Monday Briefing|April 25

Stories to Follow

Austria’s far-right party leads in presidential race
The leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, Norbert Hofer, claimed 36.4% of the vote in the country’s presidential election, and will face an independent in next month’s run-off election. Hofer ran on an anti-immigration bill, largely put down to the impact of the migrant crisis which has seen 100,000 asylum seekers enter Austria over the past year.

Angela Merkel Visits Refugee camp in South Turkey
German chancellor, Angela Merkel, visited a migrant camp on the Turkish-Syrian border this week to help bolster support for an EU deal made with Turkey. This deal, brokered a month earlier, aims to curb migrant flows by sending migrants deported from Greece to Ankara. In return, Turkey will receive €6bn ($6.8bn) of humanitarian aid—but not everyone is convinced the deal is showing results.

President Obama Visits the UK
President Obama wrapped up his visit to the UK this weekend with an audience of 500 youth leaders at a town hall meeting in London. Obama urged young people to “reject cynicism and pessimism” and have confidence to change the world. This comes at the end of Obama’s UK tour, which included a visit to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and an adorable rendezvous with Prince George. As Obama cautions the UK to stick with the EU and avoid a Brexit, we await to see the outcome of June’s referendum.

Happening this Week

Rules, Rights and Resistance: The Battle Over TPP and TTIP
New School, The Auditorium, Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall| Friday April 29, 9am – 6pm
Bringing together noted academics and advocates, “Rules, Rights and Resistance” presents a day-long exploration of what is at play in the struggle over “trade agreements,” what they portend, the resistances they have generated, and the horizons for rewriting and implementing alternative rules.

West Side Community Garden Annual Tulip Festival
West 89th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side |Saturday April 26 and Sunday April 27, 9am – 7am

Wall-to-wall tulips and spring flowering bulbs, cherry and magnolias in full bloom cover this unique community garden’s gem-like space on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Open daily from 9AM to 7PM.  The Garden welcomes the entire family and is wheelchair accessible. The main entrance is mid block on West 89th street., between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue

In Your Free Time

Game of Thrones Season 6 is upon us. Since the HBO show has finally caught up to—and now overtaken—George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novels, we are now in unexplored territory. Or, if you’re like me, and never caught onto the GoT trend, we look forward to another month of being completely lost in conversations discussing whether Jon Snow really died.

The sudden death of Prince, though tragic, has allowed us to revisit the prolific artist’s back-catalog. Watch the delightful Under the Cherry Moon. Dance to the remarkable Dirty Mind (produced, arranged and composed by Prince). Appreciate Prince’s little known political-activism in his song ‘Baltimore’, and remember what a unique talent he was.