The Presidential Daily Brief


  1. ilhan omar bds shutterstock 1348263485

    Israel Bars Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib From Visiting 

    The decision comes after President Donald Trump urged Israel to prohibit democratic representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country. Trump tweeted Thursday that Israel would be showing ‘great weakness’ if it allows them to visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heeded Trump’s call by officially denying the two U.S politicians from entering, citing their support for the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement. 

    Could the ban be lifted? Aides close to Netanyahu say that the Prime Minister may consider allowing Tlaib into the country to visit her relatives in the occupied West Bank. 

  2. hong kong extradition law protests shutterstock 1416523730

    Trump Floats Talks With Xi Over Hong Kong

    “Personal meeting?” So tweeted President Donald Trump last night, suggesting that he could help his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, “solve the Hong Kong problem” — and hinting that it might be the only way to secure a trade deal with Washington. Meanwhile, as the semi-autonomous territory braces for more weekend protests, fresh video footage showed thousands of Chinese paramilitary police gathered in a Shenzhen stadium, just across the border.

    Could China really intervene? Analysts believe Beijing doesn’t want to launch a potentially damaging military incursion, though its warnings have grown increasingly dire as protests have escalated.

    Don’t miss OZY’s Donald Dossier about China’s role in Trump’s reelection strategy.

  3. stock market down shutterstock 311358326

    Markets Rattled Over Global Economic Slowdown

    The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average each fell about 3 percent yesterday amid fresh signs the global economy is headed for trouble. Fueling concerns are recent indicators suggesting that Germany is poised for a recession and that growth in Chinese factory output is at its slowest in 17 years. Particularly troubling were weak long-term U.S. treasury bond yields, seen as predicting a recession. Today, Asian stocks offered a mixed picture, with indexes in China and Hong Kong closing slightly up but Japan’s Nikkei and Topix falling at least 1 percent.

    How likely is a U.S. recession? Some analysts say the odds are one in three — nor is it encouraging that U.S. growth slowed to a mere 2.1 percent in the most recent quarter.

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    UK’s Jeremy Corbyn Plans No-Confidence Vote

    The British Labour Party leader is asking fellow opposition parliamentarians, plus rebels in the Conservative Party, to support him in ousting Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Corbyn would then lead a “strictly time-limited” caretaker government that would seek to delay Brexit, hold new elections and call a second referendum on leaving the European Union. He didn’t specify a date for the no-confidence vote, though it would need to happen between Sept. 3, when Parliament reconvenes, and the Oct. 31 withdrawal date.

    Could Johnson actually lose? While his one-seat majority makes him incredibly vulnerable, the leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats has called Corbyn’s proposal “nonsense.”

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    Six Cops Wounded in Philadelphia Standoff

    Police Commissioner Richard Ross said it’s “nothing short of a miracle” that no officers were killed after an eight-hour siege ended around midnight last night with the suspect in custody. Two officers were trapped in the North Philadelphia rowhouse, where they’d served a narcotics warrant yesterday afternoon, after the gunman opened fire. None of the wounded cops suffered life-threatening injuries.

    How did police handle the situation? Observers, including a lawyer who previously represented the 36-year-old suspect and helped convince him to surrender, hailed the commissioner for not forcing a more violent end to the affair.

  6. Also Important…

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended New Delhi’s revocation of Kashmir’s special status, promising to return the predominantly Muslim region to its “past glory.” U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa has attracted fresh criticism for suggesting that rape and incest have helped sustain the world’s population. And Boeing has delayed deliveries of an ultra-long-range version of its 777X jet. 

    #OZYfactNearly 80 percent of microbetters met the criteria for problem gambling. Read more on OZY.

    OZY is hiring! We’re looking for an analytical and globally minded technology reporter to sniff out today’s most important stories in science, technology and health. Check out our jobs page and read the description here.


  1. google workers shutterstock 1386223748

    Google Staff to US Border Agencies: Stay Off Our Cloud

    After U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that it’s soliciting a cloud computing contract, Google employees penned an open letter to urge their employer not to bid on it — or work with other federal immigration agencies — over claims they violate human rights. Signed by 70 employees, the letter demanded that Google maintain a safe and inclusive work environment for everyone in the company, including immigrants it says are “terrorized” by federal authorities. 

    Will Google respond? They’ve listened to their workers in the past: Last year, the company halted practices that prevented employees from suing the company in response to a walkout.

  2. Molly MDMA ecstacy drug deal shutterstock 405977956

    Could MDMA Treat Post-Traumatic Stress?

    In combination with psychotherapy, the active ingredient in the party drug ecstasy has shown promising results for those battling PTSD. It’s now undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials, which measure effectiveness among a large sample, at more than a dozen centers in the U.S., Canada and Israel. Researchers say MDMA makes patients feel calm and safe, allowing them to speak about traumatic episodes with less anxiety and pain. 

    Why does it matter? Treating the psychological disorder has become increasingly critical because it’s been nearly two decades since a new PTSD-fighting drug was released.

    Read this OZY feature about Syria’s illegal pill trade.

  3. shutterstock 132069899

    Ukraine’s Farmers Are Fighting for Their Land

    Although blessed with swaths of richly fertile soil and major economic potential, Ukrainian growers have more to worry about than just the daily grind of working the land. That’s because the agricultural sector is rife with illegal seizures of businesses and property, OZY reports, and 71 percent believe they’re at least somewhat vulnerable to the corrupt practice, called “raiding.” While the phenomenon isn’t new, the issue has taken on greater urgency as the country struggles to convince its Western allies that it’s serious about reforming.

    What needs to be done? While Ukrainian authorities have taken some steps to combat raiding, advocates say the problem won’t be adequately addressed without effective legislation and independent courts.

  4. virgin rocks

    Experts Uncover Hidden Da Vinci Sketch

    The National Gallery in London has revealed a series of sketches and hand prints by legendary Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci tucked under one of his most famous paintings, The Virgin of the Rocks. Believed to be the initial ideas for the painting, the new discovery will be part of an immersive exhibition dedicated to the legendary master. 

    What do the sketches reveal? The two main figures are higher up in the obscured sketch, revealed by traces of zinc shown using macro x-ray fluorescence imaging. Still, experts say it remains a mystery why da Vinci abandoned his first version.

    Check out OZY’s story about the ancient art of henna in modern-day Iran.

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    Equal Pay Talks Break Down Between USWNT, US Soccer

    Mediation between the Women’s World Cup-winning squad and the U.S. Soccer Federation to resolve a gender discrimination lawsuit ended without an agreement yesterday, leaving players “sorely disappointed,” their spokesperson said. The announcement came just two weeks after federation chief Carlos Cordeiro released an explanatory note claiming female players were actually paid more than their male counterparts. But it was criticized for allegedly using distorted accounting.

    What’s next? No further talks are scheduled, meaning the lawsuit will go to trial — though a U.S. Soccer spokesperson says the organization remains “undaunted in our efforts to continue discussions in good faith.”