You Should Care About Today's Brexit Vote, America

Whether John Oliver likes it or not, the UK's Brexit vote is happening Thursday. Polls close at 5pm Eastern, with results expected Friday morning local time. We've reposted our primer on the vote in case you missed it:

• Per USA Today, polls show a "virtual dead heat" between those who want Britain to stay in the European Union and those who want to break free. "We are not shackled to a corpse," British PM David Cameron, who's firmly in the "Remain" camp, said Wednesday, while former London Mayor Boris Johnson made his push for "Leave," adding, "It's time to break away from the failing and dysfunctional EU system."
• CNBC offers a primer on what's going to happen Thursday, why the UK is considering making such a move, and why everyone's on edge.

• The three big issues swirling around Brexit—the economy, immigration, and identity—are scrutinized by Quartz.
• But why should this vote be a big deal to anyone in the US? The Washington Post offers a trio of solid reasons—including how it could affect your retirement savings, and why mortgage rates could go even lower if the "Leave" camp wins.
• On the Daily Beast, a "Eurorealist" argues why Brexit makes zero sense.
• A counterpoint to that in the Wall Street Journal from a business POV that claims Britain "will thrive outside the EU."
• The New York Times concedes that a Brexit coming to fruition would mean a "protracted political and legal mess"—with "protracted" meaning slow changes and "long-term ghastliness."
• Could Britain's exit mean the ultimate destruction of the EU? The Independent takes a look at possible reactions from the mainland.

(More Brexit stories.)