Your Presidential Daily Brief: Iranians Hit the Streets | Trump's Exoneration Hope

[The Presidential Daily Brief](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d2169d9f/c9da19cb3a2336454eb2d83a7f68b9e4/-8/) [The Presidential Daily Brief](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d2169d9f/c9da19cb3a2336454eb2d83a7f68b9e4/-8/) 5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/5701221b/b1d3176e2d599450be2430199c51be2d/-8/ 5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2cdfbe4f/79308d5c4fb0b1408ae38f3a3c3755d1/-8/ 5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2cdfbe4f/79308d5c4fb0b1408ae38f3a3c3755d1/-8/  IMPORTANT December 30, 2017  5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/80fc05fa/e1cc831a849903559c6bfc3f6d2a27bc/-8/ [Pro-government demonstrators gather in Tehran in the wake of days of anti-regime protests in cities across Iran. Source: Getty](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/637e4a4e/66d4d24c15ced8fc7bceeaefefc5d3e1/-8/) [Iranians Take to Streets to Protest Against, Then for Regime](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/dc47e0a8/e762f40f192e4727893da5e2c96b30b9/-8/) “The world is watching.” That’s how the White House reacted to anti-government demonstrations reported in multiple [Iranian](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/3c6b6ed3/7b6a46d1daebd0dae124e65e736f93ff/-8/) cities Friday, warning against a harsh crackdown by the cleric-dominated regime. Dozens of arrests were reported as videos on social media showed people chanting “Death to (Hassan) Rouhani,” the country’s president, and agitated for the end of the government led by unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameni. It appeared that the response was to organize thousands of pro-government demonstrators to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the suppression of the last major protest wave, in 2009. Sources: [CNN](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d3add9b6/22978119ecdfef1e35b064a118d568e2/-8/), [BBC](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/b398a4fd/95f5cd71fb28542df15d5ce5e3ce070f/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/0dfcc3f6/0c8c2d7808d3ecc568633c87030073c3/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/c993b2ea/17c1144e42d3d8b850c1d9d94c721d61/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/73b372a0/09e3646a1407f5989a983c90a03b0388/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2b64f240/f0e0dccf2d77adb0babc29818a8b4d51/-8/) [Donald Trump's Hope for 2018](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/f34fcd3f/fb298d30dafed724b0a97132ef79f574/-8/) “The sooner it’s worked out, the better it is for the country.” That’s what President Donald Trump told the New York Times Thursday, saying that he believes Russiagate special counsel [Robert Mueller](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/750b7797/caa81b3b6120cfd6920f9c7874ab9fd0/-8/) is “going to be fair.” He’s reportedly heard from his lawyers that Mueller will exonerate him early in the new year. Trump also suggested in the impromptu Times session that he expects Justice Department protection, which he admiringly maintained his predecessor received. So “witch hunt” talk may get a rest — at least until the president decides there may really be a case against him. Sources: [Yahoo](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/ab3b30b5/b558ec63cde875a932e3d0a979a89313/-8/), [Washington Post](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2226de51/f9d2d7de993e245edcf31c54c67d4e73/-8/), [NYT](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/92c9e95c/897c7c34f20dd2df1c4c16866a9aa6ef/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/8bd617a1/4ebc4b1b0e11f490c1183db0838f1148/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/4582bc57/1a78fdd25f54eecfd4e9adc06c3899e6/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/9ce2bba1/c5f04bf66650cb1e7c67f0ca8f960eb0/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/65827fd8/2110d24b8d076608d49da01cecc48149/-8/) [How Do You Meddle in a One-Man Election?](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/044cc842/7748eca47aa27823d432464f98ec9c16/-8/) Even his hashtags are “illegal.” The efforts by Alexei Navalny to become president of Russia couldn’t be more quixotic. YouTube’s reportedly apologized for blocking one of the opposition leader’s videos containing banned hashtags, translated as #Navalny2018 and #strike. The latter refers to the boycott, already threatened with a legal crackdown, urged by the disqualified challenger to incumbent [Vladimir Putin](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/abaeff57/294c9b4a95804af88d50c5ab43ccb924/-8/). Meanwhile, Moscow says Washington’s refused a pact forbidding election meddling — either way — while Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sarcastically lamented that Russia doesn’t get enough credit for interfering in many nations’ polls. Sources: [The Telegraph](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/29fc9fe0/ad1df0fde8de8dbe1aa2980821403b91/-8/), [Newsweek](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/83051678/f4e065675ad26c6befaeee4bf1356b6c/-8/), [Moscow Times](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/c946ae2b/b290ec46729d33c9d933cd71059e9f30/-8/), [AP](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/4891bee6/97b17c71e20b48aa400763f2531db783/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d5a19b93/db0bd663151b658df7b7cbd897cde38a/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/f749d1b1/30ddf98ff5ffbf1ed5a4760480076407/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/703afab0/d7a15a28eee5714c852ce4c70521f95e/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/aa5ae02e/9e0dd39be14cdcbba9a8f1e93a39760d/-8/) [Why Aren't Sweden's Workers Scared of Robots?](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/f64b85f4/985c37ba420511cf10bd5ece5fe29d65/-8/) They shall not harm humans. While many across the developed world fret over the coming tide of automation destroying human jobs and livelihoods, Swedes don’t share that anxiety. Surveys find that 80 percent of them report positive views about robots and artificial intelligence, while 74 percent of Americans worry about it. What’s the disconnect? Not only does Sweden have a strong unemployment safety net, but also its [companies](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/277086d1/319af84017787b71d5b16e0d6fc9d2ba/-8/) don’t treat their employees like machines: As firms prosper, workers share the spoils, engendering trust. Then again, they might feel differently after androids start running HR. Sources: [NYT](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/7b24f688/31bd63e080d205ed06a87c28f4025cf2/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/a5eb275a/063f9741c0b32c40482b3df2a4b376f6/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/00259225/fb8219caab5a6a146da6415ec1182e7e/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/1933815c/7119c12151afa69ab958f90a257bfe9a/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/caee203e/9afaf077b50bab34c95b51a8edc01cc4/-8/) Briefly The Week Ahead: The Republican [tax overhaul](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/0d9cddae/52b0fa7534cb824b1bd63285223e9c4f/-8/) becomes effective Monday, just after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who voted for it, said the bill “probably went too far” in helping corporations. Monday, New Year’s Day, is will also feature Pasadena’s [Tournament of Roses](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2115d240/e7337f4e89e2a31b611b10374a65924b/-8/) parade and Oklahoma and Georgia universities playing in the Rose Bowl. And Democrat [Doug Jones](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/c79a1988/3a8cda3f8e7e177e0514fe9a65bfb642/-8/), the unlikely winner of Alabama’s junior seat in the U.S. Senate, will be sworn in Wednesday as the body reconvenes. Know This: A [3-year-old](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/44d627cf/aa06ca087e0aac9f12f55ef246bb5b31/-8/) playing with a gas stove started the Bronx apartment building fire that killed 12 people Thursday, authorities have determined. Russian tankers have reportedly [smuggled fuel to North Korea](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/f61987de/df8ae258974c43013996d1ea403bb70b/-8/), as President Trump has recently accused China of doing, though no evidence of government involvement has emerged. And ISIS has claimed responsibility for a Coptic Christian [church attack](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/0e1f087f/b8f9131f9d6fce0a1dab6790613c9df8/-8/) in a Cairo suburb that killed nine people. Give Us the Scoop: What do you know and what do you want to discover? If you’ve got an idea for an awesome story, we’d love to hear it. Send your pitches to [readerideas@ozy.com](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/abd0baec/c92c7214cbc680e95c0becbf34c7f5fc/-8/) and our reporters and editors will run them down. 5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/89f4cd0f/096aefd94a27984e15b36165b4c0b853/-8/ 5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/396a0f03/b06d9312acdfeb25677227af4007ac43/-8/  INTRIGUING  [When the Man Comes, Immigrants Turn to God](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/e49cf429/567c78cb6428c1e6a860ffd51a22e041/-8/) Everyone’s welcome. Undocumented [immigrants](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/fcb44491/918a0ca15d3ebb790057b56800d14a23/-8/) are finding refuge in U.S. churches — the only option many have to being deported to a violent homeland or enduring detention. The “sanctuary movement” was started in houses of worship during the 1980s before spreading to colleges and cities, and at least 32 congregations have opened their doors this year. As the Trump administration turns up the pressure on the undocumented, threatening to cut federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities, church doors are the one threshold immigration agents won’t cross — even if there’s no legal barrier. Sources: [Al Jazeera](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/1d21cf2b/41f1d938f7c86d3b3e7c8c61af3a0e1a/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/5598a6e3/be81f62d49835ecb47335bb3b42eb84f/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/cb6739da/2c241d6692ce8830af41648bb36556ae/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/a8714a01/96ed84b219c4b24ac57133eef82553ae/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/fae4e34a/395120805b6085fdb664ef9fdcb57f18/-8/) [What's Closing the Great Storefronts of Manhattan?](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/1e04e919/5f3c44014452e3f39d7160c78fd5d937/-8/) It’s too good — for anyone. A noticeable chunk of the world’s most valuable retail space, along the streets of Manhattan, is sitting [empty](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d10b00d1/71263f9504bbc986861796ba459c3b12/-8/) these days. In recent years, thousands of individual businesses have moved out, often replaced by national chains. Then even they move out, leaving “for lease” signs behind. The trend, reflected nationwide in closings eclipsing those of the 2008 financial crisis, is blamed on online retailers like Amazon. But observers say it’s also sky-high rents sought by institutional investors, content to write off vacancies as long as their portfolios’ value grows. Sources: [The Guardian](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2fe5024b/7adcaed7ec688319a08e88f368de4766/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/1fc0e4bf/f36b0416e31e54bd1f244ad4428a2298/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/f81bfc37/cd86393af439d0faca39411fd9979ed0/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2f787566/2f14aa486a8f1802059e7f54e7a4b771/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/32c420c4/3efc544af989654ba4be2ee8e3e44b63/-8/) [CRISPR's About to Get a Massive Upgrade](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/f954ca5e/c454a068449556ca0f32627b232e41b5/-8/) Oh, you thought [targeted gene editing](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/5f988bd5/7ac7d8c3693a9d0105d8161e05a5b952/-8/) was futuristic? Welcome to 2018: Research teams around the world are looking beyond CRISPR, DNA editing tech’s first generation, to the next leaps forward. Those include the potential to transform nucleotides, which could correct mutations, anti-CRISPR proteins that act as an off-switch for the unruly process, and new enzymes that target RNA that governs cell operation. These technologies could help treat short-term illnesses while enabling gene drives, or modifications that might proliferate, say, through a mosquito population and make it malaria-free. Sources: [Wired](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/a172eade/d17237cf748c30814917ecdc728b8948/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/4571c449/206f7779becd856b726aed0175e95f14/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/8dd19d5e/91af83fcf48f4c885c28d8651760f826/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d631b681/644fa7adb3eda430db38d241f79d0f35/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/d1fc75b4/af01088b7473ae82026b1a60b4cf5616/-8/) [On Vice's Cultural Front Lines, Women Were Targets](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/72570153/31d7ddc4d944a546579401ef233b9fdb/-8/) It was more than just a “bad boy” image. An investigation into the culture at Vice Media, a Canadian magazine turned millennial media powerhouse, entailed interviews with two dozen women who said they saw or experienced [sexual harassment](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/49ff37c7/1a3d3c085dfcd527dc47734505aec99a/-8/) at the company. That may be a wake-up call for those hoping a younger generation, raised in a progressive environment, might foster zero tolerance for treating female employees like office perks. The company has apologized, saying it’s introducing new training and safeguards — and that it’s committed to closing the pay gap by 2019. Sources: [NYT](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/ee61fdbc/a6fa88c1b55fc9b5692d2802997047ba/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/21c2f08d/15a21fb89855b458d7fd72ca832b34b4/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/66a30338/5a3624589d0587e8f6c2e28055326ac1/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/8e86db85/8b325310d273a272138c9382ac833469/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/5e11fb3b/9924837a8e5fdabdb09eddae77dc4053/-8/) [Skier Defies Death, Boots Up for the Olympics](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/1c70a01e/f11bd269cad15890ee59488cb63b4f04/-8/) It’s all downhill to him. Bad luck stalks freestyle [skiing](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/00adc06f/00257bec1166d7d965ead0331035434f/-8/) phenom Torin Yater-Wallace. He’s 22, and has already been a destitute couch-surfer — thanks to his dad’s fraud conviction. Before the last Winter Olympics, a doctor accidentally skewered one of his lungs, impairing him into 26th place. And in 2015, he was comatose with a rare bacterial infection. But he’s been sticking landings since his teens, and plans to compensate for 2014 with some gold-medal jumps, flips and twists in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where the Winter Games begin Feb. 9. Sources: [Washington Post](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/7d6d928e/2a910cce1a0ee318f24b6a0bca52d06c/-8/) Share: [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/b5f7e3ad/0d395ce7a3c7dca2d331eb0d2caf71af/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/93fe6e46/ebf2454546cd4ed3b43d59ef3306a3f2/-8/) [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/5e3cacdc/225f9078d22f559375c73915a1a41f3a/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/ba9bf085/21db8f0bb96f82c821b68ddc9e9424e7/-8/) 5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/3b8307cb/2fc60cf06292ffa226799c3e21feb768/-8/ 40M people love reading OZY every month. Be part of the revolution. [Facebook](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/0fc2e13f/621bb3f149d674a3e9bf74a1ac7b1798/-8/) [Twitter](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/2f273ae6/06b6d8332326df17e97857aa9a6763a1/-8/) [Instagram](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/1acf0f18/41018d1b21c46d4c6f9028277621d7d0/-8/) [Vimeo](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/e45c5366/0e0ef627fe1323f005e5cb645293c592/-8/) [Youtube](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/79053f80/560c5e7cb12900d8fdb1197da16f857b/-8/) This email was sent to {EMAIL} This email was sent by:OZY Media 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 [Manage Subscriptions](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/adf058c4/2110d2aee06ab1981ce58bb9aca19d45/-8/) | [Privacy Policy](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/23a76e27/e32dc617d50cfcec2c71c4d8c298351e/-8/) | [View Online](5a4779080dc460036149e358:ot:591df7fbac0c811781aa5dbc:1/dad90ab2/7422efe63d535200f62249fd4e84da25/-8/)