| |  | | Through the development of her virtual reality software, Aleah Brown, a senior at Spelman College, hopes to expose underserved students to art, culture and history in an interactive virtual art museum. “Art has improved my psychological well-being, helped me bring awareness to social injustices, be empathetic and find beauty in life,” says Aleah, and that’s precisely what she’s eager to share. Her VR experience will allow children in communities without ready access to museums to fully engage with artworks and hone their creative skills, build confidence and learn to apply creative solutions to life’s challenges with this inspiring and life-affirming tool. |
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IMPORTANT
| | |  | Fall From Grace | FTX Founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, Arrested in Bahamas The former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency firm was arrested for “financial offenses” at the request of U.S. authorities Monday. The indictment will be unsealed today, with Bahamian Attorney General Ryan Pinder saying the country would extradite the 30-year-old to the U.S. “promptly” once a formal request’s been made. Bankman-Fried had been due to testify about FTX’s Nov. 11 collapse before the House Financial Services Committee today. Instead, new CEO John Ray III will take the stand alone. Ray, a serial corporate restructurer, said that conditions at the company were worse than those he found at Enron. (Sources: AP, BBC) |
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|  | Fusion | US Scientists Expected to Announce Clean Energy Breakthrough For decades scientists have battled to harness fusion — the process that powers the sun — as the ultimate clean energy source. Today, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is expected to announce that researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have for the first time overseen a fusion reaction that produced more energy than was required to ignite it. Prof. Riccardo Betti, an expert in laser fusion, likened the breakthrough to learning that igniting gasoline could produce an explosion. “You still don’t have the engine and you still don’t have the tires … You can’t say that you have a car.” (Source: AP) |
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|  | Child Killings | Reuters: Nigerian Army Has Massacred Thousands of Children The teen watched from behind an acacia tree as Nigerian government soldiers shot dead at least 10 children and several adults, before burying them in a pre-dug grave and driving off. A Reuters investigation based on interviews with 44 civilian witnesses and 15 security personnel alleges that the Nigerian army has killed thousands of children as part of its war against Boko Haram. Soldiers spoke of being told to “delete” children who’d inherited tainted insurgent blood from their fathers. The Nigerian army denied ever targeting children: “It has never happened, it is not happening, it will not happen,” said Major General Christopher Musa. (Source: Reuters) |
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|  | Trailblazers | New Zealand Bans Smoking for Next Generation The Land of the Long White Cloud is the first country to introduce a smoking age that rises every year. The law makes it illegal for people born after 1 January 2009 to ever buy tobacco. “Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives” said Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall, adding that the health system would save billions of dollars “from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking, such as numerous types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.” The new law will also slash the number of outlets that can sell tobacco — but the changes don’t apply to vape sales. (Source: The Guardian) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: In the army now. Jin, the oldest member of K-pop megaband BTS, began his military service today. He captioned a photo of his new haircut: “It looks cuter than I expected.” (Source: BBC) ‘Heartbreaking day.’ Six people, including two young police officers, were killed in a gunfight on a remote property in Queensland, Australia. The police had been investigating a missing person report. (Source: Reuters) Eva Kaili. Senior EU lawmakers voted unanimously to oust the 44-year-old Greek politician, who was one of the Union’s vice presidents. Kaili and three others have been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes from Qatari agents. (Source: DW) |
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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. |
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INTRIGUING
| | | Crossroads | What Will Bolivia Do With the World’s Biggest Lithium Deposits? As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly important. Prices and demand have skyrocketed, but Bolivia — home to the world’s largest deposits — has only produced 1,500 tons of lithium since 2018. This month, the state lithium corporation will nominate one of six foreign firms to help speed up production. But environmental and community activists say the process has been opaque. “Bolivia is somewhere down the line going to produce lithium on a commercial scale,” said lithium analyst Juan Carlos Zuleta. “Something I don’t know is whether this is … going to benefit the country.” (Source: Mongabay) |
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| | | Any Port in a Storm | Los Angeles Has Lost Its Crown as America’s Busiest Port For 22 years straight the Port of Los Angeles was the nation’s busiest container port. That changed three months ago when the Port of New York and New Jersey nabbed top spot. The shift’s been caused by fears that an ongoing contract dispute could lead to a dockworkers’ strike — despite assurances from both parties that this won’t happen. But it’s also part of a wider post-pandemic realization that putting all your eggs in one basket is seldom a good idea. “I think there’s a real recognition of the need to have that diversification,” said the National Retail Federation’s Jonathan Gold. (Source: CNN) |
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| | | Urban Jungle | Legendary LA Mountain Lion Captured After Erratic Behavior P-22, the urban puma who lived in Griffith Park for at least a decade and was famously photographed beneath the Hollywood sign, was captured Monday. Wildlife officials knocked on Sarah Picchi’s door around 10 a.m. and said: “There’s a lion in your yard.” In recent weeks the “remarkably old cat” had strayed further into human territory, attacking one neighborhood dog and killing another. Authorities must now find a humane solution for the LA icon. Male mountain lions are fiercely territorial, so releasing him elsewhere would be risky. His years of living wild, meanwhile, don’t make him an ideal sanctuary candidate. (Source: NYT) |
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| | | There’s a Bot For That | Should Professors Be Worried About New Essay-Writing Bot? Since the launch last month of ChatGPT, a free (for now) AI-powered chatbot that produces surprisingly lucid text in response to user prompts, some educators are already prophesying the death of essay questions. But academic integrity researcher Thomas Lancaster said students have long been able to outsource assignments to essay mills. “Despite the words ‘artificial intelligence’ being thrown about, really, these systems don’t have intelligence in the way we might think about as humans,” he added. “It’s the responsibility of academics to have a healthy amount of distrust,” said researcher Sandra Wachter. “But I don’t feel like this is an insurmountable challenge.” (Source: Nature) |
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| | | | | Messi vs Modric | Which of These Soccer Greats Will Get a Fairytale Ending? The symmetries between Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 35, and Croatia’s Luka Modric, 37, are astounding. Both players captain their countries and both hold the national record for games played. Messi won the Golden Ball — the award for the tournament’s best player — after losing the World Cup final to Germany in 2014. Modric did the same after Croatia were beaten by France four years later. Neither has won the World Cup and this year’s tournament is expected to be the duo’s swansong. Tonight the two face off in a high-stakes semifinal that will see one of them get a final shot at glory on Sunday. (Source: BBC) |
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| FORTUNE TELLER SAYS…GRAB ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HERE! |  | | Just like you have a knack for knowing when something’s the right fit for you, OZY has a knack for guessing what the next big thing in names, trends, and ideas is going to be. Kind of like a fortune teller, if you will. 🔮 So, listen up: The OCA Low Canvas sneakers from the cool and sustainable sneaker brand, Cariuma, are it. Made from natural materials and recycled plastics, they offer a lightweight and breathable feel – making them the perfect option for a crazy-comfy look. And with over fifteen different colorways, they’ll quickly become your go-to sneaker for holiday festivities. Like we’ve said before, these sneakers go fast. In fact, they’ve just cleared a 77,000+ person waitlist – making it the perfect time to snag a pair. Join the cool crowd, just in time for the holiday season, and use the code OZYDEC for an additional 15% off at checkout. Pssst…this offer won’t last forever. |
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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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