The White House Needs a New Executive Nanny.

Plus, the Brexit deal, a new China-US standoff, the “yellow vest” protests is international, and elections in Armenia.

1. John Kelly, the President’s chief of staff, is out, marking yet another departure in a Trump cabinet already full of them. Kelly was widely seen as the premier “adult in the room,” someone who would keep Trump away from his worst impulses and keep the country afloat. If White House rumors are to be believed, Kelly’s departure was a long time coming.

The challenge will now be finding a replacement, as it seems no one is keen on the job. Nick Ayers, aide to VP Mike Pence, was seen as a favorite for the job, but he has refused. Hard to blame him. Managing the president’s agenda and cabinet is difficult enough; doing so for a president embroiled in corruption scandals and constantly undermining government institutions makes it an impossible one.

2. PM Theresa May has called off the vote on Brexit, after failing to garner enough votes for her deal (actually she was pretty far off.) Mrs. May insists it is only a delay, but this will send both her deal and her government into dangerous waters. It is unlikely MPs will support the deal as it currently stands, and the opposition Labour Party will want either a motion of no confidence in Mrs. May or a second referendum or both. The second option was made all the more likely by the European Court of Justice’s decision that the UK may stay in the EU if it chooses. Instead of tearing itself away from Europe, the UK may well tear itself apart.

3. Arrests of corporate officials are always big news. When the arrest is the financial officer of a Chinese tech company and the country requesting the extradition is the United States, the news is potentially combustible. American banks claim Meng Wanzhou, finance chief at Huawei, lied about the company’s ties to a subsidiary linked to Iran. China is calling this a politically motivated human rights abuse. So far, Chinese anger is directed mostly at Canada, when Ms. Meng has been arrested. This has seemingly allowed trade deal negotiations to go on for the time being. Still, businesses are spooked. No matter the outcome of Ms. Meng’s bail hearing and potential trial, this will be far from a cut and dry affair.

4. The so-called ”yellow vest” protests have spread from France to neighboring Belgium. Originally a demonstration against fuel tax increases (now scrapped) by the government of French President Emmanuel Macron, the anger expanded to wider economic anxieties regarding unemployment, cost of living, and a lack of opportunities, especially for the young. These same sentiments were clearly felt in Belgium as well.

5. Armenia held parliamentary elections this weekend, and the ruling Civil Contract party won 70.45 percent of the vote. The prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, called elections to cement his mandate and looks to have done so; the second place party only won just over 8 percent of the vote. Mr. Pashinyan came to power in May after weeks of protests led to the resignation of Russian-backed Serzh Sarkisian. Pashinyan pledged to root out the corruption and poverty endemic under Sarkisian. He now has the means to do so.