Defends Facebook mood experiment
In response to the revelation that Facebook attempted to manipulate user moods, Andreessen tweets:
https://twitter.com/pmarca/status/483024580554932224
Andreessen says that this type of testing helps improve websites.
Will keep acting alone
In his weekly radio address, President Obams says he will continue to act on his own as long as Republicans continue to block his economic agenda. Obama says that he has taken actions to attract jobs, raise wages and assist people with paying students loans. He says if trying to help people upsets the Republicans in Congress then they should join him so they can work together.
Two Ghana’s players out
A few hours before the Black Stars’ game against Portugal begins, The Ghana Football Federation (GFA) announces Sully Montari and Kevin Prince-Boateng are kicked off the team. According to a GFA, Muntari was expelled for his involvement with a federation executive, and Boateng was sent home by the team’s coach for insulting a coach. The GFA statement says:
The decision was taken in the wake of his (Muntari) unprovoked physical attack on an Executive Committee member of the GFA and a management member of the Black Stars, Mr. Moses Armah, on Tuesday 24th June, 2014 during a meeting.
The decision was taken following Boateng’s vulgar verbal insults targeted at coach Kwesi Appiah during the team’s training session in Maceio this week. Boateng has since showed no remorse for his actions which has resulted in the decision.
Statement on illness
Nintendo issues Iwata’s statement on his absence on E3:
Thank you very much for your continued extraordinary support of us. I am Satoru Iwata, President of the company. Today, there is one thing that I would like to share with you…Recently, as the result of one of my routine physical examinations, an issue was detected. Following a more detailed examination, a growth was found in my bile duct.In general, it is said that a bile duct growth can be difficult-to-treat, partly because of the difficulty of detecting it early. In my case, luckily, it was detected very early and I had no symptoms. I was counseled that removal at an early stage would be the desirable medical option. Therefore I had surgery last week, and I came through it well, as predicted. I have already resumed my business by email and by other means, but it is anticipated that a little more time is needed for me to return to my regular work schedule. As a result, I have no choice but to miss the company’s very important activity, the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, to be held this month. As the president of the company, I regret that I cannot attend the meeting. However, I understand that I have to prioritize my medical treatment and to recover as soon as possible so that I will again be able to do my best to help the company to grow. I hope that you understand. Best Regards, Satoru Iwata
Visits Israeli family of kidnap victim
Huckabee’s first stop in Israel is to visit the family of kidnap victim, Naftali Frankle.
(I came here to) show solidarity with the Frenkel family. This is a young man who is also an American citizen; and I am here not just as an American, but as a father.
Favors closing U.S. Export-Import Bank
McCarthy says that he favors closing the bank in September when its charter expires and also said he believes the government does not need to be involved in financing exports. Other conservatives within the party also favor the closing saying they view it as a form of “crony capitalism.”
One of the biggest problems with government is they go and take hard-earned money so others do things that the private sector can do. That’s what the Ex-Im Bank does.
Pays back taxes to save home
O’Brien pays $8,000 in back taxes to take his Rhode Island residence off the state auction. The talk show host’s publicist releases a statement that he had not been aware of the delinquent tax bills because the bill did not reach his accountant in Los Angeles.
As soon as I was made aware that the tax bill on my parents’ house was being mailed to the wrong address, I paid the bill immediately. The problem has been corrected. I am grateful to the reporter at the Westerly Sun who spotted this error and notified me.
Putin puts troops on alert
On the first day of Ukraine’s cease fire directive, Putin puts the military on alert in the central district and resumes airborne troop drills. The alert will continue through June 28. 65,000 troops will take part in military drills under this combat alert.
Endorses Mayday Super PAC
Gordon-Levitt releases a video message urging his fans to support the Mayday.us super PAC. The PAC, founded by Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig, aims to elect candidates who will enact meaningful campaign finance reform.
Against legalizing recreational drugs
Francis tells delegates at a drug-enforcement conference in Rome that attempts to legalize recreational drugs such as marijuana…
…Are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects. Let me state this in the clearest terms possible: the problem of drug use is not solved with drugs!
‘150 Australians in Syria’
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says that about 150 Australians are fighting in Syria:
In Syria, it seems that over a period of time they have moved from supporting more moderate opposition groups to the more extreme, and that includes this brutal extremist group ISIS
Radicalized fighters could pose a domestic threat:
We are concerned that Australians are working with them [ISIS], becoming radicalized, learning the terrorist trade, and if they come back to Australia, of course it poses a security threat. I’ve canceled a number of passports on the advice of intelligence agencies.
Driver tweets innocence
Claiming he is being targeted as a scapegoat because celebrities were involved, driver Kevin Roper sends out tweets of protest over the charges brought against him. Roper sent at least four tweets from his Twitter account, expressing his sorrow over the deaths and injuries, but claiming total lack of blame for the accident. Roper states he was not drunk, high, or sleep deprived at the time of the crash.
Usher: Bieber not a racist
Usher releases a public statement about Bieber via his Instagram account..
At my core, I am a person that supports growth and understands without judgement, that growth often comes as a result of pain and continues effort. As I have watched Justin Bieber navigate difficult waters as a young man, I can tell you that he hasn’t always chosen the path of his greatest potential, but he is unequivocally not a racist. What he was 5 years ago was a naive child who did not understand the negative power and degradation that comes from playing with racial slurs. What he is now is a young man faced with an opportunity to become his best self, an example to the millions of kids that follow him to not make the same mistakes.
Kerry dismisses election
On a visit to Lebanon, Secretary of State Kerry declares the Syrian election meaningless and says it will have no impact on U.S. policy. Kerry says the United States continues to support a political solution to the Syrian crisis and announces a contribution of $290 million in humanitarian aid.
The elections are non-elections. A great big zero. Nothing has changed between the day before the election and after.
Governor awaits investigation
Governor Deal makes a statement that he is awaiting the results of an investigation into the raid before further action, such as executive action or new legislation, is taken at the state level.
Any time you have bad facts like this one, it does give you cause for concern. It’s one of those things that require a thorough investigation … to know what if anything we can learn from it.
Android ‘dominates malware market’
Cook criticizes Google for not encouraging users to upgrade to a new version of Android. He says that nine out of ten iDevice users have upgraded to the latest version of iOS, but fewer than one out of ten Android users have the latest version, which introduces security risks:
This [upgrading] is particularly important for Android, which dominates the mobile malware market.
Attorney: Police negligent
The family’s attorney asks state and federal investigators to review the raid. He says that the sheriff’s story doesn’t add up, and that surveillance video should have shown the children, who lived in the home for nearly two months. He also says that police also should have noticed a van in the driveway that night which had four child car seats installed.
We believe they were criminally negligent because of the children. This isn’t police work. This is cowboys.
Mother: Kids obviously live there
The mother of injured toddler tells news sources that police officers should have been able to see that there were children living in the house before the raid was executed.
They say there were no toys. There is plenty of stuff. Their shoes were laying all over.
Meets Abbas in Bethlehem
Francis meets with Abbas, and holds and open air Mass for 8,000 local Christians near Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. The Pope arrives in Bethlehem by helicopter from Jordan. Israel permits over 600 Christians from the Gaza Strip to travel to Bethlehem, while Palestinian authorities deploy 3,000 security forces in the city to supervise the visit. Abbas:
For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice, on the recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual security.
Counting Stars to be ‘retired’
OneRepublic performs Counting Stars from the album, Native, at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. Ryan Tedder reveals before the performance that the song will soon be retired from the band’s set list.