The Fitness Magazine: Your Presidential Daily Brief: UK Voters Go to Polls

IMPORTANT

June 8, 2017

A labrador waits outside a polling station in Greater Manchester as voting gets underway in the U.K. general election. Source: Getty

As Britain Heads to Polls, There Are No Certainties

Can they trust predictions? That's the question as the U.K.'s brutish and short election draws to a close today. Surveys indicate the ruling Conservatives will emerge victorious, but after polling errors in two previous elections and inconsistent results in current polls, analysts say there's a wide margin of uncertainty. While Brexit looms large for the voting public, multiple recent terror attacks on British soil have turned pre-election discussions toward security, chipping away the Conservatives' initially sizable lead. Now, pollsters say, it may come down to youth turnout.

Sources: WSJ (sub), Politico

Comey to Testify on Trump Interactions Today

"I need loyalty. I expect loyalty." That's what ousted FBI Director James Comey says President Donald Trump told him, according to a seven-page statement released yesterday. Comey alleges the president pressured him several times to halt a probe into the conduct of former national security adviser Michael Flynn regarding possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. As Comey appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee today, his testimony could raise questions not only about the Trump campaign's connections to Russia, but about whether the president attempted to obstruct justice.

Sources: Reuters, Washington Post, WSJ (sub)

Accusations Fly After Deadly Attack on Tehran Parliament

They're at each other's throats. Though ISIS claimed responsibility for yesterday's attacks on Iran's capital that left 13 dead and dozens wounded, Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard laid the blame on Saudi Arabia, accusing Tehran's regional rival of sponsoring terrorism. Saudi officials protested that they condemn all terrorist acts. Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted condolences, but added an accusation he's long leveled at Tehran: "States that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." Iranian officials dismissed Trump's tweet as "repugnant" as rifts in the Gulf deepen.

Sources: The Guardian, NYT, FT (sub)

Uber Chief in Asia Fired Over Rape Investigation

He's out. Eric Alexander, Uber's president of business in Asia, has reportedly been fired after it emerged that he'd not only obtained the medical records of a woman raped by her Uber driver in India, but had discussed them with other executives, including CEO Travis Kalanick. Though Uber announced this week that it fired 20 employees over a probe into sexual harassment and misconduct, Alexander wasn't one of them - until reporters demanded information about the 2014 rape investigation. Meanwhile, allegations surfaced that Uber's compensation-setting algorithm disadvantaged female employees.

Sources: NYT, USA Today, CNBC

Briefly

Know This: Three more arrests have been made in connection with the London Bridge attack last weekend. An investigation is underway after five workers at a Japanese nuclear facility were exposed to plutonium due to a broken bag. And police in Australia say they may have solved the mystery of an unexplained "SOS" written in rocks in the remote outback.

Read This: Former FBI Director James Comey released a prepared statement on his interactions with President Trump, so catch yourself up before the hearings begin at 10 a.m. EDT.

Love This: We want your best stories about dad, or the person who served as your dad, in anticipation of Father's Day on June 18. Email your heartwarming, hilarious or heroic tales with a photo from the family albums to fathersday@ozy.com. Go deep. We'll include the best ones in our Daily Dose.

Sponsored by: HULU

The Future of Language

Margaret Atwood is one of 100 writers (some of whom are yet to be born) whose work will be stored in a literary time capsule, not to be opened until 2114. But given the speed at which language and technology are evolving, will humans still be reading books in 97 years? Or will robots be the main consumers? What will language even look like? OZY looks ahead to find out.

Sources: OZY

INTRIGUING

Remains Found in Africa Could Rewrite History of Humanity

Turns out dead men do tell tales. The fossilized bones of several Homo sapiens were discovered at Jebel Irhoud, a cave west of Marrakesh, Morocco, and two dating techniques indicate they're between 280,000 and 350,000 years old. That not only contradicts the accepted timeline of hominid evolution - that humankind likely arose in East Africa around 200,000 years ago - but means that people had already spread across the continent long before then. Researchers say this could lead to reinterpretation of other fossils and tools found throughout Africa.

Sources: The Atlantic, Nature

Seeking Workplace Diversity, Some Firms Turn to Tech

Yeah, but who designed the algorithm? In an attempt to prevent discrimination against women and minority candidates and employees, some companies are hoping that technology can limit unconscious bias - and keep them from getting sued. Replacing human decisions and prejudices with blind algorithms for hiring and promotions should make for fairer workplaces. But though "blind" software encouraging diverse and respectful company culture may be a step in the right direction, experts warn that algorithms can themselves contain bias, reflecting which standards and performance goals their authors value.

Sources: OZY

Schools Fight 'Alternative Facts' With Media Education

Take that, fake news. Schools in all 50 states and 52 countries have begun embracing an online program aimed at making pupils sharper media consumers by helping them identify incorrect or misleading information. Checkology, launched last year by American nonprofit News Literacy Project, now reaches nearly 1 million students, providing courses on everything from the First Amendment to journalistic bias - and attempting to integrate media awareness into school curricula. The uncertainty, however, is whether the lessons will stick with students as they mature in an increasingly connected and digitized world.

Sources: Wired

Director to Auction Palme d'Or to Finance Next Project

It's a golden opportunity. Abdellatif Kechiche won the 2013 Palme d'Or at Cannes for Blue Is the Warmest Color, but that film's success hasn't translated into funding for his newest project. Mektoub, My Love - which aptly features a character finding an unusual way to finance his own film - is stalled in post-production after its line of credit was blocked by its bank. Now Kechiche, who hasn't disclosed how much money he needs, will auction both his Palme d'Or and paintings featured in his earlier film.

Sources: THR, Vulture

Former No. 1 Djokovic Loses at Roland Garros

He's being open about his difficulties. Last year Novak Djokovic became the first man to hold four grand slam titles at once in 47 years. But in recent months his performance has slumped, despite coaching from tennis legend Andre Agassi - culminating in yesterday's defeat in the French Open quarterfinals by 23-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem. When asked if he's considering a hiatus, Djokovic said, "Trust me, I'm thinking about many things ... especially in the last couple months.'' Thiem will go up against Rafael Nadal in Friday's semifinal.

Sources: ESPN, The Independent