The U.S. Might Get a Chance to Host the World Cup. We Should Agree, Under One Condition.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter needs to go.     Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images

A crazy opening day to the World Cup got crazier when ESPN’s Jorge Ramos reported that FIFA has asked U.S. soccer to prepare an organizing committee if the 2022 World Cup does not happen in Qatar.

Update, June 12, 2014, 9:55 p.m.: Ramos has since deleted the tweet in which he made the report, and U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati has flatly denied the report as "simply not true." Gulati, who sits on FIFA's executive committee, told New York Times reporter Sam Borden "they haven't asked us and I cannot imagine it happening anytime soon."

If the report is true, it could mean a couple of things, but the implication is that FIFA’s internal investigation into charges of corruption related to the decision to award the tournament to Qatar has the world soccer governing body considering a revote.

Earlier this month the Sunday Times of London reported that it had a giant cache of emails, bank statements, and letters proving that a man lobbying for Qatar made $5 million worth of bribes in an effort to influence the decision.

The Times report was immediately followed by calls from European soccer officials and members of the British parliament for a revote if the claims were proved true. The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Ed Miliband, even weighed in on the side of reopening the bidding process. What may have been the last straw for FIFA was new pressure from sponsors to deal with the scandal.

As a soccer fan, my initial reaction to hearing that the World Cup might be coming back to my home country instead of going to a nation whose tournament prep has been marred by labor rights issues and bribery accusations was “please, please, please, please, please.”

But then I remembered just how corrupt FIFA is, and how corrupt the organization will continue to be even if the tournament is ultimately awarded to the United States or another non-Qatar country. There’s no quick fix for FIFA’s long list of sins—for a refresher course on many of them, watch this amazing John Oliver rant. But a good first step would be to start from the top with the removal of President Sepp Blatter.

On Wednesday, Blatter said he planned on running for a fifth term as FIFA president despite calls from European soccer officials for him to step down, including the president of the European soccer federation, Michel Platini, and English soccer federation chairman Greg Dyke.

Every country offered to rebid or bid for the 2022 World Cup, including the United States, should make one of the conditions of accepting to present a bid that Blatter retire. If enough big countries do this, then the 78-year-old Swiss will either be pressured to not seek a new term, or FIFA will be exposed as the crooked, unaccountable organization that it is. If the world rejects FIFA, then sponsors can’t possibly be far behind.

Obviously, this is all incredibly fanciful. If the U.S. were to surprise everyone and attempt something like this, then it’s unlikely anyone else would join them and FIFA would probably just award the tournament to another country, like England or Australia. But the ignominy of being rejected by America would shine one of the biggest spotlights ever on FIFA’s venality, and put more pressure on the group’s corporate sponsors then ever before. Even if all of this failed, at least it would be a true example of American exceptionalism in choosing not to lie down with dogs.

Jeremy Stahl is a Slate senior editor. You can follow him on Twitter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook 'outed' as gay by CNBC co-anchor

By Mikey Campbell

In a live TV segment of CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Friday, co-anchor Simon Hobbs caused a kerfuffle when he inadvertently "outed" Apple CEO Tim Cook as being openly gay. 

The gaffe came during a discussion with New York Times columnist and CNBC contributor James Stewart, who was on the show to talk up his latest think piece dealing with corporate culture and gay executives. 

Specifically, Stewart told "Squawk" anchor Carl Quintanilla that his most recent column focuses on former BP chief John Browne, who recently wrote a book dealing with the "tortured life" he led as a closeted gay CEO. Browne resigned from his post at the huge multinational oil and gas company in 2007 after being outed by a tabloid. 

Stewart said he was surprised to learn that Browne is the first executive of a Fortune 500 or FTSE 100 company to publicly acknowledge that they are gay. The column explores why, in spite of civil rights advances, a stigma appears to exist at such high levels of business.

"I just found it very, very fascinating," Stewart said. "Of course, there are gay CEOs in major companies, and I reached out to many them. I got an extremely cool reception — not one would allow to be named in the column." 

Then Hobbs jumped in.

"I think Tim Cook is open about the fact he's gay at the head of Apple, isn't he," Hobbs asked. Following a stifling silence from the panel, and a disparaging shake of the head from Stewart, the anchor tried to recover. "Oh, dear, was that an error? I thought not."

The irony of Hobbs' ill-timed mistake was not lost on co-anchor David Faber, who said, "Wow, I think you just...yeah." 

Listening closely, Hobbs can be heard just under the prattle of his co-anchors trying to cover for the slip, saying, "I think he's very open about it."

While Cook speaks somewhat frankly about Apple, he is notoriously guarded when it comes to his private life.

Speculation as to Cook's sexual orientation has been bandied about — a profile from Valleywagwent so far as to call Cook the "most powerful gay man in Silicon Valley" — but the Apple chief has never "come out" publicly. Perhaps the closest thing to an acknowledgement was a speech Cook gave in December when he accepted a lifetime achievement award from his alma mater Auburn University. In it, he alluded to discrimination from his past, which was "rooted in fear of people that were different than the majority."

That Hobbs' comment — and executives' reluctance to be named in Stewart's column — created such a flap speaks to the current cultural climate of the corporate world, even for industries that pride themselves on being progressive. Apple itself has on multiple occasions shown support for sexual equality: contributing $100,000 to fight California's gay marriage ban in 2008; publiclyapplauding a U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriages in 2013; and asking Arizona's governor to veto a bill intended to legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians.

As for Cook, Stewart chose not to offer remarks on what is clearly speculation.

"I don't want to comment on anybody who might or might not be," Stewart said. "I'm not going to out anybody."

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Google Unveils Ambitious Android Expansion at Conference

Sundar Pichai, a senior vice president at Google, spoke about Android’s expansion during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco.

Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

By BRIAN X. CHENJUNE 25, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO — Google wants to be everywhere: in your home, your car and even on your wrist.

That vision became increasingly clear at the search giant’s annual conference for software developers here on Wednesday. The company unveiled plans to expand Android, its mobile operating system, for new categories like wearable computers and automobiles.

The announcements came on the heels of the company’s recent acquisition of Nest Labs, the thermostat maker, for $3.2 billion, which gave Google a speedy entry into the nascent market of Internet-connected home appliances.

“This is one of the most comprehensive releases we have done,” said Sundar Pichai, chief of Google’s Android division, in front of a convention center crowded with 6,000 software developers.

Google’s annual software developers’ conference, called Google I/O, has become an important place for the company to woo app makers to build software for its Android software system, which powers more than one billion devices.

Rallying app developers is increasingly vital for Google as competition grows with rivals like Apple and Samsung Electronics, which are also expanding their device and software portfolios.

“What’s striking is the way each of these three major companies — Google, Microsoft and Apple — are seeking to participate across four key domains: the home, the car, the body and the mobile world at large,” said Jan Dawson, an independent telecom analyst for Jackdaw Research. Google said a coming version of Android for smartphones and tablets, tentatively named Android L, would include new features, like smarter authentication and anti-theft software.

If a user is wearing a smartwatch paired with the device, he can unlock the phone without entering a passcode. When the watch is removed, the phone will require a passcode again. Google also said that Android L, which will be available in the fall, would include a so-called kill switch for rendering a device unusable if it were stolen.

In Android L, Google overhauled the design of its software system powering smartphones and tablets. Similar to Apple and Microsoft, Google adopted a“flat” design with more vibrant colors and added effects like shadows and animations. For example, when a user taps the screen, a small water ripple appears on the tapped area.

Dave Burke, director of engineering for Android, controls an Android TV by phone.

Credit

Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

Google also shared its ambition to push Android deeper into areas beyond mobile devices, revealing details on Android Wear, a special version of Android tailored for smartwatches, which it introduced this year.

Google said Android Wear was customized to show immediately useful information, like message notifications, the status of a package shipment or the status of traffic for a commuter. The smartwatch system is controlled by speaking or by swiping the touch screen.

When a user is traveling, the watch system will continue to bring up relevant contextual information based on his location, like the local bus schedule or the weather, according to Google.

Google said two smartwatches including Android Wear — Samsung’s Gear Live and LG’s G watch — would be available to order in its online retail store, Play, on Wednesday.

Photo

An LG G smartwatch, which is available on Play, the Google online store.CreditJeff Chiu/Associated Press

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For television, Google announced Android TV. Users can speak voice commands into a smartwatch to search for programs and Google will find the programs if they are available for purchase in its online Play store.

Searching “Breaking Bad,” for example, will bring up the show and information about it. Users can also stream music and games from their tablets and smartphones to Android TV. Google said it had become partners with Sony, Sharp and Asus. Products including Android TV should arrive in the fall, Google said.

Television has been a tough market for Google, and Android TV is its fourth attempt to push Android into television. One of its earlier attempts included Google TV, which came with a clunky remote and many limitations to what people could watch.

Google has found some success with Chromecast, a stick that plugs into TVs and allows users to stream content from their smartphones or computers to the television. Released last year, Chromecast has been a top seller on Amazon. Google on Wednesday said it had improved Chromecast, allowing any phone to connect to the device without having to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Brian Blau, an analyst for Gartner, said Google’s new TV strategy fit much better with its apps and web ecosystem. But he noted that with the example of using a smartwatch as a remote for the TV, he felt the company was being unrealistic.

“They appeared to be implying that your watch should now be the center of your smart device attention, and that just won’t be the case,” he said. “It makes apps look dumb and less functional.”

Google also announced a version of Android customized for cars, called Android Auto. Google said it streamlined the design of the system to keep people’s eyes off the screen and on the road. It emphasizes access to maps, phone contacts and playlists, allowing users to use those features with the tap of a button or voice control. The car system will pair with a smartphone.

In addition, the company is also trying to aggressively expand in business computing. Google showed several changes to its businesses offerings, which include things like corporate email and spreadsheets delivered online, along with storage and videoconferencing.

A version of Android customized for cars, called Android Auto.  CreditJeff Chiu/Associated Press

Google unveiled additions to Drive, its online storage service, tailored for businesses. Google said companies would be able to audit which employees were reading what documents, more easily encrypt documents and gain access and work with documents stored in older formats, like Microsoft Office.

All of that is tied with an effort to improve battery life for Android devices, with a tool called Project Volta. A presentation of the feature was interrupted by a protester who stood in front of the stage holding a banner that read “Develop a conscience.” The protester said she was being evicted by a property owner who was a Google employee, before she was escorted out by security guards.

Soon after, she was replaced by another shouting protester who called Google “a company that builds machines that kill people.”

Apple buying Disney? A consultant explains why he thinks a deal is ‘frighteningly obvious.’

Francis McInerney is convinced Apple will buy Disney. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Apple’s success has started to become a problem. The company’s revenue and profits have grown so fast that it’s difficult for it to find new markets that will be large enough to ensure its revenues continue growing.

Apple has introduced a stock dividend and bought back shares to appease investors who question whether the world’s largest technology company by market capitulation is still a growth company.

Apple is expected to release a smartwatch this fall, which should provide a boost. But Francis McInerney, a consultant at North River Ventures, has another idea for how Apple can keep growing. Why not buy Disney?

“The logic is so great this could happen tomorrow,” McInerney said. “The two companies have an identical way of thinking in complementary markets. There’s nothing they do that competes with another. And yet combined this would be a powerhouse deal in the imagining.”

Although an Apple-Disney union has been the subject of Wall Street speculation for years, McInerney believes the shift of content to the cloud will force Disney to act.

“This changing structure, this Gutenberg-like tectonic shift  in human behavior based on the cloud’s ability to offer unlimited computing at marginal cost, says to Disney, ‘We’ve got to be on the platform to grow in the new space,’ ” McInerney said.

His argument doesn’t draw from any inside information of either company, just his own analysis of their cultures, their tendency to prepare well for the future and their needs to remain profitable.

McInerney imagines the two combined as a “Netflix on steroids,” in which Apple would benefit from finding ways to monetize Disney’s content offerings, and Disney would have a safe and profitable place in the emerging, unbundled world of TV and video to peddle its wares. Having Disney under the Apple umbrella would also be an asset if Apple ever launches a television set, which has been suggested for years but may not become a reality.

At the same time, there are plenty of good reasons to think this deal will never happen. Apple rarely makes splashy acquisitions. The $3 billion it recently paid for Beats is the company’s largest acquisition. Disney’s market cap is $143 billion, and its shareholders would expect a premium on top of that price. Apple currently holds $151 billion in cash and marketable securities, but the majority of that is offshore and would be taxed if brought back to the United States. Another question mark would be ensuring regulators approve the acquisition.

Both Apple and Disney did not respond to requests for comment.

McInerney — who calls this potential deal “frighteningly obvious” — is quick to point out that Disney chief executive Bob Iger sits on Apple’s board of directors. The companies appear friendly, but expecting them to join forces still looks like a giant leap.

Matt McFarland is the editor of Innovations. He's always looking for the next big thing. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook

Macau busts $645 million World Cup betting ring

By Sophie Brown, CNN

Macau's legal gambling revenue dwarfs that of Las Vegas, but illicit betting rackets continue to thrive.

(CNN) -- Police have smashed an illegal betting syndicate in Macau for allegedly taking the equivalent of US$645 million in bets on World Cup matches.

It's believed to be the biggest ever raid on an illicit football bookmaking racket in the Asian casino capital, according to police.

The gambling ring used three hotel rooms to take internet and phone bets from around the world, a first coordinator for the Macau Judiciary Police told CNN. One gambler placed a bet valued at around US$5 million, initial investigations found.

Police arrested some 22 people from mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia in the raid on Thursday. Two of the suspects, from China and Malaysia, were believed to be the ringleaders of the syndicate.

Officers seized cash worth around US$248,000, along with 17 computers, at least 10 cell phones, and betting slips.

A second gambling syndicate was busted in the same hotel hours later, with police arresting four Chinese men early Friday morning. According to police, the second betting ring took around US$645,000 in illegal bets on World Cup matches in a single day.

Police have not released the name of the hotel.

READ: The dark side of Asia's gambling Mecca

The arrests are part of a cross-border campaign to crack down on illegal betting in Macau, Hong Kong and China's southern Guangdong province around the World Cup. Authorities from the Pearl River Delta region are also cooperating with Interpol and seven other Asian nations to tackle illicit gambling.

More than half of the world's illegal sports bets are placed in Asia, according to a recent study by the International Center for Sport Security and Paris Sorbonne University.

Since the tournament began, Hong Kong police have arrested a total of 39 suspects over illegal gambling and seized betting slips worth around US$10 million, according to the South China Morning Post.

The city's legal gambling authority, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, is the second biggest betting operator worldwide. The club said illicit sports betting in Hong Kong generated an estimated HK$500 billion (US$64.5 billion) last year -- almost four times the amount the Jockey Club turned over in the same period.

In Singapore, 15 people have been arrested for allegedly receiving illegal football bets equivalent to US$640,000 in the past two weeks, police said Monday.

Police in Malaysia have also arrested dozens of suspected illegal bookmakers since the World Cup began.

WATCH: Interpol investigates World Cup betting

Cristiano Ronaldo is center of U.S. soccer team’s attention at World Cup

Portgual superstar Cristiano Ronaldo trains Friday in preparation for Sunday’s showdown with the United States. (Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images)

SAO PAULO, Brazil — In the wee hours Tuesday morning, as the U.S. national soccer team’s charter traced the Atlantic coast in returning to base from its World Cup opener up north, the coaching staff’s attention pivoted to Portugal.

And pivoting to Portugal meant pivoting to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Since FIFA conducted the group draw in December, dropping the Americans into the same quartet as the planet’s premier performer, Coach Jurgen Klinsmann and his assistants have done the groundwork — scouting, studying and plotting for Sunday’s match at Arena da Amazonia in Manaus .

Now they must implement the plan. If done effectively, the Americans could secure passage to the round of 16 for the second consecutive World Cup.

Klinsmann will not reveal his tactics until Argentine referee Nestor Pitana sounds the opening whistle, but the nature of soccer suggests a collective effort involving both attacking and defensive elements to suppress a player of Ronaldo’s mercurial skills.

“You’ve got to be on high alert when he touches the ball,” midfielder Kyle Beckerman said, “because he’s just so dangerous.”

The Real Madrid winger scored 51 goals in 47 matches across all competitions in 2013-14, ending Lionel Messi’s four-year reign as world player of the year. Ronaldo has posted 252 goals in 246 appearances since joining the Spanish titans in 2009 — the primary reason he is, according to Forbes magazine, the world’s second highest-compensated athlete at more than $80 million ($52 million in pre-tax salary, $28 million in global endorsements).

At the World Cup, however, speculation has swirled around Ronaldo’s physical condition. He has undergone treatment for leg injuries, triggering reports he would have to drop out of the tournament.

On Friday, though, teammate Helder Postiga told reporters at the team’s training base near Sao Paulo that “he’s training with us, he’s practicing with us and he’s doing all the exercises. I’m not a doctor, but I don’t think [Ronaldo’s playing status] is in question. He has been training at his maximum.”

As for his mind-set, Ronaldo was visibly frustrated during a 4-0 loss to Germany on Monday, at one point accosting the referee for declining to award a penalty kick.

The Americans have not lowered their guard despite Portugal being in a wounded state from the defeat, defender Pepe’s red-card suspension and injuries to several other starters.

Portugal “is an even more dangerous team than before,” Klinsmann said. “When you get that 4-0 result from Germany, you’re going to come into Manaus pretty angry. And I don’t know how Cristiano Ronaldo behaves when he’s angry.”

GRAPHIC: A tale of two World Cups: Lionel Messi and Argentina are thriving, while Ronaldo is facing speculation over an injury — and Portugal in struggling.

Ronaldo is best contained not through one-on-one defending but by minimizing his number of touches by pressuring Portugal’s other players and sustaining possession. In essence, a formidable offense is the U.S. team’s best defense.

The Americans, though, will have to improve their passing and ball movement. Between captain Clint Dempsey’s first-minute goal and John Brooks’s late game-winner against Ghana, Klinsmann’s crew lacked structure and execution. Among the tournament’s 32 teams, only Algeria and Iran completed a fewer percentage of passes than the United States (66 percent).

“That was a problem against Ghana, but it was the first game, so you're going to be a little bit nervous,” midfielder Jermaine Jones said. “Now we have a good result. We can go win the next game with more trust in ourselves — take the ball and try to hold the ball better.”

Ronaldo is most dangerous in the open field, combining speed, footwork, vision and power to rip apart opponents. Upon taking possession, Portugal will launch counterattacks through Ronaldo on the flanks. The Americans will need to cut off the supply.

“We will figure out ways to make it really miserable for him,” Klinsmann said.

Who Klinsmann selects to inflict misery is not clear. With striker Jozy Altidore sidelined with a hamstring injury and no natural replacement, Klinsmann might add a fifth midfielder to compress the amount of available space.

In the Ghana match, Altidore and Dempsey partnered on the front line, and Jones, a defensive midfielder, played wide. With five midfielders, Klinsmann could use natural wings, such as Alejandro Bedoya and Graham Zusi, and allow Jones and Beckerman to support Michael Bradley.

Unlike Portugal, the Americans are not desperate for victory and may be tempted to play conservatively. A draw would also bolster their outlook.

Regardless of the formation, the players have emphasized all week the importance of concentrating on the full Portuguese team, not just Ronaldo.

“We feel that we have a great game plan in eliminating certain things, but they’re all dangerous,” Wondolowski said. “Right now we’re still just fine-tuning that game plan in how to stop that whole team.”

Ronaldo’s capability, though, is not lost on the Americans.

“When you look at the game today, there’s such a premium on the physical aspect of the game — speed, strength, endurance,” Bradley said. “He is a guy who checks all of those boxes. When you talk about his technical ability, the way he shoots with his right foot, his left foot, how good in the air he is, he is somebody who can make a difference at any moment.”

More from the World Cup: