Smart news for busy people
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important | 1 | | After taking an electoral battering last month, the former vice president swept the South — plus Massachusetts and Minnesota — during yesterday’s 14-state contest, jolting his campaign back to life. The quest for the Democratic nomination is now effectively a two-man race after Sen. Bernie Sanders won California, the biggest prize of the day. Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren finished third in her home state and Mike Bloomberg’s big spending only earned him one victory: American Samoa. What’s next? As OZY reports, Democrats will be confronted with a communications clash as stark as it gets, pitting Biden’s personality against Sanders’ policy proposals. | |
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| 2 | | The World Health Organization has announced the outbreak’s mortality rate — previously believed to be around 2 percent — is actually 3.4 percent. That’s many times deadlier than seasonal flu, though it’s also harder to catch. Over the past 24 hours, Italy has reported a sharp increase in fatalities, which have reached 79, and nine are now dead in Washington state. Meanwhile, the World Bank has pledged $12 billion to help developing countries contain their outbreaks. What’s to be done? Warning that the “hoarding and misuse” of goods like face masks hurts the global effort, the WHO urged a 40 percent boost in production of medical supplies. | |
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| 3 | | President Donald Trump became the first U.S. leader who’s known to have parleyed with the Islamist group after chatting yesterday with its chief negotiator. But as the two sides talked, violence continued in Afghanistan despite ongoing efforts to secure lasting peace — with the Taliban reportedly carrying out dozens of attacks against Afghan troops Tuesday in one province alone. Today, the U.S. struck back at the group after an 11-day lull. Why does it matter? Some say the phone call is a boost for the Taliban, since that kind of “major deliverable” wasn’t offered by previous U.S. administrations. Don’t miss this OZY op-ed about Afghanistan’s precarious position. | |
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| 4 | | Markets around the world mostly rose today after an emergency interest rate cut Tuesday by the U.S. Federal Reserve sparked fresh volatility. The Fed’s first such move since the financial crash of 2008 fueled concerns that the central bank can’t shield the U.S. economy from the financial effects of coronavirus on its own. Now, the European Central Bank might be compelled to cut its own already record-low rates. Could that help? Some economists aren’t sure it’s the answer, arguing that monetary moves are better for alleviating problems caused by a lack of demand than addressing the supply shock that coronavirus has caused. | |
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| intriguing | 1 | | The 115 million daily visitors to the massively popular porn site will be treated to something different today as it releases a feature-length documentary called Shakedown. Running for free throughout March before eventually hitting iTunes, the film chronicles the lesbian strip club scene of Los Angeles during the early 2000s. It’s based on 15 years’ worth of footage by filmmaker and artist Leilah Weinraub as she navigated the Southern California subculture. Why Pornhub? The site says it’s interested in becoming a platform for open-minded artists that would never find themselves on YouTube or other mainstream video-hosting sites. | |
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| 2 | | It might not ad up. Despite lingering uncertainty about whether the games will actually take place as planned, Comcast-owned NBC announced that it’s raked in a record $1.25 billion in U.S. advertising for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — with 90 percent of ad space already gone. That tops the $1.2 billion sold during the 2016 Rio Summer Games. So far, both Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and the International Olympic Committee say they’re not worried about the event being called off. But what happens if it’s canceled? NBC is covered by insurance and other “contractual protections,” Roberts says — though the network likely wouldn’t bank any profit. | |
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| 3 | | Long casting Muslims as an unwanted religious minority, India’s conservative Hindus are increasingly taking aim at Christians, OZY reports. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — a Hindu nationalist paramilitary group affiliated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP — has been boosting its political footprint in the state of West Bengal. Next it could take its strategy, which includes forced conversions, nationwide. What happens then? Some worry that recent attacks on Christians could be replicated across India, or that right-wing Hindus might target Christian educational organizations. | |
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| 4 | | That chapter’s closed. Prominent journalist Ronan Farrow has cut all ties with the Hachette Book Group after it went ahead with plans to publish a memoir by scandal-plagued director — and his estranged father — Woody Allen. Farrow, whose sister Dylan says she was molested by the filmmaker as a child, claims Hachette failed to reach out to her for comment on the denial Allen offers in the book. What else does he say? Farrow claims the publisher hid its decision from him while they were working on his entertainment industry exposé, Catch and Kill. Check out OZY’s feature on Africa’s own #MeToo movement. | |
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| 5 | | He could be joining the club. Alongside fellow pros like Johnny Farrell, Padraig Harrington, Dottie Pepper and Sandra Palmer, the golfing legend became a finalist for the World Golf Hall of Fame’s class of 2021 Tuesday. The 82-time PGA tour winner, who turns 45 in late December, just makes the cut after the organization recently lowered its age of eligibility from 50 to 45 — or three years after retirement. What’s next? Following the 26-person nominating committee’s decision, a slimmed down, 20-person selection board will make the final call next week. Read OZY’s True Story about the childhood trauma that made a golf legend. | |
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| caught up? now vault ahead ... | To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, check out The Daily Dose. | | News + Politics In a Joe Biden-Bernie Sanders race, both men will have to round out their appeal — with Sanders having the tougher task ahead. | READ NOW |
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