Zuma Behind Bars | Super-Sized Sandcastle

The 79-year-old, once a beloved freedom fighter and ally of Nelson Mandela who spent 10 years imprisoned by South Africa’s apartheid regime, turned himself in last night to serve a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. Zuma was forced to step down in 2018 amid a raft of corruption allegations, and his sentence stems from his refusal to appear at a corruption inquiry. Many see Zuma’s punishment as evidence of democratic South Africa’s free judiciary, but he still has many supporters, especially among his Zulu tribe. The country’s ruling party is urging people to remain calm.

Sources: News24, NYT, Al Jazeera

What do you think? If Zuma’s arrest shows even the most powerful are not above the law, which leader do you think is headed to jail next? Vote here.

2. Haiti Police Kill Four ‘Mercenaries’ Involved in Assassination

Authorities have arrested two people and killed four “mercenaries” suspected of being behind yesterday’s assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph declared a “state of siege” as the unstable Caribbean nation spirals in the wake of the murder. Witnesses said men posing as U.S. DEA agents burst into Moïse’s house in the early hours of Wednesday morning. His wife was shot and injured, while his daughter hid in a bedroom. President Joe Biden called the assassination “horrific” while the U.N. urged calm. Haitian police are still hunting for other assailants involved in the plot.

Sources: AFP, Washington Post, BBC

3. No More Survivors: Surfside Rescuers Shift to Recovery

Officials say there is “zero chance” of finding survivors in the rubble of the Surfside condo collapse, where 54 bodies have been found and another 86 are missing after nearly two weeks. Rescuers had hoped to find survivors sheltering in stairwells or the basement, but had found it all crushed. Fears of further collapses and a tropical storm delayed efforts, and the rest of the block was demolished last weekend. An investigation into the cause of the disaster is underway, and a state attorney has called a grand jury to examine how to prevent similar collapses in the future.

Sources: NYT, Miami Herald

4. Not Playing Around: States Sue Over Google Play Store

Thirty-six U.S. states filed an antitrust suit against the tech giant yesterday, saying its Google Play store amounts to a monopoly because it has a 90% share of app distribution on Android phones and little competition. Google defended its app marketplace, saying it “provides more openness and choice than others.” The bipartisan case only adds to Google’s mounting legal woes, with several other state and federal lawsuits being brought in the past year, including a lawsuit from Epic Games alleging Google acted in an anti-competitive manner. A trial date in the states’ case has not been set.

Sources: WSJ (sub), Bloomberg

Read this week’s Butterfly Effect column on the battle against Big Tech.

5. Also Important …

Hundreds of women armed with assault rifles have taken to the streets of Afghanistan in a show of force as the Taliban continue to capture more territory. Darnella Frazier, the teenager who shot the video of George Floyd’s murder, said her uncle has been killed in a police car chase that didn’t involve him. And England defeated Denmark 2-1 last night before 60,000 fans in London and will take on Italy in the Euro 2020 soccer championship final on Sunday.

Coronavirus Update: Global deaths from COVID-19 have exceeded the 4 million mark, a grim milestone. Japan will declare a state of emergency in Tokyo that will be in place for the duration of the Olympics, meaning the Games are now unlikely to allow any spectators.

Today on ‘The Carlos Watson Show’: From “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” to “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show),” take a trip down memory lane with the multi-Grammy-winning stars of The 5th Generation. Music legends Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. sit down with Carlos for a heartwarming conversation covering their love story, their journey to success and their best advice. Discover why Marilyn nearly said “no” when Billy proposed to her, explore the connection between The Beatles and Black Lives Matter, and share in the couple’s reflections on Billy’s alcoholism. Watch now.

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Here’s hoping no children feel destructive and jump on it. Sand sculptors have built the world’s biggest sandcastle in the beach town of Blokhus, Denmark, standing nearly 70 feet high and containing 11,000 pounds of sand. But like everything these days, even the sandcastle references the pandemic, with the top of the pyramid structure crowned with a model of coronavirus. The sculpture, by Dutchman Wilfred Stijger and his team, stands almost 10 feet taller than the previous record-holder. It’s been covered in a layer of glue to avoid wind damage and should last until early next year.

Sources: The Guardian, AFP

2. Four-Day Workers Are Fitter, Happier, More Productive

Researchers have confirmed what you may have suspected all along: People would rather work less. An Icelandic study tracked 2,500 employees over four years as they reduced their work hours from 40 to about 35, finding “worker wellbeing dramatically increased ... from perceived stress and burnout, to health and work-life balance.” Most people in the Nordic country work 40 hours a week, but since the trial 86% have renegotiated contracts that let them reduce their hours. Reports of burnout have risen during the pandemic and researchers hope this study will spur other nations to lighten workers’ loads.

Sources: USA Today, BBC

3. Black Chicago Residents Are Dying of Racism, Study Shows

New research shows African Americans in the Windy City live an average of 71.4 years compared to 80.6 years for non-Black Chicagoans, and the gap has been widening for years. Chronic diseases and opioid overdoses are among the reasons for the disparity. Black babies are also three times more likely to die in their first year, and the murder rate for Black residents is a whopping nine times higher than for others. Researchers say historical segregation and health inequities are to blame, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot has declared racism a public health crisis that must be addressed.

Sources: Washington Post

Watch OZY’s Carlos Watson Show special on the racial disparity crisis in health care.

4. Nikole Hannah-Jones Slams UNC, Takes Position at Howard

“Since the second grade when I began being bused into white schools, I have been fighting against people who did not think a Black girl like me belonged,” the New York Times journalist said in a powerful statement yesterday. Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize winner behind the Times’ 1619 Project, turned down a faculty position at the University of North Carolina, her alma mater, after it initially refused to grant her tenure. Critics say she was badly treated due to her race. She’s instead taking a position as the Knight Chair in Race and Reporting at Howard University, a historically Black college.

Sources: NAACP Legal Defense Fund, AP, NYT

Read more about HBCUs on OZY.

5. Lightning Take Second Straight Stanley Cup

It was a Florida ice storm. On the same day downgraded Hurricane Elsa churned ashore near Tampa Bay, the city’s hockey fans braved wet streets to celebrate back-to-back NHL championships last night. In Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning defeated the visiting Montreal Canadiens 1-0 with a second-period goal by rookie forward Ross Colton, while veteran goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy captured postseason MVP honors. Team captain Steven Stamkos said the trophy repeat, in just nine months owing to 2020 pandemic delays, means his squad “is going to be etched in history forever.”

Sources: Newsweek, AP, ESPN, Yahoo

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