The Presidential Daily Brief

Chelsea Clinton Curates the PDB

America’s former first daughter is accustomed to having the president’s ear, and she’s not afraid to share her opinions on topics she cares deeply about — the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, DACA and the need for schools to champion children’s health. The Arkansas native, who now resides in the Big Apple with her husband, Marc, and their two children, serves as vice chair at the Clinton Foundation and is a board member at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Today Chelsea Clinton joins the ranks of past curators like Bill Gates, Condoleezza Rice and Von Miller to share her take on today’s must-know news.

Technology Saves Lives in the Face of Superstorms

In 1900, a hurricane claimed more than 8,000 lives in Galveston, Texas, largely because residents were only warned shortly before it hit. But thanks to modern technology, Texans knew about Hurricane Harvey a week before it made landfall, and Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency two days before Irma arrived. The damage was still devastating and tragic, but having advance notice undoubtedly helped save lives. As we reckon with the changing climate, it’s important to also support the heroic efforts of meteorologists and climate scientists who are helping us better prepare for and respond to disasters.

Stand Up and Fight for Dreamers

There are more ways to stand up for the causes we believe in than ever before. But with that comes a responsibility to show up — by sharing thoughts via social media, contacting officials, signing petitions and speaking with friends and family. Let’s use our collective voice to send the resounding message that DACA and the Dreamers it protects are an existential part of who we are as a nation. Dreamers are contributing members of society, and turning our backs on them would be turning our backs on our country’s defining ideals.

Zika Vaccine Effort Stalls, But We Must Not Abandon It

Zika is a virus with heartbreaking effects; babies exposed to the virus in utero can be born with serious birth defects or even die. In recent months, the number of Zika cases across the country has gone down and, in turn, so has the momentum to find a vaccine. But Zika is not something we can let reside in the shadows. Government and pharmaceutical industry leaders need to regalvanize their efforts to protect us from this threat so that no one else contracts this devastating virus.

Schools Move Needle for Children’s Health

From “recess is cut” to “pizza’s a vegetable,” headlines have drawn attention to the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for American pupils. Schools, in turn, have made real progress: This month, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation — co-founded by the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association — is celebrating the 323 schools to make its America’s Healthiest Schools list, and New York City public schools are offering free lunches to all students. We don’t know yet what President Donald Trump will do to support schools, but I’m hopeful we’ll continue to prioritize children’s health.

Irma’s Deadly Landfall, Seismic Fear and Sloane Survivor

Hurricane Update: Hurricane Irma has made landfall in the Florida Keys, has already caused three deaths and is now chugging northward toward the mainland. With 120 mph winds, it’s been downgraded to a Category 3 storm, nonetheless inundating South Florida, flooding some streets in Miami, where high winds toppled part of a construction crane. It’s expected to make landfall near Naples on the state’s Gulf Coast, sometime this evening, and later plow into the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, home to 3 million. 

Still Rattled: As of this morning, there had been some 800 aftershocks since Friday’s 8.1 magnitude earthquake off of Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. The country’s strongest temblor in a century is known to have killed 90 people and has kept frightened area residents camped outside of quake-damaged buildings.

Beat This: “I should just retire now. I told Maddie I’m never going to be able to top this.” — American tennis player Sloane Stephens, 24, who started the season with a fractured leg, was recently ranked 957th, and yesterday easily defeated her friend Madison Keys, 6-3, 6-0, to win her first Grand Slam title in the U.S. Open women’s final.