE NOT RACISTS. WE DESPISE RACISM AND BIGOTRY. AND WE THINK THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CREATING THIS “CULTURAL CLEANSING” ARE THE REAL BIGOTS IN THIS STORY…WHEN WE SAY OUR FLAG STANDS FOR “HERITAGE, NOT HATE” AND “PRIDE, NOT PREJUDICE”, WE MEAN IT. AND WE BELIEVE THAT OLD SAYING, “YOU CAN’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING IF YOU FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM.”
COOTER’S IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO SELL OUR SOUTHERN SYMBOLS AS LONG AS THERE IS A COOTER’S. I WILL FIGHT THESE PEOPLE UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER, AND THEN I WILL FIGHT THEM ON THE ICE.
Leaked autopsy report condemned
Gray’s autopsy report is leaked to the media. The Maryland medical examiner and prosecutor’s office states they had refused to release the report. There are no details as to who the leak happened or who is responsible but the State’s Attorney condemns the leak. Mosby:
I want to make it very clear that the state’s attorney’s office did not release the Freddie Gray autopsy report. As I have repeatedly stated, I strongly condemn anyone with access to trial evidence who has leaked information prior to the resolution of this case.