| |  | An aerial image shows Hurricane Dorian's devastation on Abaco Island in the Bahamas Tuesday. Source: Getty |
| | IMPORTANT | | 01 | Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she would withdraw the legislation that has prompted mass unrest and destabilized China’s semi-autonomous territory since June. The protests opposing the extradition bill, which would have allowed Beijing to prosecute suspects from Hong Kong, have swelled to become one of the biggest threats to Chinese authority in decades. Lam’s move prompted a 4 percent jump in the city’s Hang Seng stock index. Will this appease activists? It seems unlikely, as the bill — already indefinitely suspended since June — was just one of protesters’ demands, which now include greater democracy and an investigation into how police have handled demonstrations. | |
| | 02 | The winds died down to 105 mph as Hurricane Dorian moved north to reveal the extent of destruction in the Bahamas. Seven people are known to have been killed, while aerial footage shows neighborhoods of rubble on the islands. Now the storm, downgraded to a Category 2, is moving “dangerously close” to the U.S., where it’s forecast to skirt the coast while inundating large areas from Florida to Virginia over several days. What effects are being felt on the mainland? More than 7,100 customers in coastal Florida are already without power, while the main airport in Charleston, South Carolina, is planning to close this afternoon. | |
| | 03 | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking snap elections after the double blow of losing his majority in Parliament and then losing a vote 328-301 as lawmakers wrested back control of the legislative agenda. That means Parliament has the power to pass a bill prohibiting what Johnson has repeatedly threatened: “crashing out” of the European Union without an arrangement to handle trade, legal and other post-breakup matters. Where could this lead? Johnson has vowed to oust rebels from his party, while the opposition has agreed to new elections — which require approval from two-thirds of Parliament — once the bill blocking a no-deal Brexit has passed. | |
| | 04 | Authorities announced Tuesday that four people were killed and one remains missing after an overloaded fishing boat ferrying seven people from a Labor Day cookout capsized on an Indiana river. The dead include a 6-year-old boy and a 73-year-old woman. An overnight search of the White River, about 30 miles south of Indianapolis, led to the recovery of the two other bodies. What’s the larger context? The tragedy came the same day as the horrific Southern California diving boat fire that killed 34 passengers, whose remains are still being identified, raising questions about safety on the water. Read this OZY Flashback about the crash that changed Pakistan. | |
| | 05 | Iran has announced plans to free seven of the 23 crew members of a British oil tanker it seized in July. A new United Nations report says the U.S., Britain and France may be complicit in war crimes after arming a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. And the Pentagon says it’s shelving 127 building projects in order to obtain $3.6 billion to build 175 miles of wall along America’s southern border. #OZYfact: Canada’s new populist People’s Party has fielded 310 candidates across the nation’s 338 electoral districts. Read more on OZY. OZY is hiring! We’re looking for an ambitious journalist to cover business and finance through unique, analytical and globally minded write-ups. Check out our jobs page and read the description here. |
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| | | INTRIGUING | | 01 | America’s largest retailer announced Tuesday that it will stop selling cartridges for handguns and military-style rifles, while “respectfully requesting” shoppers not openly carry firearms inside Walmart or Sam’s Club stores. The move comes after a gunman killed 22 people in a racist attack at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 3. Four days earlier, an employee fatally shot two colleagues at a store in Mississippi. A company executive said Walmart isn’t attempting “to question (customers’) legal rights.” What’s the larger impact? Grocery chain Kroger followed with a similar announcement, and said it will promote laws tightening background checks for firearms purchases. | |
| | 02 | “I divorce thee” may soon lose its power along the Nile. Egyptian breakups reached 211,500 last year, up nearly 7 percent from 2017, while fewer couples are marrying. But Cairo’s autocrats are fixing that, OZY reports. The government’s planning alimony reform and aims to end verbal divorce, which allows men to ditch their wives with just a few words. Meanwhile, legal and religious scholars are sharing matchmaking tips with university students. How can divorce be prevented? For starters, by making it more painful: Under strict new legislation that’s expected to pass later this year, Egyptian men would face a year in jail if they fail to make alimony payments. | |
| | 03 | Is PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds dangerous IRL, or is it addicted players’ behavior that’s life-threatening? India’s gaming world is abuzz with the news of a 19-year-old student in Hyderabad who recently suffered a stroke after hours of playing. He has since recovered, but doctors claim the teen’s excessive gaming caused thrombosis, or a brain blood clot, in part because he skipped meals in order to play. Is there really a connection? Another PUBG-obsessed teen suffered a fatal heart attack in June after playing for six hours straight, and the World Health Organization recently declared gaming disorders a disease deserving further research. Check out OZY’s series on the future of gaming. | |
| | 04 | They know you like the back of your hand. That’s just one way the Apple Watch maker is hoping to identify device users. One of several patents the company was granted Tuesday details how a new wristband would read skin texture and arm hair, coming up with a fingerprint-like image that would be used to verify the wearer and unlock the device. The Watch currently lacks biometric capabilities, such as a scanner for fingerprints or a face-detecting camera. What other features are in the works? Other patents hinted at a self-tightening band and light-up indicators, while sources suggest Apple is also developing a long-requested sleep tracking feature. OZY examines how devices using biometrics are replacing human passport control. | |
| | 05 | “It was anybody’s game.” That was U.S. coach Gregg Popovich’s frank assessment of his squad’s 93-92 overtime victory Tuesday over a feisty Turkish national team. To get the win in Shanghai, the star-starved American team needed a last-second foul — and four missed free throws from its opponents — to survive Turkey’s solid zone defense. While they’ll “accept the win,” Popovich said, “we have to get better than that.” Who does the U.S. play next? The Americans are favored to beat Japan Thursday before advancing to the second round to face more formidable teams, such as Brazil and Greece. Check out this OZY profile of a talented Uruguayan basketball player. | |
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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. | | Fast Forward The Arab world’s most populous nation is taking dramatic steps to tackle the effects of a surging divorce rate and rising costs of living. | |
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