The Presidential Daily Brief

Kirsten Gillibrand Announces Run for Presidency

The Democratic senator of New York, appearing on Tuesday’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert, revealed she will enter the 2020 race. Gillibrand, 52, is a vocal critic of President Trump and supports causes ranging from repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” to combating sexual assault on college campuses. She told Colbert she would make a good president “because as a young mom I am going to fight for other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own.” OZY spoke to her in 2017 about her start in politics and women’s activism.

UK Parliament Rejects Theresa May’s Brexit Deal

Following a vote in the House of Commons, MPs from across the political spectrum voted by 432 votes to 202 against the Prime Minister’s proposed deal with Brussels for the UK’s exit from the E.U. It is the biggest government defeat in history despite May’s final efforts to persuade the legislative body that it was a chance to ”show the people we serve that their voices have been heard.” Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a no confidence motion in the leader – the vote will take place on Wednesday.

Trump’s AG Pick Faces Confirmation Hearing

While William Barr will likely be confirmed as President Donald Trump’s new attorney general, he’ll have to field tough questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee today on subjects including the limits of executive power and whether Barr would interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Barr is expected to tell lawmakers he offered Trump no guarantees in exchange for his nomination, and that it’s “vitally important” Mueller’s investigation proceeds. Meanwhile, OZY asks what Barr learned from dealing with independent investigations during his first stint as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.

China to Execute Canadian Convicted of Drug Smuggling

Robert Schellenberg was sentenced to death by a Chinese court after being found guilty of trafficking nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamines. In November 2016, Schellenberg — who maintains his innocence — was sentenced to 15 years, but a provincial court recently ordered a retrial as prosecutors argued the penalty was “too lenient.” In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the sentence as arbitrary, while others have linked it to last month’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. Meanwhile, Canadians have been warned to exercise caution in China.

US Air Travel Squeezed Amid Shutdown

As the partial government shutdown enters its 25th day, airports and airlines are reeling from its effects. Federal approval for new aircraft and routes has been put on hold — leading to delays in commercial operations — while long lines snake through major travel hubs as unpaid security screeners stop showing up for duty. According to the Transportation Security Administration, unscheduled absences by employees more than doubled yesterday from the year before, to 7.6 percent. “It’s chaos out here,” said one passenger at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest.

Steve King, Failed Satellites and Parenting

Know This: U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa has been removed from the House Judiciary and Agriculture Committees over recent comments questioning why white supremacy is offensive. Iran has claimed it launched a satellite today that failed to reach orbit. And Serena and Venus Williams have both advanced to the second round of the Australian Open.

#OZYfact: Second children double parents’ time pressure, further widening the gap between mothers and fathers. Read more on OZY.

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