The Presidential Daily Brief

Pau Gasol Guest Curates OZY’s PDB

At 7 feet tall, this Spanish basketball star looms large — and today, Pau Gasol joins the ranks of recent OZY guest editors like Arianna Huffington, Tucker Carlson, Ken Burns and Brian Grazer to share his take on today’s must-know news. Gasol, a power forward for the San Antonio Spurs, joined the NBA in 2001. Hailing from a family of medical professionals, he has long had a passion for children’s health. His foundation works to fight youth obesity because he believes healthy, happy children and families contribute to successful communities.

The Heartbreaking Plight of Those Fleeing Mosul

Images, perhaps, convey the sadness of the refugee crisis best. Every day we hear about thousands of people being forced to abandon their homes and flee to other countries — their lives broken by never-ending war. These images from northern Iraq, where coalition forces have been pushing against ISIS for months, really drive that message home. Each of the 33 photos serves as a visual reminder of the horror of war, and they will leave no one unmoved. They are testimonies to a reality that should make us think and act.

South Korean Women Close in on 90-Year Life Expectancy

Great news: The world is aging more gracefully than ever, with longer life expectancies and better quality of life. A new study shows that South Korean women may live the longest: Over half the women from this country born in 2030 are expected to live for more than 90 years. The secret? Simply living a healthy life. Despite medical advances, the United States still has a long way to go, especially in tackling its obesity epidemic. 

We Need to Celebrate Women Every Day, and Pay Them Equally

To celebrate International Women’s Day, the International Labour Organization launched a new report on women’s roles in modern society. Although the stats are encouraging — half of the world’s women participate actively in the job market — we are still far away from being equal. Men continue to occupy the vast majority of managing roles, and their salaries for the same positions are still higher. Without a doubt, the biggest challenge is to diminish the gap in salaries between the genders in order to evolve toward a fairer society.

U.S. Attorney Fired After Refusing Order to Resign, Bombs in Syria Kill Iraqi Pilgrims and Dutch Expel Campaigning Turkish Minister

Know This: Prominent Obama-appointed U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says he was fired by the Justice Department after refusing to resign, as 46 federal prosecutors were asked to do. Two bomb blasts reportedly targeted buses carrying Iraqi Shiite pilgrims in Damascus, killing 40. And Secret Service agents arrested a mace-carrying intruder who scaled the White House fence Friday night while the president was inside. 

Diplomatic Impunity:  “Many European nations have also expressed deep disquiet about Turkey’s response to the July coup attempt and the country’s perceived slide towards authoritarianism under President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan.” — Analysis of issues underlying the Netherlands’ expulsion of Ankara’s foreign minister amid concerns that her campaigning for expat voters to approve a new constitution empowering Erdogan might lead to violence.

Talk to Us:  We want your feedback on the Presidential Daily Brief — what you think we’re doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at pdbrief@ozy.com.