Briefing

THE WEEK

UKRAINE FACED RENEWED CRISIS

43%

Drop in the obesity rate among American children ages 2 to 5 over the past decade

‘People looked and saw that there is nothing to fear. ‘

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President, suggesting that the overall success of the Sochi Olympics–there were no riots or major attacks–should improve global perceptions of Russia

Taco Bell

Praised for announcing a breakfast menu

GOOD WEEK

BAD WEEK

Pizza Hut

Criticized after a local manager was caught urinating in a sink

‘The government kind of blew it.’

MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO of Facebook, alleging that the National Security Agency went “way over the line” by hiding its surveillance programs from the American people

66

Rounds a Missouri spelling bee went through before running out of words

‘The country is facing huge dangers. It is time we … help it get out of this narrow tunnel.’

HAZEM EL-BEBLAWI, resigning–alongside his entire Cabinet–his post as interim Prime Minister of Egypt and paving the way for a presidential run by military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi

‘The truth is, young people are knuckleheads.’

MICHELLE OBAMA, talking to Jimmy Fallon about why young Americans who don’t have health insurance should sign up for Obamacare after they turn 26, even if they “think they’re invincible”

$25

Price of Mozilla’s new limited-functionality smartphone, geared toward those who cannot afford Apple or Android gadgets

‘I’ve lived this for 30 years, I’m done with it.’

ALEC BALDWIN, announcing his retirement from public life in an essay for New York magazine

Sources: BBC; Guardian; New York; Reuters; The Tonight Show