The Fitness Magazine: Your Presidential Daily Brief: 22 Die in Manchester Attack

IMPORTANT

May 23, 2017

A girl talks to police after a deadly explosion at an Ariana Grande concert last night in the U.K. Source: Getty

Explosion at Ariana Grande Concert Kills 22 in Manchester

Social media is flooded with appeals from parents and friends looking for missing concertgoers after a suicide attacker detonated an explosive moments after Grande's concert ended at Manchester Arena last night. Police have confirmed that children are among the 22 dead and 59 injured. Manchester's chief constable described it as the "most horrific incident" in the city's history, and leaders of the U.K.'s major political parties have suspended campaigning for the June 8 election. Authorities are treating the tragedy as a terrorist incident and say they know the bomber's identity.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, FT (sub), Bloomberg

Trump's Planned Budget Includes Trillions in Cuts

There's normally more fanfare. But as his 2018 budget plan, "A New Foundation for American Greatness," is unveiled, President Donald Trump is currently out of the country - which some see as a move to distance himself from its policies. The plan allocates $1.6 billion for Trump's border wall and axes more than $800 billion from Medicaid. Overall, it would require $3.6 trillion in cuts to government spending over a decade, aiming to ultimately balance the budget. But that's assuming 3 percent yearly growth, well over current CBO estimates, which critics say might not add up.

Sources: NYT, Reuters, Vox

Corruption Trial Begins for Park Geun-Hye

She could go to prison for life. South Korea's impeached former president, who's pleaded not guilty to 18 charges including leaking state secrets and abusing executive power, is on trial today in Seoul, making her first public appearance since she was arrested in March. Along with associate Choi Soon-sil, Park's accused of trading political favors for money. Dozens of others have been arrested in connection with the massive corruption scandal. The trial - the first for a democratically elected leader in South Korea - is expected to last for months.

Sources: FT (sub), BBC, DW

Flynn to Plead Fifth, Refuses to Cooperate With Probe

Subpoena, schmubpoena. In exchange for immunity, former national security advisor Michael Flynn promised to assist congressional investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But Congress didn't take the deal, and Flynn's now refusing to turn over subpoenaed documents, for which Congress could ostensibly jail him. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that President Trump asked the director of national intelligence and the director of the NSA to deny the existence of evidence that his campaign colluded with the Russian government - something they reportedly refused to do.

Sources: WSJ (sub), The Atlantic, Washington Post

Briefly

Know This: Brazilian President Michel Temer, embroiled in a corruption scandal, says he'll only leave office if he's forced out. Despite seven hours of talks, Greece's creditors failed to reach an agreement on debt relief for the struggling nation. And President Trump, meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, predicts that peace between Israelis and Palestinians would spill over and create peace throughout the Middle East.

Remember This Number: $50 million. That's the amount former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh allegedly stole from the state when he was forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after a 22-year reign. In response, officials have frozen Jammeh's remaining Gambian assets.

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How To Fuel Young Black Men's Dreams

For many students, summer is the season of opportunity, with internships and seasonal work potentially leading to sunny career paths. For young men of color, these opportunities are fewer, which can have a far-reaching effect on the U.S. economy. If men of color were to graduate at the same rates as their peers, they'd collectively earn up to $170 billion more annually, which is why now is the time to invest in their success.

Sources: OZY

INTRIGUING

Protected Status for Haitians in US Extended Six Months

It could've been longer. Officials had the option to give Haitian nationals, who've had protected status in the U.S. since a 2010 earthquake devastated their home country, an 18-month extension, during which they don't have to fear deportation. Instead, they'll only have until January 2018, which officials say is enough time to gather travel documents and make arrangements to depart. Critics say Haiti, which has been struck by a hurricane and a cholera epidemic in the interim, is still too fragile to absorb the extra 50,000 people.

Sources: The Hill, PRI

AlphaGo Machine Beats Human Go Grandmaster

Game on. The match between Google's revamped go-playing artificial intelligence and Chinese prodigy Ke Jie, just 19, is the centerpiece of this week's Future of Go conference in Wuzhen, China. The world's No. 1 human player started with an unconventional ploy, trying to beat the machine using its own playing style, but it didn't work: After four hours and 15 minutes, Ke conceded. It's the first of three matches they'll play - the next is on Thursday - so humankind has a chance to grab back a smidgen of its dignity.

Sources: The Verge, Wired

Key Senate Primaries Could Reshape the GOP

President Trump won't be on the ballot this time. But his shadow will loom large for many of 2018's Republican Senate primaries as Trump loyalists vie with more conventional conservatives for spots in the race. Some are aiming to overthrow long-held Democratic seats - like in Pennsylvania, which went red in the presidential election for the first time in almost 30 years - while other anti-Trump Republicans, like Arizona's Jeff Flake, will see fierce primary challenges from loyalists. The results could indicate how Trump will shape what's now his party.

Sources: Ozy

Has K-Pop's Time in America Finally Come?

Look out, world. South Korean boy band BTS - short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts - beat out Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez Sunday to become the first K-pop group to claim a Billboard Music Awards trophy, and only the second Korean act to win, after Psy. Fans voted online in droves to name them Top Social Artist, making history for the seven-member group and the hugely popular K-pop genre. BTS played to sold-out arenas on the American leg of their ongoing world tour.

Sources: Mashable, Rolling Stone

Former MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden Dies at 35

"Always in my heart, champ." So tweeted motorcycle racer Dani Pedrosa on the death of former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden, who died five days after being hit by a car while training on his bicycle in Italy. Dubbed "The Kentucky Kid," Hayden came from a dynasty of Kentucky racers and competed in 218 motorcycle races in his 13-year MotoGP career. In 2006, he ended Valentino Rossi's run of five consecutive world titles to win his own. As tributes pour in, police say they're investigating the accident that killed him.

Sources: Bleacher Report, ESPN, Men's Journal