This is an OZY Special Briefing, an extension of the Presidential Daily Brief. The Special Briefing tells you what you need to know about an important issue, individual or story that is making news. Each one serves up an interesting selection of facts, opinions, images and videos in order to catch you up and vault you ahead. WHAT TO KNOW What happened? This could be the real deal. Hours before a key EU summit Thursday, British and European officials said they finally reached an agreement on the text of a U.K. withdrawal plan. Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) was quick to celebrate “a great new deal that takes back control,” the pound sterling spiked to a five-month high against the dollar, and the leaders of the EU’s remaining 27 countries endorsed the deal. Still, the battle for an orderly Brexit on Oct. 31 is far from over. Why does it matter? Even before Thursday’s announcement, the deal’s prospects at home appeared questionable. Citing concerns with customs and taxes, Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a key ally of Johnson's government, announced it won’t support the agreement “as it stands.” The DUP still seems open to negotiating, but it’s not the only obstacle before Johnson, who’s back to where former Prime Minister Theresa May was before her own deal was rejected three times. |