The Presidential Daily Brief - 09/05/2015

September 5, 2015   Follow:     Important     Migrants walk along a highway near Budapest, Hungary, toward the Austrian border after train service was shut down. Source: Getty Coming Up Farewell Summer, Hello Sun and Sales The lucky Americans will go to the beach. Others will feel the inexorable pull of the annual Labor Day sales. But even if this weekend is a great time to buy summer clothes, experts say outdoor grills and other warm-weather items could get even less expensive after the holiday. More bargains can be found at the gas pump, with some of the cheapest prices (averaging $2.44 a gallon) since 2004. And thankfully there are some who’ll celebrate the nation’s workforce — which gives Monday its name — and a growing job market. US News, AOL News, USA Today Share With Friends: Story of the Week Europe Shaken by Migrant Crisis Images of children being hoisted onto crowded train cars look eerily reminiscent of long-ago Europe at war. Refugee travel was stymied this week when Hungary halted westbound trains and gathered migrants into camps. This morning, thousands — many on foot, some bused by Hungarian authorities — began crossing the border into Austria. It was one of the week’s desperate scenes, including a 3-year-old’s body on a Turkish beach, refugees disrupting Channel Tunnel service and hundreds arriving by boat in Athens. Meanwhile, the U.N. wants EU leaders to accept 200,000 migrants to relieve the pressure. NYT, CNN, DW, BBC Share With Friends: Made in the Shade Guatemala's Likely Leader Is a Study in Contrasts He’s jumping into the fire. Manuel Baldizón is the heir apparent to disgraced President Otto Pérez Molina, who resigned as authorities closed in on Thursday. One might wonder if Baldizón will follow in his predecessor’s footsteps, with reported ties to drug traffickers — even as he plays the law-and-order candidate on an anti-corruption ticket — with a running mate who’s under investigation. But two decades after the country’s brutal civil war, voters have no better options, and observers believe the tycoon’s winning smile will prove irresistible in Sunday’s vote.  OZY Share With Friends: Emirati Advice UAE Envoy Has Become D.C. Insider The Middle East hasn’t seen this much turmoil in a century. That’s why U.S. officials are ready to listen to some radical ideas aimed at stabilizing the region. Enter Yousef al-Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to Washington. He’s often one of the only foreigners at Mideast policy meetings — and the sole voice advocating decisive action to rid Syria of dictator Bashar al-Assad. Surprised? Don’t be, considering his confederation of monarchies is now fighting in Yemen, and seems poised to begin playing a role in shaping its geopolitical environment.  Huffington Post Share With Friends:     BRIEFLY     Saudi king indicates support for Iranian nuclear deal. (LA Times)  Clinton ‘sorry’ for controversy surrounding her private e-mails. (NBC)  Russian military team’s Syrian trip points to boost in aid to regime. (NYT)  U.S. embassy in Tajikistan closes in wake of violence near capital. (DW)  Williams scores comeback U.S. Open win vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands. (ESPN)       INTRIGUING     Fashionista Rosario Mendoza: A New Class of Designer As the profile of Latin American fashion rises, some would call her a global pioneer. Her indigenous-meets-high-fashion designs have appeared on catwalks around the world, won awards — including an Emmy — and stitched together an entire movement merging traditional and hip couture. Not to mention, she’s helped put Mexican fashion on the map. And her personal rise, from a rural village without electricity or running water to the red carpet, is just as stunning as her buoyant textures, Frida Kahlo-esque flourishes and vivid hues.  OZY Share With Friends: Deadly Hike When the Appalachian Trail Lost Its Innocence It’s been called “God’s cathedral,” a place to escape man’s chaos. Geoffrey Hood, 26, and his girlfriend, Molly LaRue, 25, set out from Maine 25 years ago for the famed path, but the worst of humanity caught up with them in a Pennsylvania lean-to. A drifter murdered them, shooting Hood and raping and torturing LaRue in an incident that forever changed hikers’ relationship with the trail. In their memory, a hiker who befriended the couple remembers their final journey and how travelers still flock to the 78-year-old national treasure to honor them. Outside Share With Friends: Mutable Oath The Pledge of Allegiance's Bizarre History As historic documents go, it’s nouveau. The pledge was penned in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and James Upham and debuted the following year with the goal of assimilating immigrants and stirring patriotism among a post-Civil War generation. Schoolkids once intoned “my” rather than “the” flag while making a Nazi-esque salute — dropped during World War II — and Congress added “under God” in 1954 as a symbolic middle finger to Communism. Despite its traditional auspices, America’s daily exercise in fealty promises to keep changing along with its politics.  Medium Share With Friends: Shaking Out App to Attempt Earthquake Warnings This could rock Silicon Valley.  We haven’t made much progress in stopping earthquakes, but a team of researchers and entrepreneurs are working on the next best thing. The Brinco startup’s sensors, linked to your phone, could provide a critical heads-up — seconds, perhaps — before a deadly temblor or tsunami hits. The company’s still chasing its fund-raising goal for deploying monitoring devices in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the U.S. Geological Survey is developing its ShakeAlert system, offering hope that soon you’ll know just when to duck and cover. OZY Share With Friends: Final Drive Bart Starr Faces Toughest Foe He hasn’t given up. At 81, Bryan Bartlett Starr is remembered for battling sub-zero temperatures and Cowboys defenders to win the 1967 “Ice Bowl” NFL final for the Packers. But the quarterback who’s won more championships than anyone no longer recognizes himself in clips, and even radical stem-cell treatments haven’t reversed the effects of a near-fatal stroke last year. Then there are sparks of recognition, giving Starr’s wife, Cherry, reason to hope he’ll improve in time for Thanksgiving, when he’s scheduled to walk onto Green Bay’s Lambeau Field for one final curtain call. ESPN Share With Friends:     DAILY DOSE     GOOD SH*T Great Reads on Money and Markets Read More »   PERFORMANCE Pete Weber, the Trash-Talking Icarus of Bowling Read More » Follow us This email was sent to PhillipPhillip787@gmail.com by OZY Media 800 West El Camino Mountain View, CA 94040Manage Subscriptions   |   Update Profile   |   Unsubscribe   |   Privacy Policy