The Fitness Magazine: Your Presidential Daily Brief: New Van Attack Outside London Mosque

IMPORTANT

June 19, 2017

A police officer stands guard after a van hit pedestrians outside a London mosque early today. Source: Getty

Ramadan Worshippers Targeted in London Van Attack

"I want to kill all Muslims!" That's what a witness reportedly heard from the driver of a van that plowed into pedestrians near North London's Finsbury Park Mosque after evening prayers. Ten were injured and one man is dead, though he'd reportedly collapsed before the van struck and his cause of death is unclear. One suspect is in custody. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the incident - during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and two weeks after a similar ISIS-claimed incident on London Bridge - a "horrific terror attack."

Sources: ABC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC

US Downs Russian-Made Syrian Fighter Jet

Lines were crossed. When a Syrian SU-22 bombed American-backed rebels battling ISIS near the group's Raqqa stronghold, a U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet shot it down, marking the first American attack of its kind in the six-year civil war. In another first, Iran launched several medium-range missiles into eastern Syria at what it described as ISIS forces, in retaliation for June 7 terror attacks in Tehran claimed by the militants. As tensions escalate, Syria decried the "flagrant attack" on its jet and promised "dangerous repercussions."

Sources: NYT, BBC

EU Sends Aircraft to Battle Portuguese Blaze

There was no way out. A forest fire raced through central Portugal Sunday, killing 62 people - many of them trapped in cars as flames cut off their escape route. France, Italy and Spain have sent water-dropping aircraft and reinforcements to assist the 2,000 firefighters still working to control the blaze. It's believed to have been sparked by lightning during a "dry thunderstorm" where rain evaporates midair, and high winds combined with 104-degree temperatures have fueled the flames. Prime Minister António Costa has declared three days of national mourning.

Sources: The Atlantic, AP

Lyft Grabs Market Share as Uber Makes Pit Stop

Goliath, meet David. Upstart Lyft might seem inconsequential in the face of Uber's $62.5 billion valuation. But the ride-sharing giant's seeking new management after a range of embarrassments, like endemic harassment complaints brought into focus by a recent internal investigation. Uber's U.S. market share dropped from 84 to 77 percent in just five months, giving ground to its diminutive competitor. While investors fret that the bigger company "may be self-destructing," don't count them out: As a global leader, Uber's entrenched network could put it back on Easy Street.

Sources: FT (sub)

Briefly

Know This: The U.S. Navy is investigating how a much larger freighter could have crashed into one of its destroyers outside a Japanese port, killing seven sailors whose bodies were recovered this weekend. Police have charged a 22-year-old man with murder after finding the remains of a 17-year-old Muslim girl, reportedly attacked outside a Virginia mosque Sunday. And European stocks are heading toward their biggest increase in two months after the parliamentary landslide of pro-business centrists in France yesterday.

Remember this Number: 79. That's the latest death toll in last week's Grenfell Tower fire in London. Ten victims remain in critical condition, and as authorities comb the building for remains and clues to the fire's cause, they warn that the body count may still rise.

Answer This: Tell us how you really feel. OZY's next TV show, Third Rail With OZY, is launching on PBS this fall! To kick things off, we're shelving the PC and sparking debates. Each Wednesday, we'll post a provocative question, with a focus on topics that might make it onto the show. This week, we delve into privacy and security: Should tech companies surrender your data to the FBI? Go deep. Email thirdrail@ozy.com with your thoughts or a personal story, and we might feature your answer next week.

Sponsored by: OZY

Life After Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to run for another six-year term in 2018, and the 64-year-old has no obvious successor - by design. But what would happen if we awoke to a world without him?

Sources: OZY

INTRIGUING

Bill Cosby's Mistrial Relief May Be Short-Lived

He wasn't exonerated. With a hung jury in his recent criminal case, the embattled comedian can celebrate clearing one legal hurdle, but he still faces a marathon in the wake of dozens of sexual misconduct allegations. The Pennsylvania jury took 52 hours to not decide if Cosby was guilty of an alleged 2004 sexual assault. Prosecutors have promised to retry him, though a second trial is expected to favor the defense. In the meantime, Cosby's lawyers must contend with 10 civil suits, many for allegedly defaming his accusers.

Sources: Variety, Reuters

Google Escalates War on YouTube Terror

It's fighting back. The search giant announced Sunday that it's adding new tools to combat extremism online, particularly on its video-sharing platform. YouTube's new anti-terror weapons include machine learning "content classifiers" to identify extremist materials, plus a larger pool of human experts to review them. It'll also take steps to minimize exposure to inflammatory videos that don't outright violate community guidelines, making them harder to find and promote. Finally, Google plans to "harness the power of targeted advertising" to attract potential ISIS recruits and steer them away from radicalism.

Sources: The Verge, Engadget, Google

The Growing Influence of Latin America's Pentecostals

They're blurring the line between church and state. The proportion of evangelicals in Latin America is growing, from under 5 percent in 1990 to 40 percent in some countries today. Increasingly, their conservative voices are resonating on the political stage. Digitally savvy Pentecostals have become a political force, promoting less corrupt candidates. But they're not just rooting out corruption: Empowered evangelicals last year helped defeat a referendum to end Colombia's 50-year-old civil war, shunning the proposed peace deal for recognizing the rights of sexual minorities.

Sources: OZY

Does Our Survival Hinge on Job Training?

Maybe leopards can't change, but workers can. Breakneck technological and manufacturing advances have turned the job market on its head, changing so rapidly that blue-collar and professional workers alike are being forced to switch careers just to keep earning paychecks. Europe is facing the shift head-on, emphasizing vocational retraining and apprenticeships - even for college grads - and assistance for job-seekers. While the American economy is stronger, it could still use some help, European experts warn - or the ranks of angry, unemployed populists will expand.

Sources: Christian Science Monitor

Brooks Koepka Claims US Open

He was unstoppable. The 27-year-old Floridian with just one career PGA Tour victory steamrolled his way through Wisconsin's demanding Erin Hills course to become a major champion. A ruthless streak of three birdies after the 13th hole neutralized any threat from Japan's Hideki Matsuyama or fellow American Brian Harman, who tied for second four shots behind Koepka. With a final score of 16 under par - tying Rory McIlroy's record for a U.S. Open - Koepka also became the seventh straight first-time winner of a major championship.

Sources: ESPN, Bleacher Report, SB Nation