‘U.S. support for Anbar’
The governor of Sunni-majority Anbar province says he has received a pledge of U.S. support, including air power, to help groups in the province fight ISIS, which has control of large parts of the province and is threatening key assets. Ahmed Khalaf al-Dulaimi:
Our first goal is the air support. Their technology capability will offer a lot of intelligence information and monitoring of the desert and many things which we are in need of. No date was decided but it will be very soon and there will be a presence for the Americans in the western area.
Dulaimi is concerned by the militants’ determination to seize control of Anbar’s Haditha dam.
The situation in Haditha, where the dam is, is controlled by security forces and tribes. But the problem is how long can they endure the pressure?
He says the embassy has committed to a presence in Anbar:
I held several meetings since one month ago with the American Embassy and the commander of the central troops all in this regard, and very soon there will be a joint coordination center and operations in Anbar. They gave a promise.
State Department spokesperson to reporters:
We’re having conversations about what it (any security assistance) might look like in the future, but nothing concrete beyond that.
Iraq statement
From outside his vacation house in Chilmark, MA, Obama gives a statement (full text) on the latest developments in Iraq. He states that US forces have:
successfully conducted targeted airstrikes to prevent terrorist forces from advancing on the city of Erbil, and to protect American civilians there.
He also addressed the humanitarian efforts to help citizens that are stranded on Mount Sinjar without food or water and noted that the US has deployed a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team to assst:
Some people have begun to escape their perch on that mountain, and we’re working with international partners to develop options to bring them to safety.
‘Buried Yazidis alive’
Iraq’s human rights minister says ISIS buried Yazidi alive in attacks on the town of Sinjar that kill at least 500 of the ethnic minority in the north of the country. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani:
We have striking evidence obtained from Yazidis fleeing Sinjar and some who escaped death, and also crime scene images that show indisputably that the gangs of the Islamic State have executed at least 500 Yazidis after seizing Sinjar. Some of the victims, including women and children were buried alive in scattered mass graves in and around Sinjar.
Release update
WWE posts an update on Alberto Del Rio’s release. WWE states that Del Rio has no excuse for acting out in the way he did.
(1/2) @VivaDelRio is responsible for his own actions. If you’re angry at anyone, be angry at Alberto.
— WWE (@WWE) August 8, 2014
911 calls during Facebook outage
Sergeant Burton Brink from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department tweets that people should not call 911 when Facebook is down. He says that multiple people called the emergency line during a one-hour period where Facebook was inaccessible.
#Facebook is not a Law Enforcement issue, please don't call us about it being down, we don't know when FB will be back up!
— Burton Brink for State Assembly (@LASDBrink) August 1, 2014
Comments on release
Tyler and Dylan comment on their respective WWE releases on Twitter. The men are two of the five performers released as part of WWE’s new financial plan.
I was probably the first guy to get fired while wearing a pink fanny pack in some time. I learned a lot and am thankful for the experience.
— Magnum Dak Draper (@MileHighMagnum) August 1, 2014
https://twitter.com/JodyCaptain/status/495208800857915393
Boston concert statement
Urban posts a statement on his website after an alleged rape occurs at his recent concert at Xfinity Center:
My team and I were horrified to learn of the events reported in Boston this past weekend and our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected. This type of behavior stands in stark contrast to the spirit of our shows.
Putin ‘responsible for MH17 crash’
Clinton says that Vladimir Putin bears responsibility for the crash of Malaysian Airline flight MH17.
I think if there were any doubt it should be gone by now, that Vladimir Putin, certainly indirectly — through his support of the insurgents in eastern Ukraine and the supply of advanced weapons and, frankly, the presence of Russian Special Forces and intelligence agents — bears responsibility for what happened.
Says birth control should not be free
While interviewed on CNN’s State of the Union, Fiorina says she supports the Supreme Court’s decision giving employers the right to not cover certain types of birth control.
The women of Hobby Lobby had access to contraception through their company insurance plan before Obamacare; they have access to contraception — 16 forms of it — after the ruling. But somehow, you know, this is the long arm of business and the Republican party reaching into the body of women. It’s ridiculous.
Dell accepts Bitcoin
Dell begins accepting Bitcoin as payment for purchases on its website. The Bitcoin exchange Coinbase converts the Bitcoin into USD automatically for Dell. A Dell spokesperson says this comes as a result of customer demand:
We put this together quickly as a result of listening to our customers. It’s another way for customers to have a relationship with Dell.
Baldwin plays tribute
Baldwin plays tribute to the Broadway legend who played his mother on TV’s 30 Rock
A woman that I loved and admired, and a true one in a million, has gone to her rest. I’m sure that even God is a bit nervous right now. I love you, Elaine.
‘Takes gas field’
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says ISIS has seized the Sha’ar gas field east of Homs, killing at least 90 of the men guarding it and losing 21 of its fighters in a “wide assault” from several directions. It says a further 270 guards, government forces and militia members loyal to Assad are missing, taken prisoner, wounded or killed. Observatory director Rami Abdurrahman:
Since the beginning of the year there have been clashes between the Islamic State and the regime in some areas, but these are the largest.
Let go by the Knicks
Odom is let go by the New York Knicks , President Phil Jackson announces.
Unfortunately, Lamar was unable to uphold the standards to return as an NBA player. We found it necessary to free up the roster spot.
Rejects apology
Clooney rejects the apology from Daily Mail for printing a false statement about the actor and his future mother-in-law’s religious differences. Clooney says that the publication knew what they were printing was untrue and printed it anyway:
What separates this from all of the ridiculous things the Mail makes up is that now, by their own admission, it can be proved to be a lie. In fact, a premeditated lie. So I thank the Mail for its apology. Not that I would ever accept it, but because in doing so they’ve exposed themselves as the worst kind of tabloid.
Disputes rumors
Angle disputes rumors that he passed out on a plane due to public intoxication.
I’m excited to say I’m coming up on my one year anniversary of being clean and sober. I’m very humbled. God has truly blessed me. It’s been a difficult but exciting road to living alcohol/drug free. Then some heartless individuals want to create rumors of me ‘passed out’ on a plane. Wow! I guess you can’t take a nap on a plane when you’re a recovering addict. But it only makes me want to stay clean even more!
Adopts Glastonbury stray
Crews find an abandoned dog as they work on cleanup after England’s Glastonbury Festival and name it Dolly after her performance on the Pyramid stage. Dolly promises to adopt the dog if the owners are not found.
I had my manager Danny Nozell call the Happy Landings Animal Shelter to make sure the dog is being treated and cared for properly. At this time, nobody has claimed the dog and the dog is in great hands at the shelter. I will take the dog home to America if nobody claims her within a reasonable amount of time.
Signs Letter Against Amazon
King joins a group of authors, including Donna Tartt and Nora Roberts, in signing an online letter protesting Amazon.com’s treatment of books published by the Hachette Book Group. Amazon is currently involved in a dispute with the publishing group over e-book prices and other issues, and as a result has penalized the publisher by slowing shipments and removing the preorder option for their books. The letter says:
As writers—some but not all published by Hachette—we feel strongly that no bookseller should block the sale of books or otherwise prevent or discourage customers from ordering or receiving the books they want. It is not right for Amazon to single out a group of authors, who are not involved in the dispute, for selective retaliation.
Increased security for foreign fighters
Officials with the Department say direct flights bound for the United States will face increased security. The extra precautions follow new intelligence reports that Al Qaeda-linked groups in Syria and the Arabian Peninsula are plotting to blow up flights to the United States, using a bomb that could avoid detection by current airport screening systems:
We’ve seen an increase in foreign fighters who have traveled to Syria and other countries in the region and returning. So, we have been discussing a range of steps we can take in a coordinated fashion.
Intelligence officials estimate as many as 7,000 foreign nationals have gone to Iraq and Syria to join the fight, and of that number, the FBI estimates that roughly 100 are Americans, raising concerns that United States citizens with valid passports could return home and carry out an attack on U.S. soil. They add the move is a preemptive measure and not prompted by any specific threat.
Waitress posts no-tip receipt
A waitress posts Sapp’s credit card receipt online after the ex NFL player did not tip her. The waitress is not facing criminal liability at this point, but the restaurant in question will punish her. It is unclear whether the waitress will be terminated for her actions. According to management:
Regardless, famous or not [the bill] should never have been posted. It should not have happened.
‘You will conquer Rome and own the world’
Al-Baghdadi says in a recruiting video for ISIS that the self-declared caliphate, now known as Islamic State, will defeat the Vatican and conquer the globe.
Rush O Muslims to your state. It is your state. Syria is not for Syrians and Iraq is not for Iraqis. The land is for the Muslims, all Muslims. This is my advice to you. If you hold to it you will conquer Rome and own the world, if Allah wills.