Notatnik Pascala: Fwd: The Presidential Daily Brief

sobota, 2 kwietnia 2016

Fwd: The Presidential Daily Brief - 04/02/2016

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: OZY <Admin@email.ozy.com>
Date: Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 1:15 PM
Subject: The Presidential Daily Brief - 04/02/2016
To: pascal.alter@gmail.com


April 2, 2016

Important

Bernie Sanders meets supporters at a Pittsburgh rally ahead of the April 26 Pennsylvania primary. Source: Getty

Sanders and Cruz Aim to Win in Wisconsin

The primaries are Tuesday, but the battle for Dairyland hearts and minds will be fought this weekend. Competition is intense in the Badger State, where Bernie Sanders has ramped up campaign events, hoping to expand on a slim polling edge over Hillary Clinton. And OZY's Nick Fouriezos says the results will be particularly telling on the Republican side, where a resounding Ted Cruz win - he leads by 10 points in some polls - could complicate Donald Trump's hopes of wrapping up the GOP nomination before the July party convention.

Sources: NYT, Fox News

One Encryption Fight Ends, A Bigger Battle Begins

It's a wake-up call ... on privacy. The FBI told Apple this week that it needn't bother with the court-ordered security-bypassing software tool - a "back door" the computing giant refused to provide. That's because the feds had already unlocked the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. But by drawing a line in the sand with demands that investigators be able to circumvent Apple security and then withholding how it did so on its own, the government may have irreparably fractured its relationship with Silicon Valley, jeopardizing future cooperation.

Sources: Quartz, Wired

Is Pakistan's War on Terror a War With Itself?

Last Sunday's park bombing was an unimaginable horror. But in the South Asian Islamic Republic's battle with the Taliban - which claimed responsibility for the Easter carnage that killed more than 70 - many are looking beyond the extremists' motives to question why their government's war on terror seems so ineffective. Concerned not just about jingoist rhetoric but also violent government tactics and deep religious and regional divisions, prize-winning author Mohammed Hanif ponders how his fellow Pakistanis can support any authority that fails to protect their children from such brutality.

Sources: The Guardian

California Shifts $15 Minimum Wage Into Overdrive

It pays to dream big. Golden State Gov. Jerry Brown - under pressure from a prospective ballot measure - agreed to sign legislation that phases in a $15-per-hour minimum wage over six years. The movement to hit that target had succeeded in only a few liberal cities like Seattle and Los Angeles, so scoring America's most populous state surprised even activists. With 59 percent of Americans in favor of the $15 floor, New York State officials are racing to pass a similar measure, with several more states poised to follow.

Sources: The Atlantic, Forbes, NYT

Briefly

Obama: Threat of terrorists obtaining nuclear weapons is 'real.' (BBC)
North Carolina may lose federal funding over 'bathroom law.' (NYT)
State Department stops Clinton email review at FBI's behest. (Reuters)
North Korea tests short-range missile, tries to jam GPS. (AP)
From Stamos' humanity to 'cornography,' posts fool millions. (NPR)

INTRIGUING

Are Pharma Ads Safe for Consumption?

This might keep you up tonight. Sleep aid Belsomra debuted on American TV screens - touted as a superior alternative to Ambien and Lunesta - despite efficacy study results that were less than impressive and evidence of troubling side effects. The U.S. and New Zealand are the only developed nations that allow such TV pitches, and the American Medical Association is demanding the practice be banned. But for pharmaceutical companies, the lure is undeniable: The pill that grants users just 16 more minutes of sleep than placebos is expected to rake in $300 million this year.

Sources: Huffington Post

Live Like a Local, but With Room Service

It takes a village ... to blaze a new vacation trend. Traditional hotels are so last century, says OZY's Silvia Marchetti, when you can stay in scattered resorts. This new hospitality style, taking hold in Italy, Spain, Finland and Great Britain, uses rooms, spas, kitchens, restaurants and bars scattered across historic villages off the beaten path. Rather than tearing down structures to build anew, hoteliers can exploit what's already there. And in place of sterile high-rises, these year-round resorts are vibrant rural communities, offering the potential for an authentic cultural experience.

Sources: OZY

Tesla Looms Over Only U.S. Lithium Lode

Is there "white gold" in them thar hills? The home of Nevada's 1860s silver rush has mining entrepreneurs and investors frothing over its beds of brine, evaporating to reveal lithium, the key ingredient in laptop, smartphone and electric car batteries. All eyes are on Tesla, which has a deal to buy the Clayton Valley's coveted metal at below-market prices. But the suits, techies and townsfolk are anxious to learn if seismic shifts and volcanic activity have really created enough of the white metal to compete with dominant producers in Chile, Argentina and Australia.

Sources: Fortune

The Erotic Center of 'Star Wars' Fan Fiction

They feel the Force. Despite J.J. Abrams' comment that the saga is a "boy's thing," women dominate the world of Star Wars fan fiction. And much of that amateur text is sexualized, currently centered on tales in which Kylo Ren, the villain of The Force Awakens, pairs up with the film's heroine, Rey. Never mind the two might soon be revealed as siblings. The "Reylo" phenomenon - along with a gay Finn-Poe plot line - is on fire and stoking speculation that it could alter the actual films' gestating screenplays.

Sources: The Atlantic

He Wants to Swim With the Big Girls

He's struggling his way upstream. American Bill May is arguably the best man in his sport, but he's no Olympian. That's because the Games see his synchronized swimming as a female thing, so he's never been given a chance at a gold medal. But when authorities recently permitted male-female duet swimming at the world championships, the 37-year-old came out of retirement - and won the gold. Now he's holding his breath that Olympic officials will follow suit, allowing him to compete at the Summer Games in Rio and make a well-timed splash.

Sources: ESPN