| The Presidential Daily Brief |
IMPORTANT
September 21, 2018
British Prime Minister Theresa May looks back during the second day of a summit with European leaders Thursday. Source: Getty
Kavanaugh Accuser Could Testify Next Week

Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades ago, says she’s ready to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week — but only on “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety.” Ford had previously called for an FBI investigation into her allegations, but Senate Republicans dismissed that request in order to move forward with a confirmation vote. Now Ford, who says she’s received death threats since coming forward, has asked her lawyers to “discuss the conditions” of her testimony with senators.

Sources: Washington Post, NYT
Facebook Twitter
EU Leaders Bash Theresa May's Brexit Plan

At the end of a two-day summit in Salzburg, Austria, the British prime minister was chastised by European leaders — including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Donald Tusk — claiming her country’s Brexit plan won’t work. Macron blamed “liars” for selling it to the British public. May, whose authority at home looks increasingly precarious ahead of a Conservative Party conference next week, now faces the prospect of a March 2019 withdrawal without an EU deal. Tusk called next month’s summit a “moment of truth” for Brexit negotiations.

Sources: The Guardian, CNN
Facebook Twitter
US Hits Chinese Military With Sanctions

Authorized under last year’s Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, the move punishes China for purchasing 10 fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles from Russia, which has been sanctioned for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. As a result of doing business with Russian arms exporters, China’s Equipment Development Department and its director will see their U.S. assets frozen and will be barred from doing business with Americans. Meanwhile, the U.S. added another 33 Russians to its blacklist, including 28 individuals indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Sources: Reuters, BBC, AFP
Facebook Twitter
Three Killed in Maryland Warehouse Shooting

Police in Harford County are investigating what drove Rite Aid employee Snochia Moseley to open fire yesterday at a company warehouse, killing three co-workers before turning the gun on herself. “Everyone was screaming, running this way and that,” said one witness. Authorities say the shooting, which left another three people injured, stemmed from a dispute, while a friend described Moseley, 26, as experiencing moments of alienation though she “wasn’t an angry person.” Police reported that only one weapon was used, a 9 mm Glock handgun that was registered to Moseley.

Sources: The Baltimore Sun, CBS Baltimore, AP
Facebook Twitter
Briefly

Know This: Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, has reportedly spoken with special counsel Robert Mueller for hours over the last month. Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died at age 61 after a serious illness. Japan’s space agency is in the process of landing two tiny autonomous probes on a distant asteroid. And today, OZY’s Around the World campaign takes you to Yemen: Learn why this country’s spiraling crisis is not just another dirty little war.

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

We need your video! OZY is launching a groundbreaking new TV series — and we’d love to include your voice. Record your thoughts on diversity in Hollywood, plastic surgery, playing the “race card,” your parents or voter turnout in a short vlog, and send it to takeonamerica@ozy.com.

INTRIGUING
Passengers Hurt After Crew Forgets to Pressurize Plane Cabin

Thirty passengers on Jet Airways Flight 9W 697 from Mumbai to Jaipur, India, suffered ear pain and bloody noses after the crew forgot to engage the cabin pressurization system, triggering oxygen masks to deploy as the plane gained altitude. Passengers reported that the crew did not assist them or keep them informed during the situation. The plane returned to Mumbai, where an airline spokesperson said all 166 travelers were “deplaned safely.” The pilots and cabin crew have been removed from flight duty while authorities investigate the incident.

Sources: The Times of India, Al Jazeera
Facebook Twitter
Mass Beef Recall Ordered Amid E. Coli Fears

After one person died and 17 fell ill as a result of E. coli contamination, Cargill, the world’s third-largest meat company, has recalled nearly 133,000 pounds of beef. Last month the Colorado-based producer alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the possible contamination, prompting an investigation that found 12 of its product lines were affected. This is the second time this summer that Cargill has pulled products from store shelves, after it recalled 25,000 pounds of beef in August. The USDA has released a public warning.

Sources: Quartz, CNBC
Facebook Twitter
MDMA Makes Octopuses More Social

They’re feeling it. Although wildly different from humans, the cephalopods apparently respond to the drug in a very similar way. After exposing seven octopuses to ecstasy, scientists from Johns Hopkins University found they became more social — leading the researchers to realize the creatures process mood-controlling seratonin the same way as humans despite their brains having completely different architecture. “We weren’t expecting … quite so much overlap,” said the study’s co-author, who also reported anecdotally that one MDMA-dosed octopus did flips and another appeared to be doing “water ballet.”

Sources: The Atlantic, Gizmodo
Facebook Twitter
Suge Knight Agrees to Plea Deal in Manslaughter Case

Former hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter from a 2015 hit-and-run in Los Angeles. Prosecutors say Knight intentionally rammed his truck into Terry Carter, killing him, following an argument while filming a commercial for the film Straight Outta Compton. Knight agreed Thursday to serve 28 years in prison, ending a lengthy legal battle for the 53-year-old. Other charges, including threatening the film’s director and robbing a photographer, were dropped. Knight will be formally sentenced Oct. 4.

Sources: Variety, LA Times
Facebook Twitter
FanDuel to Cough Up $82K After Glitch

Pay up. Yesterday the online gambling site agreed to fork over $82,000 to a New Jersey man whose $110 wager became much more lucrative due to a brief computer error. FanDuel originally refused to pay Anthony Prince, blaming the wildly inflated odds — which jumped from 1-6 to 750-1 — on an 18-second computer glitch during the final minutes of Sunday’s Broncos-Raiders game. The company will also pay another 11 customers who benefited from the erroneous odds, adding, “This one’s on the house.”

Sources: USA Today, ESPN
Facebook Twitter