Briefing

THE WEEK

THE U.S. AND CUBA MADE UP

‘I’d do it again in a minute.’

DICK CHENEY, former Vice President, when asked whether, given the chance, he would again authorize the post-9/11 CIA interrogation methods now widely condemned as torture, after a Senate report criticized them as brutal and ineffective

8 million

Number of vinyl records forecast to be sold in 2014, a 33% increase from 2013

$8.7 billion

Price for which PetSmart is selling itself to London-based private-equity firm BC Partners

‘These 50 years of isolation have not worked. It’s time for a new approach.’

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, announcing that the U.S. will work to normalize relations with Cuba for the first time in half a century

GOOD WEEK

Young-adult books

Sales jumped 22.4% in the first three quarters of 2014

BAD WEEK

Adult books

Sales were down 3.3% during the same period

‘THE QUESTION SHOULD BE ASKED–WHO IS THE VICTIM?’

CAMILLE COSBY, defending her husband Bill, who is facing allegations of sexual assault from more than a dozen women

11 trillion

Gallons of water (42 trillion L) needed for California to recover from a devastating drought

‘That was fun!’

STEPHEN COLBERT, signing off after nine years as host of the satirical news show The Colbert Report

‘The U.S. succumbed to an unprecedented attack on our most cherished, bedrock principle of free speech.’

AARON SORKIN, screenwriter, after Sony Pictures Entertainment canceled the release of The Interview amid threats from hackers of 9/11-style attacks on theaters that screened the movie

Sources: NBC; BBC; Reuters; New York Times; ABC; NASA; Billboard; Mediabistro