The Fitness Magazine: Your Presidential Daily Brief: Special Counsel to Investigate Trump

IMPORTANT

May 18, 2017

Protesters in Brasilia rallied against Brazilian President Michel Temer after allegations surfaced that he was secretly taped approving a bribery scheme. Source: Getty

Deputy AG Appoints Special Counsel for Russia Probe

The stakes just soared. Yesterday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russian election meddling and possible collusion with President Donald Trump's administration. The surprise announcement followed last week's firing of James Comey, reports that Trump divulged sensitive Israel-provided intel to Russian officials, and reports that he asked Comey to stop investigating ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn. Mueller's investigation will be semi-autonomous and will likely review new reports of 18 undisclosed contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia.

Sources: NYT, WSJ (sub), Reuters

Brazil's President Implicated in Bribery

It's on the record. Secret recordings of Brazilian President Michel Temer allegedly discussing paying hush money to a jailed associate have been handed in to prosecutors, as angry crowds and politicians call for his impeachment. Temer denies that he authorized illicit payments to silence Eduardo Cunha, former speaker of Brazil's lower house - and possible witness in a corruption inquiry. Cunha is currently serving 15 years in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Temer was himself central to the corruption scandal that brought about the impeachment of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff.

Sources: BBC, NYT, The Guardian

Arrests of Immigrants Up 38 Percent in US

There's no border wall in sight. Nevertheless, under President Trump's administration, an average of 400 immigrants per day are being arrested - more than 41,300 during his first 100 days. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said about 75 percent have criminal records, but arrests of those without rap sheets have more than doubled from last year. Meanwhile, deportations are down 12 percent, leading many to wonder where the arrested immigrants are - though ICE officials blame the discrepancy on delays in overburdened immigration courts.

Sources: Washington Post, NYT

Facebook Fined $122 Million Over Misleading Information

They're still getting away with merger. According to the European Union, Facebook provided misleading information to regulators when requesting clearance for its 2014 acquisition of WhatsApp: It claimed the messaging app's data couldn't be used by Instagram and Facebook advertising platforms, but then proceeded to do exactly that in 2016. The company insists it acted "in good faith," and while it's been slapped with a huge fine - on top of Tuesday's $167,000 fine from France's privacy watchdog - the EU isn't retroactively overturning the approval of the merger itself.

Sources: Bloomberg, WSJ (sub)

Briefly

Know This: Soundgarden and Audioslave singer Chris Cornell has died at the age of 52. The Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander says that until recently he had a part-time side hustle as a co-pilot for commercial airline KLM. And U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will reportedly promise to cut benefits for the elderly and fine companies employing immigrants if her party is re-elected June 8.

First Amendment: "This is the United States of America. We do not do this here. There is no excuse for this kind of thuggish behavior." So said Sen. John McCain in a tweet linking to a video of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail attacking pro-Kurdish protesters in Washington, D.C. The State Department also condemned the attack on a peaceful protest.

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Banned Books and (Nearly) Murdered Authors

What do Harry Potter and the works of Sigmund Freud have in common? They've both been burned for their content. The banning, and burning, of books is nothing new. OZY listed some of its favorite tomes from the banned list. Have something to add? Tell us in the comments.

Sources: OZY

INTRIGUING

Japan's Princess Mako to Marry Commoner, Give Up Royal Title

All you need is love. Princess Mako, 25, met future husband Kei Komuro while they were both studying at Tokyo's International Christian University. Now they've announced their betrothal - which means she can no longer be a princess. But the royal family, like Japan's general population, has been shrinking. With the country's cabinet expected to approve a bill tomorrow to allow 85-year-old Emperor Akihito to step down, some wonder if other imperial rules might also change - like those restricting the throne to male heirs.

Sources: Independent, Cosmopolitan

Survey: 28 Percent of Americans Would Worry Over $10 Expense

Forget avocado toast. A survey of 1,000 Americans reveals that more than a quarter would be stressed by an unexpected expense as small as $10. A sudden expense of $100 would worry 49.5 percent, and 81 percent would be stressed by $1,000. That anxiety likely stems from instability: Only 48 percent of respondents said they were paid a consistent amount every month. It's "fear of the unexpected" rather than unemployment causing stress, say researchers - which may explain why anxiety about the economy lingers even when economic indicators improve.

Sources: BI

More First-Time Mothers in Their 30s Than Ever Before

The biological clock is being set forward. According to new CDC statistics, 2016 saw more first-time mothers in their 30s than in their 20s - though just barely, at 103 births per 100,000 women aged 30-34 and 102 for those aged 25-29. Some believe women are waiting longer to have children because of the financial burden associated with having a family, though a steep decline in teen pregnancies was also a factor. The overall U.S. birth rate slipped to just 62 births per 100,000 women.

Sources: Jezebel, Daily Beast, Newsweek

Netflix Debate Reignited at French Film Festival

Cannes you not? Will Smith has waded into a debate with Cannes jury president Pedro Almodóvar over the digital platform's place at the festival. After initially accepting two Netflix titles to contend for the prestigious Palme d'Or prize, Cannes reversed course for next year, demanding any film in competition have a French theatrical release - something Netflix's titles haven't had. While Almodóvar opined that he "cannot conceive" of prizes going to films unavailable on the silver screen, Smith quickly sang the praises of Netflix, calling it "nothing but an absolute benefit."

Sources: THR, Vanity Fair, People

Celtics Get Top Pick in NBA Draft Lottery

Luck isn't everything. When Boston drew the top draft, it seemed like the championship was already in sight. No conference-topping team's gotten first pick since 1982, when a lopsided trade left the Lakers in an enviable position not unlike today's Celtics. Yet nothing is guaranteed. With Boston likely to pick super freshman Markelle Fultz - despite an already guard-heavy roster - some adjustment will be needed to make it work, and with LeBron's Cavs unbeaten in the playoffs, it's all still up for grabs.

Sources: Ozy