OZY - Daily Dose

10 MUST READS TODAY

Monday
February 11, 2019

1	Fast Forward

Fast Forward

Europe's Joke Parties Laugh All the Way to the Top

From Hungary to Ukraine to Italy, comedians and joke parties are vying for, and in some cases grabbing, power.

The July 2018 graffiti on a decrepit Hungary hospital wall had Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sitting on Thomas the Tank Engine, a reference to an expensive, underused vintage train line constructed in 2016 in his hometown. The graffiti was quickly removed, but its creators got what they wanted: The wall finally got a new coat of paint.

It was one of a series of stunts the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) has pulled off, mocking those in power. But what started as a student prank more than a decade ago is transforming into something much bigger. The party now boasts several thousand activists — they call themselves “passivists” — and this year has for the first time emerged as a serious political player in the country. It isn’t alone.

Opinion

OZY Takes You to Democracy's Biggest Exercise With States of the Nation: India

Over three months, OZY will report untold stories from every single Indian state and union territory, covering politics, culture, sports, relationships and more.

The sun is beating down, and it’s over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. But hundreds are lined up outside a public school that’s doubling as a voting center. It’s a scene that will play out thousands of times this spring in India, when the country votes for its next government in what will be history’s biggest-ever democratic exercise, one with implications for the world. And OZY will be there on the ground, bringing you an unprecedented ringside view of the dreams and challenges shaping every part of the country.

Nearly 600 million Indians voted in the general elections of 2014 that brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power. In the general elections scheduled from March to May this year, that number is expected to go even higher — with 100 million young Indians having turned 18, the minimum voting age, since 2014, according to census projections.

3	Politics & Power

Politics & Power

This Georgia Pastor Is Trump's First Line of Defense Against Impeachment

As a military chaplain, Doug Collins safeguarded American souls. Now he is charged with protecting the president from his critics.

The day is stretching on, and tempers are running hot in the House Judiciary Committee. President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, has been parrying questions from Democrats about the Robert Mueller probe for several hours. And Rep. Doug Collins, newly elevated as the committee’s top Republican, has been playing defense.

“If you want to sit down there, you can go sit down there, but you’re not his lawyer,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat who’s been spending time in Iowa and New Hampshire lately, snipes at Collins. The lanky Georgian fires back: “And if you had any questions actually related to this [hearing], instead of running for president, we could get this done!”

4	True Story

'OZY Confidential' - Stories From the Edge

Part rant-o-riffic cross talk, part no-holds-barred delving into the dark stuff often left unsaid. This is OZY’s newest must-listen podcast.

Good Sh*t

Fancy Dress Is Optional for This Cheese-Lover's Festival

For five days, thousands gather to celebrate Panamanian culture and music, and a gooey S-shaped snack.

Acumen

Is Employee Engagement the Key to Business Success?

Firms with an employee-centered culture tend to experience higher rates of productivity and profitability.

7	Rising Stars

Can She Keep Miami Beach Above the Rising Sea?

Scientists research and politicians make laws, but bureaucrats like Susanne Torriente are where the rubber meets the (raised) road.

8	Fast Forward

How Debt Is Crippling China's Global Business Ambitions

Tightening credit is casting a shadow over the future of a series of global investments made by Chinese companies.

9	True Story

How My Dog and I Started a Dog Park Riot

One summer day, the dog park — ground zero for line-stepping human behaviors – devolved into a full-blown riot on account of, yes, poop.

10	Rising Stars

The Vatican's In-House Astronomer

Guy Consolmagno is a respected planetary scientist on the tenure track to Heaven.

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