RIDE THE WAVE OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS |  | | Looking fresh in the new year atop your list of new years resolutions? Then look no further, because Cariuma has got you covered, with a California style that will bring warm vibes to your feet while winter carries on. 🏖️ Meet OCA Low – a tried and true classic bringing the heat with a timeless design providing skaters and surfers everywhere a crazy-comfy, go-to look. They’re sustainable and durable, with a premium look and feel. Crafted with high-end, raw materials (shout out to the premium soft suede from LWG-certified tanneries). An added bonus…slip-resistant rubber on the bottom makes them perfect for those frosty days! Hurry and grab a pair before they’re gone! Enter code OZYJAN at checkout for an additional 15% off. |
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IMPORTANT
|  | Close but Not Quite | Is the Second Day the Charm for McCarthy’s Desperate Speaker Bid? California Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to corral enough of his Republican colleagues, falling short on the speaker of the House ballot three times. He’s been working overtime since last year’s midterms to secure enough votes, but he needs to win over virtually all Republican representatives since they only have a slim majority. It’s a familiar fault line for the GOP: Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan were both felled by a hard-right conservative faction within the party, the House Freedom Caucus. Wednesday will be a crucial second day of voting and McCarthy remains confident, saying, “It’s going to happen.” (Sources: WaPo, AP) |
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| | |  | One, Two | FDA Approves Expansion of Abortion Drugs at Pharmacies Mifepristone, the first pill used in a two-step medical abortion, has previously only been available at clinics or via specific pharmacies. A change to regulations issued by the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday will help Americans access it from retail pharmacies. Patients will still need a prescription from a doctor, but telehealth reforms introduced during the pandemic mean those prescriptions may be easier to obtain. Still, access can be difficult in some states, Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson said. The second drug, misoprostol, is already available via the same process because it’s used for a variety of medical conditions. (Sources: NYT, The Hill) |
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|  | Don’t Answer the Call | Russia Blames Troops Using Phones for New Year’s Destruction That’s the preliminary finding by the Kremlin after a Ukrainian missile attack killed at least 89 Russian troops. Six rockets from a U.S.-made missile system were fired at Russian barracks in a vocational college in the occupied Donetsk region just after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day. A Russian Ministry of Defense statement said it was “already obvious” that the use of mobile phones — banned for this reason — allowed Ukrainian forces to identify where the troops were. Russian officials said the deputy commander of the regiment was among those killed, but any surviving officials found guilty will face justice. (Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera) |
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|  | ‘Legal Loophole’ | Missouri Executes Transgender Woman for Murder in US First Amber McLaughlin, 49, was convicted of the 2003 abduction, rape and murder of her ex-girlfriend Beverly Guenther. McLaughlin transitioned several years ago after a fellow inmate won a lawsuit giving incarcerated Missourians access to gender-affirming care. Anti-capital punishment group Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty took up McLaughlin’s cause with zeal, particularly since the jury was unable to agree on sentencing. “Because of Missouri’s legal loophole, the trial judge was able to overrule the deadlock jury and impose a death sentence for Amber,” a petition from the group said. It was Missouri’s first execution of a woman since 1953. (Sources: NBC, St. Louis Public Radio) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Heating up. Europe’s January has been unseasonably warm and in some countries set new records. The Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Czechia, Poland, Denmark and Belarus all hit national records during the Christmas period. (Source: BBC) Off the table. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has threatened to revoke a 2018 understanding with North Korea, citing several drone incursions into the border’s no-fly zone. (Source: Reuters) Thanks. Myanmar’s military junta bestowed a top national award on an ultranationalist, Islamophobic Buddhist monk during independence celebrations. Wirathu is accused of stoking anti-Muslim sentiments that eventually led to the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya minority. (Source: Al Jazeera) |
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| SUSTAINABLY SATISFY YOUR COZY CRAVINGS |  | | Is it possible to make sustainable choices, look amazing, AND have warm feet this winter? Cool, sustainable sneaker brand, Cariuma, says yes indeed! Designed for ultimate comfort when the temperature plummets, Cariuma’s Caturi combines consciously-sourced materials like vegan suede, providing you with top-quality water-repellent performance and cozy shearling to keep your feet warm this winter. Cariuma definitely upped the cozy factor on this sneaker, but they’re even throwing in 2 pairs of laces with each pair – making these stylish winter kicks 100% you and 100% cozy. We also can’t forget to mention that with every pair of sneakers purchased, 2 trees are planted in Brazil, as part of Cariuma’s Reforestation Program. We can on and on (and on and on) about all of the awesome features that Cariuma packs into each pair of kicks. Take our word for it, you need the Caturi in your closet this winter. Here at OZY we don’t gatekeep anything and we want you to know that these sneakers never go on sale but to warm toes everywhere, we’ve snagged you a code for 15% off. Use code OZYJAN at checkout. |
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INTRIGUING
| | | | | Time to Heal | Jeremy Renner Sends His Love After Freak Snowplow Accident The Avengers star took to Instagram with his first message since he was hospitalized Sunday in Nevada. “Thank you for all your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.” Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam reported that Renner had used his snowplow to free a stuck car, but when he got out, the plow began to roll. As he attempted to get into the driver’s seat, he was struck and run over by the 14,000-pound vehicle. It was a “tragic accident,” Balaam said, noting that police are investigating a possible mechanical failure. (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | Us Vs. Them | Canada Shares a Border With the US — and Now Polarization Too Russia is the greatest threat to global instability this year, think tank Eurasia Group said in its annual “Top Risk” report. But Canada has been singled out too. The organization warned the Great White North, Japan and Brazil are at exceptional risk of polarization — and for Canada, the influence is coming from over the border. Canada’s political environment and social media are “increasingly resembling” the U.S., Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer said. “It is dysfunctional. It is rife with disinformation. It is deeply polarized.” He noted that energy and climate change policies are particularly contentious and undermining national unity. (Source: CBC) |
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| | | Grave Justice | Funeral Home Owner Sentenced to 20 Years for Selling Body Parts Megan Hess was given the maximum penalty for fraud in a case that shocked Colorado. “Our sweet mother, they dismembered her,” said Erin Smith, whose mother’s shoulders, knees and feet were sold without permission. Selling organs in the U.S. is illegal, but other body parts can be sold for education and research purposes in a murky, unregulated industry. Prosecutors said Hess defrauded families by dissecting 560 corpses and selling the parts, then charging for cremations that didn’t happen. “This is the most emotionally draining case I have ever experienced on the bench,” U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello said during sentencing. (Source: Reuters) |
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| | | Moving On | Tune Out on Tokyo, Government Pleads to Young Families Families in Tokyo can receive up to 1 million yen ($7,670) per child to move out of the megacity. Japan has long struggled with demographic changes, including an infamously aging population that’s stressing public services. The government hopes the program will help diversify aging communities in rural areas while reducing urban population density. Families in 23 regions across the capital, as well as commuter hubs, are eligible but there are some catches: They must live in their new areas for a minimum of five years and be employed or else they’ll need to hand the money back. (Source: CNBC) |
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| | | One League | Football Community Comes Together as Hamlin Family Waits Players and fans across the country rallied in support of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, whose shocking on-field collapse in the opening quarter against the Bengals stunned the country. Vigils in Cincinnati and outside the Bills’ home stadium saw hundreds gather with prayer lights and signs of support for the 24-year-old. His uncle Dorrian Glenn said Hamlin was resuscitated twice by medical staff — once on the field and again when he arrived at the hospital. Glenn confirmed Hamlin remains sedated and is breathing with a ventilator, but said, “It seems like he’s trending upwards in a positive way.” (Sources: AP, CNN) |
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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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