The Fitness Magazine: Your Presidential Daily Brief: Trump Jr.’s Russian Meeting

IMPORTANT

July 10, 2017

Counterprotesters crowd around police and a man wearing a Confederate flag during a Ku Klux Klan rally in Virginia Saturday. Source: Getty

Donald Trump Jr. Admits Meeting With Russian for Campaign Intel

He was appealing to the red states. The president's eldest son has admitted meeting with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer who promised to deliver intel damaging to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign. In a statement, Trump Jr. said the meeting, which included presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign manager Paul Manafort, produced "no meaningful information." The revelations came as President Trump announced plans for a joint "impenetrable Cyber Security unit" with Russia - then backtracked after the GOP reacted with sharp criticism.

Sources: WSJ (Sub), FT (sub), NYT, BBC, Reuters

Counterprotesters Arrested After Virginia Ku Klux Klan Rally

It's a matter of history. About 50 KKK members, some in hooded robes, gathered and chanted "white power" in Charlottesville, Virginia, Saturday to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from a public park. More than 1,000 counterprotesters arrived, chanting "Black lives matter" and singing "We Shall Overcome." Police guarded the Klan members, eventually deploying tear gas against the counterprotesters and arresting 23. Charlottesville is now planning a monument to Black slaves kept in bondage in the state, while white nationalists are planning another rally next month.

Sources: The Guardian, NYT

Iraqi PM Declares Mosul Victory 'Settled,' Not Complete

It's not over till it's over. Many expected Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to declare Mosul retaken from ISIS when he visited Sunday, but he stopped short of making it official. Instead he congratulated troops on confining the few remaining militants to one small area. While ISIS still controls some Iraqi territory, the impending recapture of Mosul is a big blow, and many now anticipate the militants returning to suicide bombings rather than attempting to maintain a caliphate. An official proclamation of victory is expected in the coming days.

Sources: Reuters, WSJ (sub)

As Theresa May Struggles, UK Businesses Demand Brexit Deal

Dropping out won't cut it. British Prime Minister Theresa May has often said, "No deal is better than a bad deal," but 98 percent of U.K. businesses surveyed say they want a trade agreement with the EU after Brexit, rather than leaving the single market and the customs union. May, deeply weakened by last month's election, which cost her a parliamentary majority, is now under fire from her own party. She's reportedly reaching out to opposition lawmakers for ideas and opinions on how to best undertake Brexit negotiations.

Sources: Bloomberg, Politico

Briefly

Know This: A new round of peace talks aimed at stopping conflict in Syria starts today in Geneva as a U.S.- and Russia-brokered cease-fire appears to be holding. As Congress returns to work, many Republican senators are still voicing deep concerns about their health care bill. And more than 70 firefighters battled a blaze at London's Camden Market overnight.

Read This: Your Monday morning dose of doomsday: Climate change is going to be worse than you think - and happen faster than you think. But for many scientists, there's hope.

Answer This: Tell us how you really feel. OZY's next TV show, Third Rail With OZY, is launching on PBS this fall! To kick things off, we're shelving the PC and launching debates. Each Wednesday, we'll post a provocative question, focusing on topics that might make it onto the show. This week: Should we abandon all forms of race-based affirmative action in favor of class-based ones? Go deep. Email thirdrail@ozy.com with your thoughts or a personal story, and we might feature your answer next week.

Created with: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Secret Weapon to Drawing Women Into Tech?

It's not news that the tech industry has a gender imbalance. The question is, what can be done about it? From enlisting more women to lead, to changing hiring strategies, there are solutions. So let's start implementing them.

Sources: OZY

INTRIGUING

The Baby Boomers Working Remotely

They do their homework. While millennials are considered the most tech-reliant generation, a new report suggests that far more baby boomers depend on technology - for working from home. In the U.S. today, the average telecommuter's age is 45, and those 65 or older are 1.7 times more likely than younger generations to work from home. While analysts say the phenomenon is likely down to increased trust between bosses and long-time employees, it's also indicative of a trend away from the strict work environments of old.

Sources: OZY

Tesla Shows Off First Production Model 3

One down, thousands to go. Founder and CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to show off photos of the first Model 3 off the production line: his own. Priced at $35,000, the hotly anticipated Model 3 marks the company's first attempt at targeting the wider consumer market. An estimated 400,000 are thought to have been reserved, although no official numbers have been released. Fears over production delays have been assuaged somewhat by the announcement, and Tesla says it hopes to produce 20,000 Model 3 vehicles per month by December.

Sources: The Verge, TechCrunch, BGR

Why the Paris Accord Might Work Better Without the US

And then there were 19. Many decried President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement - all other G-20 countries have signed on - but some experts say the silver lining is that it could keep American climate change skeptics from undermining the deal's implementation: U.S. efforts to water down the accord are now moot. Meanwhile, renewable energies are becoming so cheap to produce that some analysts believe the U.S. will meet the agreement's climate goals despite withdrawal, simply because renewables are cost-effective.

Sources: Time, Quartz

Bolshoi Cancels Controversial New Ballet at Last Minute

Apparently, the show must not go on. A ballet based on the life of legendary dancer Rudolf Nureyev, set to premiere tomorrow in Moscow, was abruptly and indefinitely postponed over the weekend with no explanation. While the contents and casting of the highly anticipated ballet had been kept secret, it was rumored to include men wearing dresses and portrayals of public personalities who are still alive. Director Kirill Serebrennikov, who's spoken out against censorship in Russia, is reportedly under investigation for embezzlement of state funding for the arts.

Sources: AFP

James Harden Inks Record NBA Contract

His salary just launched into the stratosphere. The Houston Rockets and their superstar have agreed to a record four-year contract extension that would net Harden $228 million through the 2022-23 season. With two years and $59 million left on his current contract, Harden's extension is the richest in league history. The All-NBA shooting guard - who was MVP runner-up to Russell Westbrook after a career-best season that saw him average 29.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and a league-best 11.2 assists - said, "Houston is home for me."

Sources: Bleacher Report, ESPN