Emma Watson Is France's Book Fairy

FOLLOW subscribe SEND TIP June 22, 2017 In the early hours after CEO Travis Kalanick resigned from Uber on Tuesday, the ride-hailing company he helped found, rampant speculation about his replacement was already underway. Here is a full list of names that have been tossed into the ring that, interestingly enough, includes five women. Bloomberg has already reported that one of them, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, is not interested in the gig. The CEO search will likely be watched as closely as the blow-by-blow that ultimately led to Kalanick’s knock-out, but the prospect of Uber hiring a female CEO is especially intriguing since it would be a bold response (and possible antidote) to reports of Uber’s macho culture. This month alone, three new episodes have pointed to just how deep the problem runs. Eric Alexander, then Uber’s president of business in the Asia-Pacific region, was fired for reportedly obtaining the medical records of a woman who was raped by her Uber driver in India in 2014 and then showing them to other top Uber officials. Recode published a 2013 company-wide email from Kalanick in which he set ground rules for using drugs and having sex with other employees during a company retreat. And Uber board member David Bonderman resigned after making a sexist remark during a meeting to address sexism at the ride-hailing company. Yet hiring a female CEO would be in line with a series of recent moves Uber made as its scandals ballooned. Earlier this month, Uber announced it was hiring academic Frances Frei as senior vice president of leadership and strategy. It also brought in Bozoma Saint John, an Apple executive, as chief brand officer and Nestle’s Wan Ling Martello as a director. The latter two additions were, in part, the handiwork of Arianna Huffington, who joined Uber’s board in April. The New York Times reports that the media mogul’s growing influence has helped to fill Uber’s leadership void. Uber’s string of female hires was notable, not just because it’s facing allegations of sexism. The company’s first-ever diversity report, released in March, showed that women accounted for 36% of the company’s global employee workforce and just 22% of its leadership.   —@clairezillman . EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA No talk of Trump The British monarch yesterday gave a less extravagant version of her annual Queen's Speech. The address that lays out Parliament's agenda for the upcoming session typically mentions any scheduled state visits. While the Queen remarked on "welcoming their majesties King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain" in July, she omitted a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump, which is being seen as an indication that his planned state visit is on hold. Guardian . Staying seated A Jerusalem court yesterday ruled that Israeli airline employees cannot ask women to change seats to spare a man from having to sit next to them. Strictly religious Jewish men often refuse to sit next to women for fear of inadvertent contact. The problem is especially acute on El Al, Israel's national airline. The ruling is a win for 83-year-old Renee Rabinowitz, who was asked to move from her seat on an El Al Flight in 2015.  New York Times . Book fairy British actress Emma Watson has been known to hide books in public as a way to encourage reading. Well, she's at it again, this time in Paris, where she's tucking away copies of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaiden's Tale. Time . THE AMERICAS Laugh a little In a rare, light-hearted moment in Washington politics, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and first daughter Ivanka Trump both poked fun at their apparent "failed hug," which was caught on camera ahead of their Tuesday meeting on parental leave.  Fortune . Practice makes perfect Sallie Krawcheck—former executive at Citigroup and Bank of America and now co-founder of female-focused investment platform Ellevest—says her time on Wall Street cultivated her negotiation skills. She talked to Fortune's Maddie Farber recently about what she sees as women's most common negotiating mistakes. One, she says, is failing to practice in advance. Fortune . Controversy in Canada Kellie Leitch, the Canadian firebrand who recently lost her bid to lead the country's Conservative Party, ignited a firestorm when she shared online a column about a Syrian refugee who beat his wife with a hockey stick. She called the incident "the legacy of [PM Justin] Trudeau's Syrian refugee program," in a Twitter post. Many Canadians criticized her for using the isolated episode to condemn what is widely seen as a successful humanitarian effort. Some far-right immigration opponents, meanwhile, praised her posting and pointed to the case as proof that Canada's growing multiculturalism was wrongheaded. New York Times . content from Accenture Getting to equal The future workforce must be an equal one—and research shows that more women in the workforce helps grow the global economy. Accenture has set a new goal to achieve a gender-balanced workforce by 2025. LEARN MORE . ASIA-PACIFIC No strings attached During her successful campaign for Hong Kong's chief executive position, Carrie Lam, a career civil servant, was accused of being a hand-picked surrogate of Beijing. In a new interview with the BBC, she denied that accusation. "I know perception is important," she says, "but to say that I am just a puppet, that I won this election because of pro-Beijing forces, is a failure to acknowledge what I have done in Hong Kong over the last 36 years for the people of Hong Kong." BBC . Cell by date In February, Philippines Senator Leila de Lima was arrested after leading domestic criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-drug campaign. She remains in a Manila jail. She is skeptical that she will be freed anytime soon since her release wouldn't fit with the strongman image Duterte is trying to portray to the rest of the world.  NPR . IN BRIEF America's unlikely first women soldiers WNYC What Uber's board can learn from Starbucks Fortune Actress Gabourey Sidibe: 'Don't congratulate me' for losing weight The Cut Karen Handel becomes Georgia's first female GOP representative in Congress CNN . . PARTING WORDS "I'm just here to remind you that 'they sleep, I grind' is a ridiculous mantra for business. Take a damb nap and don't feel bad about it." —Luvvie Ajayi, author of bestseller 'I'm Judging You,' with advice we all need. . EMAIL Claire Zillman subscribe share: . This message has been sent to you because you are currently subscribed to The World's Most Powerful Women Unsubscribe here Please read our Privacy Policy, or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.fortune.com/privacy All products and services featured are based solely on editorial selection. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. For Further Communication, Please Contact: FORTUNE Customer Service 3000 University Center Drive Tampa, FL 33612-6408 Advertising Info | Subscribe to Fortune