| | | | | In Mubarak Idoko's village in Nigeria, there was no electricity and no schools. Today, the Dartmouth College senior is deeply aware of the contrasts between his educational experiences in the U.S. and those of Nigerian students, who have little access to the kinds of technology that made education possible during the pandemic and in other adverse circumstances. So Mubarak and some friends set to work on designing a management platform to give Nigerian schools a mobile infrastructure with SMS integration to manage the learning process in and out of school via a texting app. Mubarak hopes his design will advance technology “to make the learning experience more accessible and engaging.” WATCH MORE HERE |
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IMPORTANT
| | | | | Insurrection | Panel Accuses Trump of Federal Crimes, Recommends Prosecution The bipartisan House panel investigating the Capitol riots accused the former president of four federal crimes, including insurrection and conspiracy to defraud the United States, and referred him to the Justice Department. The panel’s 154-page summary named five Trump associates as potential collaborators, but it made clear that: “The central cause of Jan. 6 was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed … None of the events of Jan. 6 would have happened without him.” While the referrals carry no legal weight, some of the charges would carry hefty prison terms if pursued. “It’s a kangaroo court,” said Trump. (Source: NYT) |
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| | | Guilty, Again | LA Court Convicts Harvey Weinstein of Rape After more than nine days of deliberation, a jury found the disgraced film mogul guilty of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object. The victim of the crimes, perpetrated in a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2013, said: “Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night ... But I knew I had to see this through to the end.” The jury acquitted Weinstein on one count of sexual battery involving another woman and couldn’t reach a verdict on accusations made by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Lauren Young. Still, he’ll likely die in prison. (Sources: LA Times, NYT) |
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| | | Full Circle | China Scrambles to Deal With COVID Surge Just weeks after backtracking on its “zero-COVID” policy, China is scrambling to build new fever clinics and adding beds to existing hospitals. The government announced five new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, but discussions with funeral workers suggested the true number may be far higher. Either way, the wave’s only just beginning — and experts are worried. “Every new epidemic wave in another country brings the risk of new variants and this risk is higher the bigger the outbreak,” said Alex Cook of the National University of Singapore. “And the current wave in China is shaping up to be big.” (Sources: AP, Reuters) |
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| | | Belarusian Bear | Putin-Lukashenko Meeting Sparks Fears Belarus Will Enter War Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Minsk, Belarus for talks with President Alexander Lukashenko. The visit came shortly after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had also met with his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik. While Putin insisted that Russia is not interested in “absorbing” anyone, the meetings have experts concerned that the Kremlin’s planning to drag its closest ally into the war in Ukraine. The exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warned that the chances of Minsk invading Ukraine “may increase in coming weeks.” And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “protecting our border, both with Russia and Belarus, is our constant priority.” (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Complicit. Irmgard Furchner, 97, who worked as a typist for the commander of a Nazi concentration camp, has been found complicit in the murders of more than 10,500 people. She was given a two-year suspended prison sentence. (Source: BBC) Signed and sealed. Congo dropped its opposition to the historic biodiversity deal agreed at COP15, eliminating the prospect of legal challenges. (Source: The Guardian) ¡Bienvenidos! Argentina’s World Cup-winning soccer team were treated to a heroes’ welcome when their plane landed in Buenos Aires at around 3 a.m. local time. The celebrations will continue when the sun rises Tuesday. (Source: CNN) |
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| Our Favorite Gift To Give | | | | Winter is here and the festivities have begun. From caroling at your neighbor’s door to building snowmen in the front yard, these sneakers have to be in your lineup. They’re good-looking, crazy-comfy, and have been seen on everyone from surfers, to skaters and even celebs. And what better gift to give than the one that’s been a favorite of ours all year long? Made from consciously-sourced materials, they’re the perfect mix of elevated style and comfort. We can’t forget to mention – each pair purchased plants two trees in the Brazilian Rainforest AND ships to your doorstep in a single box packaging, made with 100% recycled and recyclable paper. We love gifts that are Mother-Earth-approved! Treat yourself this holiday season and use your personalized code, OZYDEC for 15% off. SHOP NOW |
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INTRIGUING
| | | Living a Lie | Who Even Is Rep. George Santos? The Long Island representative’s election to Congress in November helped Republicans to claim a slender House majority. His campaign centered around the openly gay son of Brazilian immigrants being the “full embodiment of the American dream.” But huge tracts of his résumé may be fictional. His supposed alma mater, Baruch College, said it had no record of a student matching his name and date of birth graduating in 2010. And both Citigroup and Goldman Sachs denied ever employing him. Even the animal rescue he boasted of founding doesn’t appear to exist. The one thing he left off the list? Criminal charges in Brazil. (Source: NYT) |
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| | | | | Knobbly Bits | Male Wasps Use Spiky Genitalia to Ward Off Frog Attacks Anxious for some entertainment, researchers from Kobe University paired 17 tree frogs with 17 male mason wasps and popped each pair in a separate enclosure. In all cases the frog attacked the wasp — but just over a third of frogs spat the wasp out. “Male wasps were frequently observed to pierce the mouth or other parts of frogs with their genitalia while being attacked.” Once the wasps’ genitalia had been removed, however, the frogs gobbled them up. Genital spikes may sound pretty handy, but female mason wasps have an even more effective defense mechanism: their egg-depositing organ emits a venomous sting. (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | Nazca Lines | Over 100 New Geoglyphs Discovered at Mysterious Peruvian Site For almost a century modern archeologists have been mystified by the Nazca Lines — giant patterns etched into the Peruvian desert that are only visible from the air. The majority of the designs — created between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. — are geometric, but at least 70 depict plants or animals. Now, Peruvian and Japanese researchers from Yamagata University have used aerial imagery to discover 168 new designs. The new figures are smaller — between 6 and 20 feet — and can be seen from the ground. Knowing where the lines are will help authorities to protect them from the mining industry. (Source: Reuters) |
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| | | What a Cheek! | Tiktokers Put Celebrity Surgery in the Spotlight Not been on TikTok lately? Here’s a crash course: it’s pronounced “buckle.” And it refers to compartments of deep facial fat that give some folks a more cherubic look than others. Buccal fat isn’t affected by weight fluctuation — you either have it or you don’t. Unless you’re a celebrity, of course. In the quest for chiseled features, stars will pay up to $40,000 to have a surgeon remove a ball of fat the size of a medium grape from the inside of each cheek. Wanna know if it’s for you? Dr. Lara Devgan recommends doing your best “Zoolander” impression in the mirror. (Source: NYT) |
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| | | ‘Immaculate Reception’ | 50 Years on From the Greatest NFL Play Ever With 30 seconds to go the Pittsburgh Steelers trailed the Oakland Raiders 7-6. All seemed lost when Terry Bradshaw’s pass ricocheted off either receiver John Fuqua or a defender — until Franco Harris plucked the rebound from his bootlaces and ran in for a TD. The “Immaculate Reception” gave the Steelers their first playoff win in four decades and many see it as the moment their dynasty was conceived. It also marked a decline in the city’s Catholic population as the steel industry faltered. But the Steelers diaspora clings on to the play as “a cultural rallying point,” said retired Pittsburgh priest Lou Vallone. (Source: AP) |
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| Our Favorite Collab This Year | | | | We all know the cool, sustainable sneaker brand, Cariuma. But have you met Patone's Color of the Year 🤔 This year, Cariuma has been named Pantone’s official footwear partner (again) for their Viva PANTONE Color of the Year 2023! And they’re bringing the heat with this colorway, available in six of their most recognizable styles. These celeb, skater, and surfer-loved sneaks are helping PANTONE 18-1755 make its debut. A brave and fearless carmine red, imbued with a dynamic presence, encouraging experimentation these sneakers embolden the desire for self-expression. All styles are crafted from ethically sourced materials such as GOTS-certified organic cotton canvas, natural rubber, recycled plastics, and premium suede from LWG Gold-Rated suppliers – and each style includes their signature cork and mamona oil insoles. Ethical, colorful, and stylish? Cariuma just checked all three. This collab has sold out every. single. year. So hurry and grab a pair while they’re still in stock! Snag 15% off with your personalized code, OZYDEC. LET’S GO SHOPPING |
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COMMUNITY
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| ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! |
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