| | | | 1. Waters in Hot Water Over Chauvin Trial Remarks “Use your common sense,” the prosecution urged jurors during closing arguments in the Derek Chauvin murder trial yesterday, which were attended by George Floyd's young daughter, Gianna. Meanwhile, Judge Peter Cahill reprimanded Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters for remarks he said could help the defense with any appeal. Should there be a not guilty verdict, Waters had said, “we've got to get more confrontational.” Cahill called the remarks “abhorrent” but ultimately dismissed the defense’s motion for a mistrial. The jury is now sequestered and could take weeks to reach a decision. Sources: NYT, BBC, MSN What do you think? What verdict will the jury come back with? Vote here. |
| 2. CO2 Will Rise With Pandemic Recovery, Agency Warns As economies seek to rebound from COVID, carbon dioxide levels will likely soar, the International Energy Agency says. Consumption of fossil fuels like coal, used for the recovery, will see emissions surge by 1.65 billion tons in what would be the second-biggest annual rise in history. China is expected to account for half of global demand growth for coal, but use in the U.S. is also rising. President Joe Biden is holding a virtual climate summit later this week with global leaders, with the U.S. expected to unveil its plan for cutting emissions over the next decade. Sources: WSJ (sub), CNN, The Guardian |
| 3. End of a Dynasty: Cuba Gets New Communist Party Leader Cuba libre? Not necessarily, but the island is Castro-less for the first time in over six decades. Miguel Díaz-Canel was yesterday named first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, taking over from Raúl Castro, in charge since 2011. His brother, Fidel, died in 2016. Díaz-Canel, 60, has been Cuba’s president since 2018, but his new role is the most powerful in the country. However, analysts say he looks likely to maintain the status quo. The Biden administration recently said Cuba wasn’t a top priority, but it will be focused on support for human rights there. Sources: Al Jazeera, AFP, The Conversation |
| 4. Tread Lightly: Peloton Pushed to Recall Exercise Machines And they say a little exercise won’t kill you. Peloton, which came under fire for an exercise bike ad many considered sexist a year ago, is now under pressure to recall its treadmills following a death and dozens of injuries. “The videos and reports of children being sucked under Peloton treadmills are harrowing,” Rep. Jan Schakowsky, chair of a U.S. House subcommittee on consumer protection, said yesterday. The company argues the treadmills are safe as long as user guidelines are followed. Peloton shares fell 7 percent on Monday. It remains to be seen whether the company will recall the machines. Sources: WSJ (sub) |
| 5. Also Important …Brandon Hole, the gunman who killed eight people, including four Sikhs, in the mass shooting at a FedEx in Indianapolis, has been found to have browsed white supremecist websites. Apple has reached an agreement with right-wing app Parler that could see it reinstated after it was kicked off the app store due to links to the Capitol riot. And German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union has thrown its backing behind Armin Laschet as its candidate for September elections. Coronavirus Update: Crematoriums in India are burning numbers of bodies that far exceed official COVID-19 death tolls, as virus deaths rose by a record 1,761 on Tuesday. The U.S. State Department is warning Americans to avoid travel to nearly 80 percent of countries worldwide due to the continuing pandemic. |
| | Carlos says if you’re only going to watch one episode of The Carlos Watson Show, it should be this one. Darren Walker is one of today’s preeminent thinkers and president of the Ford Foundation. Hear him reflect on his story from the bottom 1 percent to the top, share invaluable insights to today’s systemic injustices and open up about his intersectional experiences as a gay Black man in this episode you won’t want to miss. |
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| | | | 1. Paleontologists Find Tyrannosaurs Liked TeamworkNo lone rangers. Scientists studying fossils from Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument have discovered that tyrannosaurs probably hunted in packs. While always thought to be solitary predators, the dinosaurs may instead have hunted together like wolves. “I consider this a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” said Bureau of Land Management paleontologist Alan Titus, who discovered the site. The protected area, dubbed the Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry for all the exciting finds there, was cut in half by former President Donald Trump, but the Biden administration is now considering expanding it again. Sources: Washington Post, AP |
| 2. Seoul Food: BTS and McDonald’s to Launch Meal Do you want fries with that boy band? South Korean supergroup BTS are the latest celebrities to partner with McDonald’s on a special meal. But it’s not a Big Mac: The BTS meal has more Seoul than that. You get 10 chicken McNuggets with fries, a soda and for the first time in the U.S., South Korean-inspired sweet chili and Cajun dipping sauces. Rapper Travis Scott also recently collaborated with the fast-food giant on a celebrity menu. The BTS meal will be launched in May — and the ARMY on social media is already salivating. Sources: Refinery29, Buzzfeed, USA Today |
| 3. Beware Bears This Spring, Officials Warn After Mauling It was a grizzly death. A Montana guide has died after being mauled by a grizzly bear near Yellowstone last week. After the attack, causing scalp and facial wounds, Carl Mock managed to call for help. The grizzly was shot and killed when it attacked wardens investigating Mock’s mauling. Officials believe the bear attacked because he was protecting a moose carcass some 148 feet from the site. “Now is the time to remember to be conscientious in the backcountry as the bears are coming out of hibernation and looking for food sources,” police said. Sources: ABC, People |
| 4. Sounding Good: Facebook Makes Foray Into Audio All aboard the Clubhouse train! Facebook is developing a feature to play short “snackable” audio clips and live audio rooms where people can chat in real time. It will also include a podcasting feature and the company is working with Spotify on “Boombox” to share music. Twitter, Reddit and LinkedIn are all testing similar features. But was Clubhouse, valued at $4 billion, just a flash in the pan? Downloads of the app decreased 70 percent in March from a February high, suggesting its waning popularity. Facebook plans to make the new audio services available by the summer. Sources: Wired, BBC, Reuters, Bloomberg |
| 5. British PM Plans ‘Red Card’ for Breakaway Super League Will there be a penalty? Soccer fans are irate over news of a breakaway Super League after 12 of the world’s top clubs announced they are launching a rival competition to the Champions League. The move, branded a money-grab, has been slammed by FIFA and UEFA. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says his government is prepared to intervene to stop six British clubs from joining the new league. Johnson will meet with representatives of the sport’s governing bodies today to discuss the issue, saying, “I'm going to do everything I can to give this ludicrous plan a straight red.” Sources: Yahoo Sport, AFP, BBC |
| | OZY Fest is back! The one-of-a-kind festival of great entertainment, interactive experiences and the biggest conversations is coming to a screen near you. Where else could you hang out with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Sevyn Streeter, Tig Notaro, Condoleezza Rice, Mark Cuban, Malcolm Gladwell and more? Join us for a virtual celebration of bold change and big ideas, May 15-16. Register now. |
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