The Presidential Daily Brief

Trump Expels 60 Russians Over UK Attack

In response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy on British soil earlier this month, the White House today ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats based in Washington and New York — as well as the closure of Russia’s consulate in Seattle. The move, which follows Britain’s own ejection of 23 Russians after what it said was a Kremlin-sanctioned attempt on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, is the most sweeping expulsion in three decades, and will likely boost tensions between Moscow and Washington. “They’ll certainly retaliate,” said a former CIA official.

Dozens Die in Russian Shopping Center Fire

At least 64 people — including many children — are dead and dozens more are injured after a fire tore through a mall in Siberia Sunday. Videos posted on social media showed people jumping from windows of the Winter Cherry building in Kemerovo, about 2,200 miles east of Moscow, to escape the blaze. The fire reportedly started in the cinema hall of an entertainment complex that also contained a bowling alley and a petting zoo, which may explain why many children are among the dead and missing. A criminal investigation has been opened.

Stormy Daniels Says She Was Threatened by Trump Associate

The adult film star told 60 Minutes yesterday she was approached seven years ago in a parking garage with her daughter and threatened over a $15,000 deal to sell In Touch magazine the story of her affair with Donald Trump. “That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom,” she claims the man told her. Daniels is now fighting an agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election — which came with a $130,000 payout — to not disclose the alleged affair.

Thousands Protest After Puigdemont Arrested in Germany

Spain’s Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant last week for former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who was the face of last year’s campaign for Catalonia’s independence — which ended with Spain rescinding the region’s autonomy and Puigdemont going into exile. Now he’s been arrested while traveling through Germany and may be extradited to Spain, where he could face 30 years in prison over charges of rebellion and sedition. Thousands of his supporters demonstrated in Barcelona and Girona, clashing with riot police and leading to nine arrests and scores of injuries.

China, US Negotiate to Derail Trade War

There’s more than one trick to international trade. The U.S. saw stock markets plunge after President Trump announced high new tariffs on Chinese goods — and questions of retaliation loomed over export-dependent U.S. industries. But American and Chinese officials are reportedly quietly negotiating terms to bring the looming trade war to a truce, which could see liberalization of China’s foreign ownership rules. However, a proposal that China buy more semiconductors from the U.S. rather than Taiwan and South Korea could drive a wedge between the U.S. and its regional allies.

Egyptian Elections, Facebook Data and The Thread

Know This: Egyptians are headed to the polls this week for a presidential election, with current leader Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi expected to win a second term. As users delete their Facebook accounts, many are finding the company collected unexpected data on them, including logs of texts and phone calls. And Jewish groups in the U.K. are protesting perceived anti-Semitism on the left, saying Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hasn’t opposed prejudice in his own party with enough force.

Watch This: Teen activist Emma Gonzalez took a long moment of silence during her speech at Saturday’s March for Our Lives to represent the time it took for a shooter to kill 17 people at her high school last month.

Listen Up: Meet your next great listen for your commute. OZY’s podcast, The Thread, is back with a new episode. This season, we’ll travel through nearly a century of history leading up to the #MeToo movement by profiling the original silence-breakers and the men who exploited them. Listen or subscribe for free here.