China, Carrie Lam Condemn Hong Kong Protests

Following Monday’s renewal of demonstrations in the semi-autonomous territory — which saw hundreds of protesters storm the legislative council and vandalize the building — Beijing has urged local authorities to probe the “criminal responsibility of violent offenders.” In a late-night press conference, city chief Lam also decried the “heartbreaking and shocking” event, and today workers cleaned up debris as calm returned to the city.

Is this a PR catastrophe? Activists have taken to social media to mitigate the damage the violence may have done to their cause, while others explained it was simply the result of protesters’ patience wearing thin.

Iran Exceeds Uranium Stockpile Limit

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed yesterday that the Islamic Republic has surpassed the 661-pound cap on enriched uranium stipulated by the 2015 nuclear deal. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who blamed Europe for failing to protect Iran from U.S. sanctions, claimed his country was merely responding to Washington’s withdrawal and reimposition of punitive measures. In response, President Donald Trump said Iran is “playing with fire.”

What’s next? Analysts say that while breaking the cap won’t help Iran acquire a nuclear bomb sooner, boosting enrichment — which it has already threatened — will.

Read this OZY op-ed about the standoff between Tehran and Washington.

Dems Visit Migrant Center Amid Social Media Tumult

“CBP’s ‘good’ behavior was toxic.” That’s how Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers’ treatment of more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers who visited two Texas migrant holding facilities Monday. She and others echoed previous reports of substandard care. Their trip coincided with a ProPublica report exposing a secret Facebook group in which CBP agents reportedly made vulgar and “disturbing” comments about migrants and lawmakers.

Will more money solve the border problem? Although a $4.6 billion aid package is now on its way, liberal Democrats are worried the cash won’t be spent where they believe it’s most needed.

US Floats New Tariffs Against EU

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has proposed levying new tariffs on another $4 billion worth of European Union imports, in addition to the $21 billion in potential penalties announced in April. The tariffs — the latest salvo in a protracted dispute over EU and US subsidies for planemakers Airbus and Boeing — would target cheese, olives, pasta and whiskies, among other goods.

When would they take effect? Washington’s holding off until the World Trade Organization issues a final ruling, expected later this year, on whether sanctions would be an appropriate response to what the WTO has already found to be unfair subsidies by both sides.

Also Important...

President Trump has pledged that tanks will be part of a July 4 event in Washington, D.C. Reality star Kim Kardashian has said she’ll rename her Kimono shapewear brand after it prompted an outcry in Japan. And 27-year-old Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead at a Texas hotel yesterday.

#OZYfact: Only around 50 percent of Cambodia’s estimated 10 million land mines are believed to have been cleared. Read more on OZY.

OZY Fest is back! Join OZY in New York’s Central Park July 20-21, where some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers — from John Legend and Trevor Noah to Stacey Abrams and Malcolm Gladwell — will help make this year’s OZY Fest the most memorable yet. Click here for tickets.

Virginia Gets Real About Fake Porn

The Old Dominion is leading the charge in protecting victims of “falsely created” content: An existing revenge porn law was amended yesterday to include a misdemeanor category for video or still images that have been manipulated or fabricated, including “deepfakes” created with advanced machine learning tools. It comes just days after DeepNude, an app that creates convincing nudes from images of clothed women, was taken down following widespread backlash.

Who will follow? States are beginning to wake up to the threat of deepfake technology, with federal lawmakers championing similar bills.

The Next 2020 Campaign Issue for Democrats? Rare Diseases

Battle lines in the race for the Democratic nomination for president are shifting — and rare diseases, including uncommon cancers, could be front and center, OZY reports. Ex-Vice President Joe Biden set the tone with an ambitious commitment to curing cancer, and some believe he may have a point: Under President Trump, funding for research into rare diseases has dried up, though a law to speed FDA approval for medications has won support on both sides of the aisle.

Is it a vote-winner? Research shows at least 1 in 12 Americans suffers from a rare illness, meaning most extended U.S. families are affected.

Paris Extends Ban on Diesel Vehicles

Faced with a crippling pollution problem, on Monday the French capital prohibited all diesel-powered cars, trucks and motorcycles over 13 years old from entering the city on weekdays between 8 am and 8 pm. It extends an existing ban on diesel and gas vehicles older than 18 and 21 years old, respectively, and is expected to impact a third of the area’s cars. Offenders face a $77 fine.

How bad is pollution in Paris? A recent Greenpeace report found the City of Lights was more polluted by small particles than Bogota or Manila, and ranked the worst among EU capitals.

Don’t miss OZY’s Special Briefing on a climate win with a beefy Brazilian catch.

Singer Fiona Apple Pledges Royalties to Refugees

The songwriter has pledged to donate all her 2019 and 2020 earnings from her hit 1996 single Criminal to a fund called While They Wait, which provides legal assistance to asylum-seekers coming to the United States. Writing on Tumblr, Apple said she’d long been upset over the government’s criminalization of migrants, and had been “gutted with frustration” trying to decide how to help.

How much money will that be? Although Apple didn’t specify the amount, she says Criminal is her “most requested song” by film or television productions.

Check out OZY’s story about Albanian singers taking over the world.

Florida Teen Routs Venus Williams at Wimbledon

Cori “Coco” Gauff, 15, made history just by playing yesterday as the youngest to qualify for the tournament in the Open era — but she made her debut epic by ousting the five-time Wimbledon champ 6-4, 6-4. Gauff says Williams, coincidentally the oldest woman in the competition at 39, and her sister Serena have been her inspiration. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her,” she said of Venus after the match.

How far can Gauff go? That’s hard to say, but the Florida teen definitely won’t face second seed and fellow upstart Naomi Osaka, who fell in the first round to Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (4), 6-2.