Important | 1 | | Racial justice advocates in South Carolina say they’ll stop protesting in person after 13 people connected to the demonstrations tested positive for COVID-19. Cases have been steadily increasing and many worry some spread may be linked to the mass anti-racism protests across the nation. Meanwhile, after two shootings in Seattle’s “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” area, Mayor Jenny Durkan says she’ll work with activists to shut it down peacefully. And protesters in Washington, D.C., tried to topple a statue of President Andrew Jackson in front of the White House but were unsuccessful. For OZY readers’ take on the way forward, click here. | |
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| 2 | | His message: Hire American. President Donald Trump signed an order Monday barring new immigration under H-1B work visas, which are reserved for highly skilled workers. That’s expected to affect about 325,000 would-be immigrants, and limit businesses and universities from recruiting top talent abroad. The order also restricts visas used for foreign students, seasonal workers and internal company transfers. The administration’s reasoning is that those jobs can now go to Americans amid rising unemployment during COVID-19 lockdowns. The new restrictions start tomorrow and will last through the end of the year. | |
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| 3 | | As Kentuckians line up to vote today, many are predicting long lines — or worse: The number of polling places has been slashed so much that there’s just one for the entire city of Louisville, leaving many concerned about voter suppression. State Rep. Charles Booker, who’s seen a late bump to his campaign, is going up against Democratic Party choice Amy McGrath to see who challenges Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November. Meanwhile, some are warning there could be long delays in getting results from November’s presidential election, which could increase instability in an already teetering nation. | |
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| 4 | | “It will not be a normal election campaign.” So said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in an address to his country as he called a national vote for July 10. After containing COVID-19 early, Singapore became the worst-hit country in Asia, particularly in its migrant communities. It’s only just begun to lift a strict lockdown on socializing and economic activity. Still, Lee’s People’s Action Party is expected to win the vote: It’s been in power for the last six decades and won 70 percent of votes and 83 of 89 contested parliamentary seats in 2015. | |
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| 5 | | U.S. mental health and addiction services are seeking a bailout to deal with a huge influx of patients in the wake of the pandemic. Apple announced that it’ll start making its own chips instead of getting them from Intel. And an American soldier has been arrested and charged with betraying his unit to a white supremacist group. Coronavirus update: The rivalry between the U.S. and China could see a COVID-19 vaccine get caught in the crossfire. Make a Splash at Your Fourth of July Barbecue. Buy your Reset America gear now to get it in time for the Fourth of July, and show a new kind of patriotism — one that meets the moment. All profits go to the racial justice organization of your choice, so now you can do good while looking good. Get it from the OZY store today. |
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| Intriguing | 1 | | Sparks are flying. Residents of cities across America have noted an increase in loud booming sounds keeping them awake. Sales of backyard fireworks are up, and so are hackles: In New York City, people made 236 times more fireworks complaints than in June 2019. That’s led some to theorize the bangs are actually psychological warfare and police are providing pyrotechnics to urban teens to terrorize their neighbors. There’s no evidence for that, though, and others note that cities are simply quieter this year — plus July 4, which accounts for 80 percent of America’s fireworks market, is right around the corner. | |
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| 2 | | During the Great Recession of 2008-2009, single older Black women who owned their homes saw a disproportionate effect: They lost an average of 38 percent of their wealth, about four times more than their white peers, OZY reports. Black American women earn significantly less than white men, and having less disposable income makes it harder to save for retirement. They’re also more likely to have health issues, putting them at another disadvantage. As a new recession comes knocking, older Black women whose financial security is tied to homeownership — who’ve largely not recovered from the last downturn — will be even more vulnerable. | |
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| 3 | | They’re hajj-ing their bets. Every year, about 2 million Muslims descend on Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage to the Grand Mosque in Mecca. But with 161,000 cases of COVID-19, the nation has closed its borders and says only a very limited number of people who already live there will be allowed to participate this year. Completing the hajj is a tenet of Islam, but Saudi Arabia’s defense of the decision is partly religious in nature: Islam also prizes the preservation of human life. Pilgrims this year will be asked to practice social distancing. | |
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| 4 | | A costume designer turned director, Schumacher — who died yesterday after fighting cancer for a year — was responsible for cult hits like the glitzy Batman Forever and blockbusters like St. Elmo’s Fire. The New York City native was known not just for colorful films, but for colorful anecdotes: Openly gay, he famously claimed to have had 20,000 sexual partners. As for his legacy, Schumacher said in a 2017 interview of his unconventional costuming choices in Batman and Robin: “I just know that I’ll always go down over the nipples on Batman.” Read OZY’s take on an early Schumacher film, The Lost Boys. | |
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| 5 | | “This sport is changing.” So said Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only full-time Black driver, before a crowd wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts at Talladega Superspeedway. A noose was found in Wallace’s garage Sunday after he helped convince NASCAR to ban Confederate flags, but his colleagues are standing in solidarity: All 39 other drivers and their crews helped push his car to the front of the track Monday night. Wallace, who ultimately finished 14th, wept at the gesture. Meanwhile, officials at Sonoma Raceway in California say they’re investigating after twine fashioned into a noose was found on the property. | |
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