| By Derek Caney (@stax920)
In 2016, people won't be voting for a presidential candidate they love. They will be voting against a candidate they loathe. That's what a Reuters/Ipsos poll tells us. About 47 percent of Donald Trump supporters said they backed him primarily because they don't want Hillary Clinton to win. About 46 percent said they would vote for Clinton mostly because they don’t want to see a Trump presidency. Meanwhile, Trump critics on the right are scouring the corridors of power and looking behind sofa cushions for a candidate they could back as a serious third-party alternative.
The forest fire in Alberta is moving south of Fort McMurray, threatening two more oil sands sites. The fire has leveled whole neighborhoods in Fort McMurray and the 88,000 residents who evacuated are unable to return to their homes. Quote of the day: "It is simply not possible, nor is it responsible to speculate on a time when citizens will be able to return. We do know that it will not be a matter of days." – Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. 
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook plans to visit Beijing later this month to meet high-level government officials. While he's been there before, this visit comes at a pivotal time. The company lost an iPhone trademark dispute in China. And the government has suspended some of its online services. Oh yes, and iPhone sales may be weakening in company's the second largest market after the United States. There's a riot goin' on 
A student protester runs away from a clash with riot police during a demonstration to demand changes in the education system in Santiago, Chile, May 5, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
Around the world - An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida to put a communications satellite into orbit, then made a swift return landing on an ocean platform. It was the second successful landing at sea for entrepreneur Elon Musk’s company. Rival Jeff Bezos has yet to comment on Twitter, for those who care about such things.
- The United States may sell as many as 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Nigeria to aid its battle against the extremist group Boko Haram. The move is a vote of confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari's drive to reform the country's corruption-tainted military. Washington also is dedicating more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to the campaign against the Islamist militants in the region and plans to provide additional training to Nigeria's infantry.
- North Korea called its advances in nuclear and ballistic missiles "the greatest gifts" for the first congress of the country's ruling Workers' Party in 36 years.
Around Wall Street - Another jobs day. U.S. employment likely rose again in April. But a rush of job seekers into the labor market should keep wage gains moderate and buy the Federal Reserve more time before raising interest rates again.
Digits of the day: 202,000 That's the Reuters consensus estimate for the number of nonfarm payrolls added in April, down from 215,000 in March. The employment rate consensus is 5 percent. - Wildfires in Canada. Instability in Venezuela. Stalling U.S. frackers. Drops in oil output are happening so fast that it looks as if the Americas alone could resolve global oversupply. We're pretty sure OPEC isn't complaining. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is rethinking its strategy in the oil markets. Riyadh now believes that targeting prices has become pointless as the weak global market reflects structural changes rather than any temporary trend.
- A high-stakes trial is slated to begin today to settle questions about the mental competence of Sumner Redstone, the one-time head of the Viacom media empire and still its controlling shareholder. He's being sued by Manuela Herzer, a former girlfriend who he removed as his designated healthcare agent. She argues that Redstone was not mentally competent at the time he removed her. But the consequences are far greater. If Herzer wins, a seven-person trust might then assess Redstone's mental capacity to vote his Viacom shares.
Around the country - Republican leaders in North Carolina refused to back down from a law regulating which restrooms can be used by transgender people, after the federal government told the state the law violated the Civil Rights Act. The Justice Department told the state it has until Monday to decide if it would stop discriminating against transgender state employees. If the state does not stand down from enforcing the law, the Justice Department's civil rights division could push for a court order. If a federal judge sides with the agency, North Carolina would have to comply or face a reduction in federal funding.
- Jessica Hopkins couldn't drink because she was breastfeeding her 7-week-old baby. That didn't stop her from grabbing a 50-pound beer keg and hurling it over a chest-high metal bar. Women like Hopkins are the fastest-growing group of competitors in Strongman, a sport that involves chucking, dragging and hefting tremendously heavy weights.
- It's the experience, not the money, that attracts racehorse owners to the Sport of Kings. But they face a tough task to get into the elite field for events like the Kentucky Derby. The Run for the Roses is Saturday. And hopefully we'll make it through without hearing that freakin’ Dan Fogelberg song.
Today's reason to live
George Jones – The Race Is On |
没有评论:
发表评论