The Fitness Magazine: Your Presidential Daily Brief: Qatar Ultimatum Deadline Extended

IMPORTANT

July 3, 2017

In a rally Saturday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., President Trump lashed out at what he characterized as the media's attempt to stifle him, saying "I'm president, and they're not." Source: Getty

Qatar Negotiation Deadline Extended by Two Days

It's touch and go. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had issued Qatar a list of 13 requirements for ending the economic blockade levied by a handful of Gulf states. Qatar's deadline to respond was yesterday, but while the country's foreign minister said Saturday that they'd reject the demands, no formal response has been given. Now Qatar has been granted two extra days to negotiate. Its official response is expected today, as the import-dependent nation struggles to cope with the diplomatic crisis and economic sanctions from its neighbors.

Sources: DW, BBC

Trump Accused of Inciting Violence Against Press

What happens on Twitter doesn't always stay on Twitter. After President Donald Trump shared a doctored video of himself body-slamming a wrestler with CNN's logo superimposed over his face, many worried that his supporters would see it as encouraging violence against journalists. In May, GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte body-slammed a reporter who asked him a question about health care. The White House protested that Trump has never promoted violence, while CNN decried the tweet, saying, "We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his."

Sources: NYT, Washington Post, The Guardian

China Bristles at US Presence in South China Sea

They're navigating choppy waters. An American warship performed a "freedom of navigation" patrol through seas claimed by China, prompting Beijing to bolster its military presence over what it called a "serious political and military provocation." American officials confirmed the USS Stethem entered the territorial waters of Triton Island - part of the Paracel archipelago in the contentious South China Sea, where Beijing's accused of aggressive land grabbing. The operation comes just days before President Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during a G20 summit in Germany.

Sources: WSJ (Sub) , BBC, The Guardian

Britain Reportedly Abandoning 'Cake' Brexit Hopes

Brexit means compromise. U.K. officials have long described Britain's exit from the EU as a chance to "have its cake and eat it" - keeping easy access to European markets while maintaining sovereignty over immigration. But now they've reportedly accepted such an outcome is likely impossible. That means negotiators will have to choose between allowing EU immigration or potentially devastating Britain's economy. Meanwhile, an independent delegation from Britain's upper echelons of finance is reportedly attempting to negotiate a secret deal in Brussels that would continue to allow free trade for its services.

Sources: FT (sub), BI, Bloomberg

Briefly

Know This: As Republican senators continue to hammer out a deal on health care, governors in their states are reportedly pushing back. Eight people were wounded in a shooting outside a mosque in Avignon, France, though police say it wasn't a terrorist incident. And New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is facing scrutiny after he ordered a state beach closed over the weekend for budget reasons and then was pictured sunning himself there privately with his family.

Coming Up: Tesla's just announced that its first Model 3 cars will see production this week - and will be handed over to early adopters on July 28.

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 launching debates. Each Wednesday, we'll post a provocative question, focusing on topics that might make it onto the show. This week: Should you need a license to have a child? Go deep. Email thirdrail@ozy.com with your thoughts or a personal story, and we might feature your answer next week.

Created with: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Statue of Liberty Was Herself an Early Immigrant to America

The Statue of Liberty has stood as a beacon of everything that's good about America since it was officially unveiled to the public in 1886. Indeed, millions of immigrants got their first glimpse of Lady Liberty as they arrived in droves to Ellis Island, the first step on their path to becoming an American citizen. She very nearly didn't make the trip abroad from France. It was only some creative fundraising that brought her to our shores.

Sources: OZY

INTRIGUING

NASA Gets First Iranian-American Astronaut Candidate

Meet Jasmin Moghbeli. One of NASA's newest astronaut candidates, the German-born Moghbeli, whose parents fled Iran in the 1970s, graduated from M.I.T. and served three combat tours in Afghanistan as a Marine helicopter pilot, where she earned the fierce nickname "Jaws." She's also NASA's first astronaut candidate with Middle Eastern roots, and one of few immigrants in the program. Moghbeli, who's been outspoken about her heritage, her patriotism and her pride in America's melting pot of traditions, is now looking even further - to potential missions to Mars.

Sources: The New Yorker

Microsoft Reportedly to Lay Off Thousands Amid Reshuffle

Microsoft's office is changing. Sources say the tech giant plans to place more emphasis on cloud services, resulting in thousands of redundancies across its global sales teams. The reorganization may have been prompted by a change in leadership, although with Microsoft's fiscal year ending June 30, summer layoffs have become a consistent theme in recent years. Last year, 2,850 jobs were cut, and July 2015 saw 7,800 layoffs after $7.6 billion was written down in the company's Nokia acquisition. Exact figures for this year's reorganization are expected this week.

Sources: TechCrunch, GeekWire

The Surprising Conservative Role in Gender Parity

This could leave blue states red-faced. When it comes to elevating women to positions of power, a new study of 45,000 executives suggests that political ideology is a poor indicator of management-level diversity. Montana has women in 40.9 percent of senior executive positions, the highest in the nation, while Alabama's also in the top 10. Meanwhile, some progressive states like California (21.4 percent) and Massachusetts (20.7 percent) fall well below the national average of 24.8 percent - indicating that political values alone aren't getting women in the boardroom.

Sources: OZY

Kanye West Cuts Tidal Ties Amid Jay-Z Feud Rumors

Wave goodbye to Tidal. The streaming service has become a battleground between two musical giants: On Jay-Z's new album, he raps about an apparent dispute with West over $20 million. Now West has distanced himself from the service, with some reporting that Tidal still owes the rapper $3 million for his album The Life of Pablo. Meanwhile, Jay-Z's latest, 4:44, is likely to be widely available within days, which could mean stormy seas for Tidal as its claims to musical exclusives feel overhyped.

Sources: Daily Beast, Engadget

Germany Overcomes Chile 1-0 in Confederations Cup Final

Youth for the win. A new-look German team held its slim lead for an unexpected victory over Chile yesterday in St. Petersburg, Russia. Despite Chile's strong start and more experienced team, the Copa America winners couldn't stop Lars Stindl - the oldest player on the German side at 28 - from capitalizing on a defensive blunder in the 20th minute and tapping home the game's only goal. German Manager Joachim Loew was vindicated in his controversial decision to field younger, less experienced players, calling the result a "magic match."

Sources: ESPN, AP