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
|  | Paper Tiger | More Docs Revealed as Biden Fights Off Mar-a-Lago Comparisons President Joe Biden’s legal team confirmed Wednesday that a second batch of classified documents was discovered in a search of a second location. While details remain scant — including how many documents were found and where — it’s another hiccup for Biden. Republicans have leapt on the revelations, comparing the Biden papers to the trove of documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence last year. “A giant Scam,” Trump posted in response. Biden’s team described the search of his various offices as “exhaustive” following the discovery of the first batch of documents announced Monday. The Justice Department is investigating. (Sources: NBC, WaPo) |
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|  | Harsh Punishment | UK Citizen Sentenced to Death in Iran Amid Surge in Executions Dual Iranian-British citizen Alireza Akbari, a former defense minister for Iran, has been sentenced to death after being convicted of spying for MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service. Akbari says he was forced to confess after 3,500 hours of torture over 10 months. “This is a politically motivated act by a barbaric regime that has total disregard for human life,” U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly tweeted, demanding Akbari’s immediate release. The U.N. Human Rights Office warned that Iran is “weaponizing” capital punishment: At least 18 people have been sentenced to death since pro-democracy protests erupted in September. (Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera) |
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|  | Friendless George | Get Outta Here, Santos! New York GOP Wants Lying Rep Gone Rep. George Santos, whose lies about his family history, education and professional experience are under investigation, “does not have the ability” to serve in Congress and “should resign.” That’s according to fellow New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito. It’s the first major rebuke since last week’s dramatics in the House gave Santos a brief respite. “He's not a normal person. He needs to stop deluding himself that he can continue in Congress,” Nassau County Republican Bruce Blakeman said. Local GOP officials pledged to boycott the new congressman’s office, but Santos maintains he serves constituents — not party power brokers — and won’t be going anywhere. (Sources: NYT, NPR) |
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| | |  | Repeating History | In Brazil, Tensions Remain High While US Democrats Offer Support Parts of Brasilia have been closed to traffic after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro planned a “mega-protest to retake power” across the country Wednesday. Officials boosted security, but the demonstrations were muted compared to Jan. 8, when rioters stormed government buildings in an uprising against newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Stunned Brazilian lawmakers have found support from their American counterparts two years after the attack on Washington. If the Capitol riot investigation could serve “as a model for similar investigations,” former Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson said, he’d “help out in any way possible.” (Sources: France24, Reuters) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Rock royalty. British guitarist Jeff Beck died suddenly Tuesday at 78 after contracting meningitis, a spokesperson said. Often referred to as the greatest guitarist of all time, Beck insured his fingers and thumbs for $8.5 million. (Source: NME) Free! An Ebola outbreak in Uganda is officially over, the government declared Wednesday. No new cases have been identified in more than 42 days — double the virus’s incubation period, which is the World Health Organization’s benchmark. (Source: The Guardian) ‘Regret.’ For the first time in Indonesia’s history, President Joko Widodo acknowledged the human rights violations that marred the post-colonial era, including the anti-communist purges of 1965. Activists and survivors continue to push for charges against perpetrators. (Source: Reuters) |
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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
| | | What a Waste | Sewage Shows Parts of Asia Could Be Hotbed for Superbugs Wastewater across Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific lights up with antibiotic residue, researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet found during a review of 240 studies. Sewage in China and India returned particularly high counts, in line with long-held concerns about antibiotic overuse in both countries. Wastewater treatment plants are “main sources of the selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance,” according to the study, because mingling microbes can exchange resistant genes, toughening up before eventually making their way back into drinking water. According to an estimate released last year, 1.27 million people globally died of resistant infections in 2019. (Source: The Telegraph) |
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| | | Cyber Flaws | Police Used an App to Conduct Raids — Then It Leaked Everything SweepWizard markets itself as a tool to manage multiagency raids. For the Los Angeles Police Department, which coordinated a raid of 600 suspected sex offenders in September’s Operation Protect the Innocent, using a free trial version of the app was a no-brainer. The LAPD celebrated the bust, which involved 64 agencies across five counties, as a major win. But a new investigation revealed SweepWizard leaked caches of sensitive data to the open web — information about suspects and investigators alike. And it wasn’t just that operation: Data from hundreds of previous sweeps involving dozens of departments has been found online. (Source: Wired) |
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| | | Lending a Hand | Don’t Call Young Scouts ‘Brownies’: Canada Welcomes New ‘Embers’ “Embers are full of potential and when they work together, they can ignite a powerful flame!” the Girl Guides of Canada tweeted Wednesday. The organization ditched the Brownies name after members past and present called it racially divisive, suggesting it prevented young girls of color from joining local troops. The Embers name came into effect immediately, but GGC warns it could take until September for all branded merchandise to catch up. It’s about opening up the circle, CEO Jill Zelmanovits said: “This was about the fact that girls experienced racism and felt that they weren't welcome in Girl Guides.” (Source: BBC) |
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| | | Sexually Transmitted Insurance | A Woman Contracted HPV in an Insured Car. Is Geico to Blame? Maybe not, according to the Missouri Supreme Court, which overturned a lower court’s decision finding insurer Geico liable. The woman was previously awarded $5.2 million after she contracted human papillomavirus — which can cause cancer and genital warts — after having sex in a partner’s car. She sought a $1 million insurance settlement because the man’s insurance covered injuries and loss. Geico argued that car sex does not fall under normal use of a vehicle, but an arbitrator awarded the payout. The Supreme Court’s ruling means Geico and the woman will face off again in a lower court for further deliberation. (Source: AP) |
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| | | | | Desert Tragedy | Dakar Rally Truck Leader Drops Out After Spectator’s Death Czech driver Ales Loprais withdrew from the Saudi Arabia rally despite his position leading the truck category, organizers said Wednesday. The announcement came hours after Italian spectator Livio Sassinotti was struck by Loprais during Tuesday’s ninth stage and later died. Loprais was not aware of the incident until he was shown video of his vehicle hitting Sassinotti, who was hidden behind a dune. Organizers said Loprais is cooperating with authorities, but in a statement, the driver made it clear how heavily the death weighs on him: “I'm very sorry and this accident will be with me for the rest of my life.” (Source: Reuters) |
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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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