Tuesday, July 24
Most Read on the Bloomberg Terminal (Last 8 Hours):
UBS Wealth Merger Gathers Pace as Investors Press for Returns (Bloomberg)
The Mike Bloomberg Effect: Bad News for Trump: Rising Chance of Republicans Losing U.S. House of Representatives (Mike Allen – Axios)
What Would Churchill Say? Germany to Help Brits Stay EU Citizens During Brexit Transition Period (Politico)
EU-Japan Trade Deal: World’s Largest-Ever Trade Deal is First to Carry Paris Climate Clause (Euractiv)
Tomorrow in Washington: Trump’s EU Foe Jab May Hit Home When Jean-Claude Juncker Goes to Washington (Bloomberg)
Today in Saving Lives: After Bloomberg Philanthropies-Supported Study, Mumbai to Get Safer to Walk as Experts Redesign Junctions for Pedestrians (Hindustan Times)
Focus on France.
From Bloomberg Politics: Sun King 2.0 Has a Bug
A private enforcer with a taxpayer-funded apartment in the heart of Paris. A new swimming pool for the president’s coastal retreat. A public scolding for a feisty teenager. That’s not what French voters thought they were getting when they made Emmanuel Macron their youngest leader since Napoleon last year.
Rather than progressive and modern, 40-year-old Macron is more often described as aloof, haughty or – even worse in France – monarchist. All this was brought into focus this week by news that Macron’s private bodyguard beat up protesters at a demonstration in May – and was then shielded by the president’s inner circle when they found out.
In just over a year in office, Macron has made a good start on his policy agenda, implementing labor market reforms, overhauling the national rail company and cutting taxes for business. But his plans for Euro-area integration faltered, a constitutional tweak to make the French legislature more agile is now in danger, and his approval rating is sliding.
Next year he’s tackling the mother of all reforms: the French public pension system. That’s shaping up as a defining test of his youthful promise.
Style section.
Wearing a Tie is Making You Stupid and Sick (New York Post)
Headlines from around the world.
Bloomberg: Mexico Wants August Nafta Deal as Trump Vows ‘Dramatic’ Action
The Guardian: Greece wildfires: Dozens Dead as Holiday Resort Devastated
Bloomberg: Rigging Claims Cast Cloud Over Zimbabwe’s Post-Mugabe Vote
China Daily: Unmanned, Panda-shaped ‘Sky Train’ Tested in Chengdu
Best of late night.
On President Trump’s all caps warning to Iran on Twitter yesterday:
“The president of Iran said, ‘America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.’ To that, Trump responded with the mother of all caps.”
— Jimmy Kimmel
“Even your uncle on Facebook was like, ‘That’s a lot of all caps.’”
— Jimmy Fallon
“Following years of complaints, the city of San Francisco has banned tour buses from stopping in front of the home from the TV show ‘Full House.’ This is bad news for tourists. Now you’ll have to find something more riveting on vacation than sitting in a van very slowly passing by a house. But I will say, the city is being very strict about this. San Francisco’s Twitter said: ‘DO NOT GO NEAR THE “FULL HOUSE” RESIDENCE OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.’”
— James Corden
For more best of late night from the New York Times, click here.