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In a vote everyone expected to be close, but most thought would maintain the status quo, 52% of UK voters checked the “leave” box and and Eurotrashed the EU. Markets are reacting on the downside, and “the pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985.” Here's a backgrounder on what just happened and here are the latest updates from the BBC. Europe thought England would love it forever. But it turns out she’s just not that into EU.
+ One London investment trader summed up the financial concern: "The risk is that this will trigger a U.K. recession and that will in turn cause a European and global recession.”
Still need proof that this is the most fascinating political year ever? C-Span just went viral. After 26 hours, House Democrats ended their gun control sit-in. The sit-in made for an exciting night for Congress and a big night for Twitter's Periscope which was used to broadcast live shots that were picked up by cable outlets. From the NYT: For one day and night, the hottest drama on cable was on C-Span. (Update: C-Span just raised a 500K round on a $10 billion pre-money valuation.)
+ And from WaPo: Five things House Democrats' sit-in on guns will change. And one it won't. (Hint: guns)
"If you come here and you breathing and you got a valid driver's license and you willing to work, then we're willing to hire you." Shane Bauer wanted to really understand life inside a prison. That's not an easy task for a journalist to accomplish. So Bauer decided to take on another role. He got a gig as a correctional officer, and he definitely got a unique view of life on the inside, including stabbings, lockdowns, and inmates and officers pushed to the edge. From MoJo: My Four Months as a Prison Guard.
+ "The judge said he had arrived at his sentencing decision in part because of Mr. Loomis's rating on the Compas assessment, a secret algorithm used in the Wisconsin justice system to calculate the likelihood that someone will commit another crime." The NYT's Mitch Smith on the backlash against using data to foretell defendants' futures.
+ "They are men who clearly seemed to be building toward violent acts, and whose names had surfaced in terrorism investigations, but who avoided crossing legal lines that could tip off the authorities until it was too late." In the NYT, Rukmini Callimachi examines one of the most complex and hotly debated topics of our era: How do you stop a future terrorist when the only evidence is a thought?
"San Francisco and the Bay Area have long been committed to values which embrace inclusivity and counterculture." But these days, SF counterculture has been reduced to drinking non-artisanal macchiatos or double parking your Tesla. Want to see how the growing economic divide affects a population? Come on out to the latest gold rush and find out.
+ Why did San Francisco Schools stop teaching Algebra in middle school? (We're too busy teaching kids how to understand stock vesting schedules.)
+ How much money do you have in savings? For about 68 million Americans, the answer to that question is zilch.
Can the most downtrodden and crime-ridden neighborhoods be transformed? And if so, is this the way? "It's a transformation that's happened in a blink of an eye, turning a neighborhood that in 2009 topped Compton in Los Angeles for the 'most dangerous' title into something that looks and feels like Greenwich Village. And it didn't happen by accident." How big money and a business plan helped Cincinnati salvage the nation's most dangerous neighborhood.
"A lot of the research supports this idea of relationships, and the need to have a sense of someone that believes in you or someone that supports you – even in a chaotic environment, just having that one person." In Mosaic, Lucy Maddox reflects on a complicated topic. "Why are some people able to become happy, well-adjusted adults even after growing up with violence or neglect?" I saw things children shouldn't see...
Researchers went to Colorado to see what impact legalized marijuana would have on teenage pot-smoking rates. It turns out that teenagers from that state stubbornly refuse to smoke more weed.
+ Complex: Welcome to the Age of the Smart Stoner. (Interestingly, that was one of the options I considered for a NextDraft tagline.)
In The New Republic, Josephine Wolff ponders why the humble notebook is flourishing in the iPhone era. Of course, all is not entirely artisanal, even when it comes to pen and paper. It turns out we know that the humble notebook is flourishing because everyone is taking photos of their notes and sharing them on social networks.
Photographer Johnny Miller wanted to find a simple way to display the remarkable impact of segregation and institutional racism. So he used drones to take overhead shots of South Africa and captured Apartheid's urban legacy. I think he made his point.
"The pouch might not look like the latest techno-bling out of Silicon Valley, but it's become the go-to tool for a slew of artists -- including Dave Chappelle, the Lumineers and Louis C.K. -- trying to reclaim their live performances." WaPo on the artists who are forcing audience members to lock up their phones on the way into shows.
+ I power down a cold can of LaCroix sparkling water as I drive my Volvo to my SOMA office. In other words, I am the ultimate cliche. Suddenly, everyone is drinking LaCroix. But it's not really a new product. And despite the international-sounding name, it's from Wisconsin. The folks at Vox try to explain why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere.
+ If you are the parent of a teenager, stop what you're doing, sit them down, and make sure you finally have the talk about the potential cost of dangerous behavior. Better yet, just read them this: Firefighters Free Alabama Teen Who Got Stuck Inside a Giant Barney Head.
+ The Cheerios Challenge and the good news that you can still be an idiot after fatherhood.
+ A funeral business in Ontario will dissolve you with acid and pour you into the sewer. (I guess that will be my punishment for not composting.)
+ What is the ultimate 21st century word? It turns out it's a simple pronoun: They.
+ Reykjaviktory: Iceland advanced to the round of 16 of the Euro 2016 after beating Austria 2-1 by way of an extra time goal. And their commentator was excited. If you haven't seen this, you will love it. And you'll realize that you basically speak Icelandic.
+ Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch on the benefits of running though somebody's face. This is technically not safe for work, even though it will be referenced during every board meeting from now until the end of time.
This is a weekly best-of version of the NextDraft newsletter. For daily updates and to get the NextDraft app, go here. (Original story reprinted with permission from NextDraft.)
