Wildfires, Ivana Trump Dies, and a Government Collapse

Your Daily Brief

July 15th, 2022

Good morning, and happy Friday! Today is National Give Something Away Day, so in the spirit of giving you the news short and sweet (it’s the best way to do it, really), here’s what we have for you:

In Today’s Brief

Sri Lanka: President resigns via email
Rent: Average Manhattan rent passes $5,000
NBA: Deandre Ayton gets largest offer ever
Alex Murdaugh: Charged with murder
Lord of the Rings: New trailer drops
Top Tips: Europe wildfires, Ivana Trump dies, Italy's government faces collapse

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Heat waves exacerbate wildfires in several European countries

Several European countries are experiencing wildfires as the continent faces a combination of winds and a heat wave with temperatures as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit in some regions.

Over 3,000 firefighters in Portugal and Spain are dealing with dozens of blazes in different parts of the countries, including the Portuguese city of Leiria, where thousands of acres of forest have burned and more than 600 people were forced to evacuate their homes. In France, nearly 1,000 firefighters are trying to control two different wildfires which have burnt almost 4,000 hectares, and over 3,000 people in Turkey have been evacuated due to a wildfire in the southwestern Datca peninsula.

Temperatures in Europe are expected to remain high over the next few days, and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa said his government plans to extend a state of alert for wildfires until Sunday.

Ivana Trump, first wife of former President Donald Trump, dies at age 73

Ivana Trump, the first wife of former President Donald Trump, died yesterday at age 73. Sources told reporters that she was found unconscious near a staircase in her Manhattan home, and her death is believed to be accidental.

Born Ivana Marie Zelníčková in former Czechoslovakia in 1949, she left in the 1970s and married Donald Trump in 1977. Together, they had three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump. While they were married, she worked as an executive in Trump’s organization and helped design the interiors of some of his hotels. After they divorced in 1992, she developed a line of clothing, jewelry, and beauty products, invested in real estate, and authored four books, including the 2017 memoir Raising Trump: Family Values from America's First Mother.

In a statement, the Trump family described Ivana as “a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and a caring mother and friend,” adding that she “taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination.”

Italy’s coalition government faces collapse

After Italy’s Five-Star Movement–the largest party in the country’s coalition government–refused to participate in a confidence vote, Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered his resignation.

Draghi has insisted that the government wouldn’t continue without the Five-Star Movement, which had opposed a new policy package he brought forth aimed at lowering inflation and battling rising energy costs. Lawmakers held a confidence vote on the measure yesterday, and even though Draghi threatened to step down if Five-Star didn’t back the package, the party boycotted it. Soon after, Italian President Sergio Mattarella rejected Draghi’s offer to resign, urging Draghi to get a clearer picture of the political situation by addressing Parliament and to find a majority willing to support him.

Italy is scheduled for parliamentary elections no later than June 2023, though after yesterday’s events, some believe they could be pushed forward to as soon as late September.

Around the Globe

President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge to deny Iran access to nuclear arms
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe resigned from office via email days after fleeing the country for Singapore amid protests over economic uncertainty
At least 23 were killed and over 100 reported injured from a Russian missile strike on an office block in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia

On the Homefront

Average Manhattan rents pass $5,000 for the first time ever, according to reports from brokerage firm Douglas Elliman
South Carolina Alex Murdaugh was charged with murder in the deaths of his wife and son
D.C. District Judge Carl Nichols denies former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon’s request to postpone his contempt of Congress trial; proceedings will begin Monday with jury selection

Glitz and Games

Free agent Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns inked a 4-year contract worth a maximum of $133 million dollars with the Indiana Pacers, according to his agents; it is the largest offer sheet in NBA history and the Suns have 48 hours to match it
A BBC interview in which Prince Andrew talked about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein is being developed into a film called Scoop, with Peter Moffat writing the screenplay for The Lighthouse Film & Television production company
Constance Wu–star of Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh off the Boat–shares that she attempted suicide after receiving backlash for a tweet she posted in 2019 regarding the renewal of her TV series for a sixth season

Money Moves

Major indexes in the stock market started the day lower but ended relatively flat by the closing bell (Dow -0.46%, Nasdaq +0.03%, S&P 500 -0.30%)
Nintendo has entered into an agreement to acquire computer-generated animation company Dynamo Pictures; the deal is expected to close in October and the company will be rebranded as Nintendo Pictures Co., Ltd
JP Morgan & Chase, the largest bank in the United States, posted a 28% decline in profits in Q2 and announced it is suspending share buybacks due to growing risks of a recession

Tip & Tricks

Binge Watch: We’re making our way through the Resident Evil reboot on Netflix and thinking back to playing the original game at the arcade (kids these days have no idea)
Bump This: In the spirit of National Give Something Away Day, we’re blasting 1991 funk-rap classic “Give It Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers - listen on Apple Music and Spotify
Look Up: See what Wednesday’s buck supermoon looked like around the world
Go Deep: Check out this map the CDC released that shows which U.S. lakes contain brain-eating amoebas
Nerd Out: Watch the main teaser for Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power that dropped yesterday
Cash Grab: Deceased radio commentator Rush Limbaugh’s Palm Beach compound can be yours for somewhere between $150-175 million…easy money, right?
Say What: “Ken’s got no money, he’s got no job, he’s got no car, he’s got no house. He’s going through some stuff,” Ryan Gosling said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight regarding the upcoming Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig
Hot Goss: Bradley Cooper is dating Huma Abedin after being introduced by Anna Wintour, according to sources familiar with the matter
Life Hack: Adding a pinch of salt to a load of laundry helps brighten the colors of your clothes

Looking Back…

On July 15th: Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace murdered by Andrew Cunanan (1997); Twitter publicly launched (2006); Die Hard first released in theaters (1988); Jim Thorpe wins Olympic gold medals for decathlon and pentathlon (1912).

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