YOUR
PRESIDENTIAL
DAILY BRIEF

Gunman Kills 11 in Virginia 'War Zone'

He walked through a Virginia Beach city services building firing a sound-suppressed handgun and a rifle Friday afternoon. When it was over, 12 people were dead, including the gunman, killed in a protracted shootout with police, and nine were injured. The city police chief compared it to a “war zone,” with bodies on all three of the building’s floors, as well as in a car outside.

Who was the gunman? Reports name professional public utilities engineer DeWayne Craddock, 40, as the shooter, who had recently made multiple weapons purchases. An investigation is under way, but reports indicate that Craddock was seeking revenge.

In China, a Quiet Tiananmen Square 30th Anniversary

There will be no commemoration in China of one of its most historic 20th-century moments. With no accurate final death toll, the deadly suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators on June 4, 1989, remains shrouded in mystery. Whistleblowing ex-members of the People’s Liberation Army have leaked documents showing how resistance within the ranks was snuffed out. One survivor recently described the day to journalists at her Beijing home, then promptly left the country.

Could it happen again? Crackdowns on students and other activists, called “preemptive strikes,” began in early May, which, combined with long-running censorship of massacre references, make that improbable.

Check out OZY’s story about how journalists covered the crackdown.

Mueller Clouds, Clarifies and Quits

It’s in the report. That was this week’s big reveal from special counsel Robert Mueller as he left his job to return to private life. His first appearance before the press in that role Wednesday satisfied few, except those who were pleased to see Mueller refute President Donald Trump’s insistence that there was “no obstruction” — just as his 448-page report did. But Democratic leaders stuck to their no-impeachment strategy, while the White House urged the press to move on just as Mueller was doing.

What’s next? The report lives on, both upon Amazon’s bestseller list and in tonight’s 24-hour theatrical reading in New York.

Angela Merkel Looks Forward, Seeing Darkness

To some, she’s the “leader of the free world.” Germany’s first female chancellor hates that, but can’t argue that liberal democracy isn’t fading in every direction as she serves her fourth and final term. In fact, the traditionally reserved conservative leader worries that people are taking the stable world order for granted.

What is she doing about it? For all Merkel’s lamentations, not much, leaving fans wondering why she isn’t harnessing her final years to shine a big light on the world — especially if she plans to confound speculation that she’ll quit before her term expires in 2021.

Read OZY’s look at the decline of Europe’s center-right parties.

Also Important...

A leaked Ottawa government report on the killings and disappearances of 1,200 indigenous women and girls since 1980 has termed inaction on their cases a “Canadian Genocide.” The latest trade war salvo, this time from China with 25 percent tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, came into force at midnight. And the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Mecca issued a statement today opposing the U.S. Embassy’s move to Jerusalem.

In the week ahead: The Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues, tied at one win each, move to Missouri for tonight’s Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. World leaders will gather in France Thursday to mark the 75th anniversary of the Allies’ D-Day invasion of Nazi-held Normandy. And Conservative Party candidates are lining up to replace resigning British Prime Minister Theresa May, whose last day is Friday.

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 to get your early bird tickets.

Did Malta Assassinate a Journalist?

It’s been 19 months since investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia died in a car explosion in her native Malta. Powerful figures believed to have wanted her dead remain untouched as the investigation proceeds at a glacial pace. Why? Europe’s human rights body has found “extreme weakness” in a judicial system rife with corruption — helping make the EU’s smallest nation a gateway for laundered cash and “golden passports” whose owners legally buy access to the continent with Maltese investments.

Could the death change anything? Galizia’s reporting implicated Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in questionable banking activity, but he survived a subsequent snap election right before the bombing, indicating that reforms aren’t imminent.

How Chillin' Might Solve Global Warming

Marie Kondo may be onto something. Not just for your cluttered apartment, but for the entire planet. The “degrowth” movement is catching on: By acquiring fewer things and working less, we reduce production, emissions and climate change while preserving finite resources. But it would mean discarding economic orthodoxy that hails growth as a universal measure of success. Critics say it won’t help the climate fast enough and could harm society’s most vulnerable.

Could this ever fly? It’s not impossible. A recent Yale climate survey found that more than half of Americans think environmental protection is more important than economic growth.

Read this OZY feature on rethinking economic growth.

He's Bringing His Central American Dream to Comedy Central

No role is too big for Arutro Castro, who shone as the gay best friend and drug dealer in the hit comedy Broad City, and as David Rodriguez in the cocaine drama Narcos. But Castro’s road to stardom didn’t start in America; it started when he was 12, performing in community theaters in Guatemala and, later, as a host on the local music program Conexion.

What’s next for Castro? June 18 is the premiere of his highly anticipated sketch comedy series Alternatino, which is already drawing comparisons to Chappelle’s Show and Inside Amy Schumer.

Tracking Organized Truffle Crime in Italy

Accept no substitute. That’s possible for gourmets, but not ordinary diners who can’t tell a worthless Tunisian truffle from the Piedmont variety retailing for $260 a pound. That’s where the Food and Health Crimes Division of Italy’s national police force comes in. More than 1,000 officers patrol the country’s restaurants, market stalls and loading docks for, say, Croatian truffles being passed off as the valuable Asti variety.

Does this affect other nations? Italian authorities uncover all sorts of fraud, from fake virgin olive oil to Möet-labeled rotgut so convincing they end up at major stores — and shipped across the Atlantic.

Read this OZY feature on the world’s most expensive fungus.

Now We Know Who Pascal Siakam Is

The NBA Finals victory may be a foregone Golden State conclusion, but at least it enjoyed an unpredictable beginning, thanks to Pascal Siakam. While his star Toronto Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard was being triple-covered by America’s superteam Thursday night, the Cameroonian power forward earned his paycheck. Siakam hit 14 of 17 shots — including a perfect run of 11 — to score 32 points and snatch Game 1 for Canada.

How does he do it? For starters, he’s unpredictable. With maximum hustle, the 25-year-old can put his opponents off guard. And until Sunday’s Game 2 in Toronto, that’s how the Warriors may feel.