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Trump Disavows 'Send Her Back' Chant Amid 2020 Worries

President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” when supporters in North Carolina chanted “send her back,” referring Minnesota’s Somali-born Rep. Ilhan Omar. The crowd echoed the phrase from Trump’s recent tweets suggesting Omar and several fellow congresswomen of color should “go back” and “help fix” their native lands, despite three of the four being American-born and all being U.S. citizens.

Why the about-face? First daughter Ivanka reportedly urged her father to condemn the chants, and several Republicans — some of whom are facing difficult reelection battles — spoke up, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who said, “Those chants have no place in our party or country.”

OZY looks at who counts in Trump’s America.

Iran Seizes Ship, US 'Downs Drone,' Raising Gulf Tensions

Shortly after Iran reported that it had impounded a foreign tanker “smuggling” oil, President Trump announced that an American warship had downed an Iranian military drone. Tehran, which wouldn’t confirm losing an unmanned aircraft, has threatened to choke Persian Gulf shipping if its 2015 sanctions-lifting nuclear agreement isn’t salvaged. The acts came amid already high tensions after Iran shot down a Pentagon drone in June, nearly sparking U.S. retaliation.

Is this time different? The rhetoric isn’t as bellicose: Iran’s foreign minister suggested steps to defuse the crisis, while both sides referred to the seized ship and downed drone as “small.”

Discord Deepens Between South Korea and Japan

South Korea’s ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo today in a complicated trade dispute that’s divided the staunch U.S. allies. The feud involves Seoul’s demands for reparations for South Koreans forced into slavery during World War II by then-occupier Japan. It’s escalated as a Korean court seized Japanese assets and Japan barred Korean chipmakers from buying vital materials.

How bad has it gotten? In the latest incident in a dispute rife with symbolism, the son of Koreans forced into Japanese servitude during the war died today after setting himself ablaze in front of Japan’s Embassy in Seoul.

OZY examines changes to South Korea’s military.

Trump Taps Scalia Son for Labor Secretary

Eugene Scalia, 55, previously served as the Labor Department’s top lawyer during the George W. Bush administration before moving into private practice. President Trump, who tweeted his planned appointment Thursday, grew close to the Scalia family since the 2016 death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His son will replace Alexander Acosta, who resigned because of a 2008 plea deal in a sex trafficking case he negotiated for billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

How will Scalia be received? Labor unions and Democrats will likely object that he represented Walmart and other employers against unions and labor regulations — actions that should endear him to conservatives.

Also Important...

A court filing released Thursday indicates that prosecutors aren’t likely to file new charges in the probe of hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claimed a pre-campaign tryst with President Trump, which he denies. The Netherlands’ top court has ruled that because Dutch peacekeeping troops didn’t stop Bosnian Serb forces from killing 8,000 Muslim men in Srebrenica in 1995, the Netherlands is 10 percent responsible for the massacre. And many Chinese are angry after a jury in Peoria, Illinois, declined to sentence a U.S. doctoral student to death after he was convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a Chinese scholar.

Try This: Feeling presidential after a week of briefings? Prove it with the PDB Quiz.

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.

House Democrats Pass $15 Minimum Wage

The House voted 231-199 Thursday to pass a bill that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15, the first increase since reaching $7.25 in 2009. Three Republicans voted with Democrats for the Raise the Wage Act, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated would lift 1.3 million workers out of poverty.

Will the Senate follow? GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the chamber won’t even consider the bill because it would kill jobs — some 1.3 million according to the CBO, which also said higher wages can spur employers to automate more tasks.

Read OZY’s look at wages lagging behind California’s cost of living.

Archaeologists Unearth Early Mosque in Israel

One of the Holy Land’s earliest mosques was recently excavated in Israel’s Negev Desert. Announced yesterday, the discovery in the Bedouin city of Rahat was made while preparing to develop the area into a neighborhood. The small open-air sanctuary with a rounded prayer niche was probably used by local farmers in the seventh or eighth centuries.

What’s the significance of the find? Archaeologist Gideon Avni said it was one of the oldest known mosques in the region, and indicates “the processes of cultural and religious change” between the Byzantine and early Islamic eras.

Don’t miss this OZY feature to find out which country is the most Islamic.

Her Artificial Intelligence Knows What You'll Buy

Diane Keng is a 27-year-old San Francisco entrepreneur who launched the game-changing Breinify in 2015 with a concept that extends the power of artificial intelligence to internet shopping, OZY reports. It employs temporal data — such as user behavior, weather and traffic — to help brands better target consumers. Concerns about privacy aside, Keng says the only way to predict the future is to get to know a person’s tendencies better.

What’s next for Keng? She believes Breinify’s AI can do much more, predicting outcomes and shaping industries from pharmaceuticals to fintech to agriculture.

US Box Office Earnings Fall Short of 2018's Windfall

Despite blockbusters like Toy Story 4 and Avengers: Endgame, studios couldn’t compete with the massive $6.2 billion U.S. haul from the first half of 2018. This year’s $5.6 billion through June was down 9.5 percent, thanks partly to a slow start: In 2019 Aquaman was the top earner through February, raking in $134 million, while in the first two months of 2018 Black Panther had grossed $700 million.

Are people still going to the movies? Though admissions are also down 8.4 percent, theater owners blame 2019’s shortfall on average U.S. ticket prices dipping 12 cents to $9.26, driven by increasing numbers of moviegoers using subscription services.

Is Tiger Woods Getting Too Old for ... Golf?

The 43-year-old, who’s still an elixir for the game’s popularity, bumbled his way through the first round of the British Open yesterday before speaking candidly of his age and physical state. “It’s going to be a lot more difficult,” Woods said. “I’m not 24 anymore. Life changes. Life moves on.” He shot a 7-over-par 78, his second worst round in the tournament, and must score low today to advance to Round 3.

Is this Tiger going extinct? Cameras caught the golfer wincing in pain, reminding fans that he’s had four back surgeries and retirement may not be far off.

OZY keeps an eye on golf’s new talent.