The Presidential Daily Brief

Can Trump Woo House Democrats?

What happened? Yesterday — the 11th day of the partial government shutdown — President Donald Trump invited the eight key Republicans and Democrats to talk about border security. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, expected to serve as speaker when Democrats take over the House Thursday, said Trump has “given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly.”

When will it take place? Today — supposedly. It’s still unclear whether the meeting will actually include all Congressional leaders. And even if it does, there are few guarantees the face-to-face will break the impasse, since both sides have proven reluctant to compromise over Trump’s big ask.

Effort to Define Broadband Fails to Define … Broadband

What a tangled web! The FCC has just come up with its plan to try to roll back the 2015 Open Internet Order establishing net neutrality. Its reasoning? To redefine broadband access. Unfortunately, they didn’t make the term any clearer. And when we treat the internet as the property of a few large companies — read: the cable industry — we lose some of the public good because it impacts the ability of startups and those with fewer resources to leverage this great infrastructure to scale new businesses.

Tech Industry Must Start Backing Black Female Entrepreneurs

It’s way past time to even this score. In an industry full of so many men — a number of them with poor behavior — there is a growing group of women who are just looking for their break. So why is the tech industry ignoring them? When I attend tech conferences or meet with investors, it’s predominately white males, so more definitely needs to be done. Warby Parker tracks its diversity stats, and we all need to continually improve in order to truly bring diversity and inclusion to the forefront.

Mapping Shows Glaciers Are on Thin Ice

There’s no denying this. Watch Glacier National Park lose its glaciers with your own eyes — with graphically rendered flowing sheets that illustrate the changes between 1966 and 2015. While the glaciers have been withstanding the hot and cold for more than 7,000 years, all that shifted in the 1800s, and in the last 50 years, 10 of the park’s glaciers have lost more than half their area. I think it’s crazy that we’re still having a discussion on whether climate change is happening. It’s high time we start focusing 100 percent on solutions instead.

Tragic Deaths, a Legend Gone and the Paris Climate Accord

Know This: Portland is mourning the two men whose throats were slit by a white supremacist after they attempted to intervene as he hurled racist slurs at two young women. Music legend Gregg Allman has died at 69. And President Trump promised a decision in the next week on American participation in the Paris climate agreement.

Answer This: Tell us how you really feel. OZY’s next TV show is premiering on PBS this fall. The Third Rail will tackle hot topics typically taboo for television. In anticipation, we’ll be posting a provocative question right here each week, focusing on topics that might make it onto the show. First up: Do you think it’s OK to have a racial preference in dating? Why or why not? Email thirdrail@ozy.com with your thoughts or a personal story. We’ll publish the most intriguing answers Tuesday on OZY.com.