Notatnik Pascala: Fwd: The Presidential Daily Brief

środa, 20 kwietnia 2016

Fwd: The Presidential Daily Brief - 04/20/2016

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: OZY <Admin@email.ozy.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Subject: The Presidential Daily Brief - 04/20/2016
To: pascal.alter@gmail.com


April 20, 2016

Important

Hillary Clinton celebrates winning the New York primary in midtown Manhattan. Source: Getty

Clinton, Trump Dominate New York Primary

There's no place like home. Real estate mogul Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the state's former senator, racked up big wins in the Empire State. As results rolled in, Trump appeared to have exceeded expectations, with projections awarding him about 89 of the 95 Republican delegates at stake. Ohio Gov. John Kasich should pick up a few delegates, but Ted Cruz got none, leading Trump to gloat that he's "just about been mathematically eliminated." Meanwhile, Clinton won big over Brooklynite Bernie Sanders, whose uphill battle for the nomination just became steeper.

Sources: NYT, Politico

New Quake Rocks Ecuador as Death Toll Rises

A 6.1-magnitude temblor struck off the coast of the battered South American country, already devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Saturday. No new damage has been reported today, but the official death toll from Saturday's quake now stands at 525, with hundreds still missing and thousands left homeless. President Rafael Correa estimates at least $2 billion damage was inflicted, and aid groups are swooping in to try to rebuild. But oil-producing Ecuador is already hampered by rock-bottom petroleum prices, and many expect a difficult recovery.

Sources: BBC, AP, Reuters

Mitsubishi Admits It Falsified Fuel Economy Tests

This will drive down shares. The Japanese company has admitted to cheating on tests to make four of its minicars look more fuel efficient than they really are. It didn't provide mathematical details, but the fake numbers will affect more than 600,000 vehicles, and the company has put the brakes on production and sales of those models. Mitsubishi, which has a spotty recall history, has been working to turn its reputation around - but this scandal, which saw shares drop 15.2 percent, is unlikely to grease those wheels.

Sources: BBC, WSJ (sub)

Transgender Teen Wins Appeal Against Bathroom Rules

LGBT advocates are relieved. A tense federal appeals court hearing ended with transgender teenager Gavin Grimm winning the right to use the boys' bathroom at his Virginia high school, despite school rules forcing him to use the girls' facilities. The case cited Title IX prohibitions against sex discrimination and could affect laws and bills on the table in several states regulating bathroom usage for trans people. Conservative activists are calling the appeal an assault on social norms, but it could be a turning point in the so-called bathroom wars.

Sources: Politico, Reuters

Briefly

Ice cream moguls Ben and Jerry arrested at U.S. Capitol protest. (CSM)
Ex-NYPD officer will see no jail time for shooting Akai Gurley. (CNN)
India demands return of Koh-i-Noor diamond. (The Guardian)
EU accuses Google of abusing its market dominance. (FT) sub
Philippines presidential front-runner calls daughter "drama queen" over rape claim. (Time)

INTRIGUING

US Treasury May Stop Penny Production

It costs a mint. The Lincoln-emblazoned coin costs the U.S. nearly twice its worth to make, and drops from circulation almost as fast as it's produced. Americans have long discussed pitching the penny - but now Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has reportedly added new weight to the idea with a memo to the president saying he plans to suspend production on the one-cent piece. Lew didn't give a deadline for the penny's demise, but other countries, including Sweden, Australia and Canada, have made similar moves with little negative impact.

Sources: Quartz

Can Experts Outsmart Wily Bacteria?

The best defense is a good offense. Bacterial infections that have evolved to resist medications claim 700,000 lives worldwide annually, yet only two new classes of antibiotics have been introduced since the late 1990s. Scientists are racing to boost the effectiveness of existing drugs with new chemical compounds, remodeling some meds and turning back to antibiotics that haven't been used in years. With drug resistance growing - the death toll from infections like multidrug-resistant tuberculosis could hit 10 million by 2050 - experts say the race to outsmart bacteria is on.

Sources: OZY

Virtual Reality Porn Headed to Vegas Hotels

Sin City is becoming sim city. Porn platform VR Bangers and headset maker AuraVisor are teaming up on a new service in several hotels on the Las Vegas strip. Customers will pay $20 to rent a headset - hopefully one that's been sanitized - and pick their virtual partner's gender to start the "immersive" experience, filmed in a hotel room similar to their own. It's still not clear which hotels will offer the service, but impatient customers can already try out VR perversion on PornHub using a headset at home.

Sources: TechCrunch, PC Magazine

Princes Harry, William Fight on 'Star Wars' Set

It was a battle royal. Luke Skywalker made way for true blue bloods at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, yesterday as the princes visited with cast members Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill and even Chewbacca - who gave Harry a hairy hug. The brothers battled with lightsabers, the heir to the throne taunting his opponent, "Are you scared?" The royal siblings were celebrating British contributions to the sci-fi series, while rehearsals are underway for Episode VIII, which hits cinemas Dec. 15, 2017.

Sources: US Magazine, Daily Mail, UPI

Conor McGregor Hints at Retirement

Will he fight another day? The 27-year-old UFC star shook the mixed martial arts world Tuesday, tweeting that he'd "decided to retire young," adding, "Thanks for the cheese." The announcement left analysts and fans perplexed over whether the featherweight champion has formally quit, especially after news broke that he won't fight his scheduled July 9 rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 200. Last week McGregor was ringside at the "heartbreaking" MMA fight where Joao Carvalho suffered fatal injuries, and some now wonder if that triggered his own exit.

Sources: ESPN, USA Today