The Presidential Daily Brief - 04/23/2016

[The Presidential Daily Brief] [The Presidential Daily Brief] April 23, 2016 [The Presidential Daily Brief] Follow Us: [Facebook] [Twitter] Important [Prince Harry (leaning in), Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, greet the Obamas, who are visiting Europe. Source: Getty] [Obama Works to Thwart Continental Drift] Friends gotta stick together. The relationships between EU nations and the U.S. are worth fighting for, the American president told Britons yesterday, drawing a backlash from London's Brexit-backing campaigners. But Obama can probably look forward to a warm reception on Sunday and Monday in Germany, where he's holding bilateral meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. He'll also meet with other European leaders to discuss issues like ISIS-inspired terrorism, mass [migration] and the xenophobia pulling at the Continent's seams. Sources: [Bloomberg], [NYT], [The Guardian], [NBC] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Ecuador Shaken by Worst Quake in Years] They're digging out ... and into their pockets. The 16-million strong South American nation is reeling in the wake of last weekend's devastating 7.8-magnitude [temblor,] which claimed more than 600 lives and left tens of thousands homeless. Scores are still missing, and hope for finding more survivors is fading. Reconstruction will cost billions, while the Ecuadorian economy is forecast to shrink 4.5 percent this year, and President Rafael Correa has said he'll raise sales taxes and target millionaires with a one-time levy to help foot the bill. Sources: [Reuters], [AP], [WSJ (sub)] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Hillary Clinton's Hawkish History] She was born into it. As a Navy chief petty officer's daughter - who says she once considered joining the Marines after [law school] - the Democratic front-runner is no stranger to military thinking. Some assume her aggressive tone on national security is mere posturing, but former Defense Secretary Robert Gates calls Clinton a "tough lady." And with advisers like Jack Keane, an intellectual architect of the Iraq surge, she'd likely enter the general election with a greater tolerance for military intervention than even potential Republican opponents Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. Sources: [NYT Magazine] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Mass Killings in Ohio, Georgia Stun Nation] As Piketon, Ohio, reeled after yesterday's discovery of eight execution-style slayings, another community was hit with a ghastly killing spree. In Appling, Ga., about 25 miles west of Augusta, five people were fatally shot in what authorities suspect was a domestic incident, and a sixth body was found in the home of a suspect. The Ohio victims, seven adults and a teenager, were found in four homes and were all members of one family. Police say they've interviewed 30 people, but have no motive and warn that a killer may still be at large. Sources: [NBC], [USA Today], [NYT], [ABC] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] Briefly Republicans should support even Trump, party head says. [(NYT)] U.S. to buy nuclear material Iran must give up under accord. [(WSJ)] sub Germany's Merkel visits Turkey to strengthen migrant deal. [(BBC)] Beijing and Washington pledge to sign climate pact in 2016. [(Reuters)] Cargo of fireworks stolen from CSX freight train in Midwest. [(CNN)] INTRIGUING [Prince Transcended Everything But Mortality] He forever changed how we make and listen to music, says OZY's Eugene Robinson. So "even if you don't know who [Prince] is, everyone you listen to now most definitely does. He's written all over modern music now and for the foreseeable future." Though his cause of death may not be known for weeks, local authorities say there's no indication of suicide and no sign of trauma. Celebrations of Prince's signature sound are already cranked up worldwide - along with midnight showings of Purple Rain - with distraught fans considering how "parties aren't meant 2 last." Sources: [Slate], [Rolling Stone], [BBC] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [How Esperanto Is Gaining New Life Online] They're hoping to spread the words. While Esperanto is the world's most developed and prolific constructed language, with as many as two million speakers, it's still largely regarded as a niche hobby for linguists. But now a popular online Duolingo course, the first of its kind, may be reviving the nearly 130-year-old would-be universal tongue. Organizers say they've seen a small uptick in activity, with more than 300,000 users signing up to breathe new life into a cultish phenomenon that may finally be finding its voice. Sources: [OZY] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [US Middle Class Faces the Financial Brink] Brother, can you spare $400? Research shows nearly half of Americans couldn't cope with a modest [financial] emergency without assistance. But we hide our paycheck-to-paycheck status, writes author Neal Gabler, admitting that he has no retirement savings and, despite having been a film reviewer, can't afford to go to the movies. As incomes erode, more Americans are "financially illiterate" in a world of increasing complexity, fostering poor choices and living just one ER visit away from financial ruin. Sources: [The Atlantic] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Greenland Struggles With Epidemic of Youth Suicide] It's a dark statistic. The partially sovereign island nation has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. It grew during the decades of Danish-speaking leaders' modernization - and marginalization - of traditional [Greenlandic]-speaking villages whose residents hunt and fish. In the 1990s, bereaved parents set up the nation's first suicide hotline, and the rate has since plateaued. But officials and locals say resources in isolated communities are still scarce, and they fear the deadly trend among the country's youth could take decades to bring under control. Sources: [NPR] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] [The Year That Changed Tiger Woods Forever] Looking back is par for the course. The 2006 death of his father, Earl, accelerated the decline of [golf's] best-known player. Often secluded in the Bahamas behind a wall of security with his boats, Privacy and Solitude, the now 40-year-old became obsessed with Navy SEALs, wanting to connect with the legacy of his Green Beret dad. He didn't win many friends rubbing elbows with elite soldiers, but the aging golfer now finds solace - and a reflection of his lost dad - in his young son, Charlie. Sources: [ESPN] Share: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Twitter] Your 8 must reads to get you ahead of the curve PERFORMANCE [Five Reasons I Couldn't Let This Poet Go] [Read In Full] RISING STARS [The Deaf Artist Reconstructing Sound] [Read In Full] POV [Eugene S. Robinson Vs. National Poetry Month] [Read In Full] 20M people love reading OZY every month. Be part of the revolution. [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram] [Vimeo] [Youtube] Add us to your Address Book | Having trouble viewing this email? [Read Online] This email was sent to {EMAIL} This email was sent by: OZY Media 800 West El Camino Mountain View, CA 94040 [Manage Subscriptions] | [Update Profile] | [Unsubscribe]| [Privacy Policy]