The Memo: Ford’s New Explorer, Russia’s ‘Cyber Grandpa’ And Working From The Beach

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A radical rethink

News that London’s Metropolitan Police force is institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic, will come as no surprise to anyone who’s spent time in the U.K.’s capital.

A scathing independent review found the force failed to protect women and children, allowed bullying, discrimination and predatory behavior to thrive and must be drastically overhauled to regain public trust.

London’s police force is famous the world over for its tall black helmets, but behind the Victorian outerwear lies a culture steeped in systemic bias, abuse and bullying.

The report makes for difficult reading, outlining cases involving bags of urine being thrown at cars, competitions on how often male officers could make female students cry and a Muslim officer who had bacon shoved in his shoes.

These are far from isolated incidents. Recent investigations unveiled more than 150 officers are being investigated over sexual misconduct and racism.

London deserves better. Now is not the time for more cover ups or talk of reform. Radical change is long overdue for this nearly 200-year-old institution.

Five Things We Learned

VW helped build Ford’s new electric car. The all-electric Ford Explorer is completely different to its gas-guzzling American counterpart, based on VW’s platform also used by Audi, Skoda and Seat. Read our first-look review of Ford’s electric future.

Russia’s ‘cyber grandpa’ is a former KGB agent turned YouTube influencer. 62-year-old Andrei Masalovich is a self-described master of the dark arts of web surveillance. His antics have led to him being sanctioned, ending his YouTube channel. “My guess is it’s almost all marketing bullshit,” one respected technologist told Forbes. “It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sanction them”.

Almost 1 in 6 Americans moved their money after Silicon Valley Bank failed. Confidence in smaller banks was shaken after the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank, leading to 23% of American adults considering “starting a relationship” with a new bank within the next 6 months.

Rome’s Pantheon will charge an entry fee. Following a trend across Europe, Italy’s culture ministry announced a €5 charge for visitors. Local residents, minors and visitors attending Mass will be exempt.

‘Bleisure’ is this summer’s hottest travel trend. With remote working showing no sign of slowing, why not mix business with pleasure and base yourself in some of Europe’s buzziest hotspots. Luxury in Lisbon, top-notch wifi in Copenhagen and hotdesking in Barcelona, there’s nothing stopping you from upgrading your summer.

The Good

New blood tests could diagnose early-stage Alzheimer’s. Early diagnosis and treatment could be the key to slowing the disease’s progression down. There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s and scientists are still not settled on what causes the condition.

The Bad

Arkansas will ban transgender students from using bathrooms matching their gender identity. Schools that violate the new law may face fines of at least $1,000 as part of a new bill signed into law. There are more than 435 bills targeting LGBTQ+ people moving through legislatures of 37 states across America.

Watch

One of the world’s richest YouTubers became a coffee founder. Irish YouTuber Seán McLoughlin became a household name for gaming enthusiasts, earning himself an estimated $16.8m in 2021. Learn how he turned his talents to the coffee business. Forbes, YouTube, free to watch worldwide.

Listen

Why is everyone having less sex? The stats don’t lie - everyone, whether they’re single or married, is having less sex. Are we instead glued to our smartphones? Or is there something bigger behind this downtrend trend? Freakonomics, free to listen worldwide.

Read

This is why you can’t pay attention. Johann Hari’s latest book chronicles our attention crisis and explores what needs to happen for us to solve it. Stolen Focus, Bloomsbury, from $10.

Taste

Whimsical Easter cocktails. Dive into our roundup of the latest seasonal cocktails from across the United States, including the moorish Mango Methuselah, served at Mordecai in Chicago.

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