Briefing

THE WEEK

WE AWAITED THE WORLD CUP

200 ft.

Distance an inflatable bounce house was blown by a 30-m.p.h. gust of wind near Denver; two children were injured

‘[It is] time to hand over to a new generation .’

KING JUAN CARLOS I OF SPAIN, on his decision to abdicate the throne after almost 40 years; Crown Prince Felipe, 46, will be his successor

GOOD WEEK

Apple

Unveiled iOS 8 to positive reviews at its annual developers’ conference

BAD WEEK

Google

Services reportedly blocked in China in advance of the Tiananmen Square anniversary

‘If he comes up too fast, it could kill him.’

BOB BERGDAHL, likening the return of his son Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Afghan Taliban for nearly five years, to a diver surfacing from the ocean’s depths

77,000

Number of foreign banks and other financial institutions that have agreed to share information about U.S. account holders with the IRS

‘A small number [of Texans] have recently crossed the line from enthusiasm to downright foolishness.’

THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, in a statement criticizing gun owners who have started openly carrying large firearms into public places because it’s technically legal to do so in Texas; the move has been criticized by many local businesses, including Chipotle

‘I feel appalled.’

RONALDO LUÍS NAZÁRIO, Brazilian soccer legend, on his country’s disorganized preparations for the World Cup; the stadium in Brasília alone cost $900 million in public funds, triple the estimate

$1 billion

Sum that President Obama has requested that Congress deliver as aid to Central and East European countries to bolster security after Russia’s recent actions in Ukraine

‘I’m going to a galaxy far, far away!’

LUPITA NYONG’O, after being cast in Star Wars: Episode VII

Sources: AP (2); CNN (2); NRA; USA Today; Bloomberg; Twitter