| |  | | Growing up in a culturally diverse family taught Syracuse University senior David Anthony Barbier Jr. the value of adapting himself to his environment. But his travels in Ghana opened a whole new world of “vulnerability and kindness,” where David Anthony felt unafraid to let people “see me for me.” As an actor and storyteller, David Anthony discovered the power of narrative to bring together “people who’ve shared conflict and disagreement.” Through his short film Numb, he hopes to encourage young people to access mental health resources in order to help them “express their true selves in all their vulnerability and emotion” and be seen for who they truly are. |
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IMPORTANT
| | |  | In-Person Pitch | Zelenskyy Rallies US Congress for Military Support In a passionate address to lawmakers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared Ukrainian fighters to Americans who resisted Nazi forces at the Battle of the Bulge. “The occupiers have a significant advantage in artillery ... in ammunition, they have much more missiles and planes,” he said, pressing the U.S. for more military aid. Though the chamber gave him 18 standing ovations, Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz didn’t clap and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Josh Hawley, who have criticized U.S. financial support, didn’t attend. “Your money is not charity,” Zelenskyy reassured those in attendance. “It’s an investment in … global security and democracy.” (Sources: WaPo, The Guardian) |
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|  | Back on Top | Netanyahu Reaches Deal to Form Far-Right Government Benjamin Netanyahu announced the formation of a new six-party political coalition Wednesday night — the most far-right government in Israel’s history — which includes formerly fringe ultranationalist and ultrareligious parties. Once ratified by Parliament, the coalition will return Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving leader, to the helm after only 18 months out of office. Though he promised to “act in the interest of all citizens of Israel,” many observers are worried that he’ll be tied to the extreme agendas of his coalition partners, who have vowed to make sweeping legislative changes, including allowing lawmakers to override decisions made by the Supreme Court. (Sources: NYT, Al Jazeera) |
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|  | Shocking Crime | Group of Teen Girls Charged With Murder in Toronto Stabbing Attack Eight girls aged 13 to 16 have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 59-year-old man in downtown Toronto early Sunday morning. The teens, who appear to have met on social media, allegedly “swarmed” the unnamed victim, assaulting and stabbing him after an argument. A witness said she was smoking with the victim outside a homeless shelter when the group approached them and tried to take her liquor bottle. “He protected me,” the witness explained. Toronto police said they chose to charge all eight girls because “all eight were together and participating in this event, which is disturbing.” (Sources: The Guardian, CBC) |
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|  | Bank Man Busted | Sam Bankman-Fried Extradited to US as His Associates Plead Guilty The embattled crypto boss returned to American soil in FBI custody — only to find that two of his associates, FTX co-founder Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, have pleaded guilty to defrauding investors. “If you participated in misconduct at FTX or Alameda, now is the time to get ahead of it,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “We are moving quickly and our patience is not eternal.” Last week, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Bankman-Fried with stealing billions of dollars in FTX customer assets in what Williams described as “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.” (Sources: BBC, Reuters) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Mission complete. NASA has announced that its Mars InSight lander has stopped responding to communications after a productive four-year mission. InSight’s last official message read: “My power’s really low, so this may be the last image I can send.” (Source: Live Science) Early release. Nepal has ordered the release and deportation of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, known as The Serpent, who is believed to have killed a string of Western backpackers, among others, in the 1970s. (Source: AP) Immortal. A Roanoke, Virginia, statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee will be replaced with a life-size bronze of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells, taken without her consent 70 years ago, have helped save millions of lives through medical research. (Source: BBC) |
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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
| | | Under the Surface | Archaeologists Discover Lost 2,000-Year-Old Kingdom in Guatemala The huge ancient Maya site contains nearly 1,000 settlements across 650 square miles, including “massive platform and pyramid constructions” that suggest the densely populated area had a centralized political structure. It was connected by 110 miles of raised roads and a complex water-management system and included dozens of courts for playing Mesoamerican sports. Researchers led by Idaho State University archaeologist Richard Hansen discovered the site using lidar, remote-sensing technology that bounces lasers off surfaces to reveal the shape and distance of objects — even those obscured by dense vegetation. They said this finding “challenges the old notion of sparse early human occupation.” (Sources: Miami Herald, Vice) |
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| | | Rhymes With Stick | Ardern’s Hot Mic Gaffe Raises $63K for Prostate Cancer Research New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern didn’t mince words during a debate last week when she returned to her seat after heated questions from Libertarian Party leader David Seymour. “He’s such an arrogant prick,” she muttered — but it was caught by a hot mic and preserved in the official parliamentary record. After the comment went viral, Ardern and Seymour joined forces to auction the signed transcript to raise money for prostate cancer research. “Can’t say I expected this,” Ardern posted. “A faux pas with the old mic in parliament has turned into $100,100 [$63,000 U.S.] for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.” (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | Greener Gas | Chilean Synthetic Gasoline Factory Begins Production Highly Innovative Fuels, a startup formed in collaboration with Porsche and a handful of energy companies, uses wind power to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen, then combines the hydrogen with carbon captured from the air to synthesize methanol. It will initially produce 34,000 gallons per year — which will be used by Porsche for its Supercup race series — with plans to scale up to 145 million gallons by 2026. Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service announced this week that it’s buying 66,000 electric vehicles, replacing a third of its fleet, in a bid to reduce emissions and save money. (Sources: Ars Technica, Quartz) |
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| | | | | Not So Blue | Lizzo Scores a Hit With Art Fans for ‘Blue Monday’ Tribute on ‘SNL’ When the lights came up on Lizzo’s Saturday Night Live performance of “Break Up Twice,” many art lovers recognized the scene instantly: Annie Lee’s iconic painting Blue Monday, depicting a weary Black woman waking in a gloomy room. The response was dramatic — especially for Abe Ilo, Lee’s grandson, who’s managed her art since her death in 2014. “The fact that Lizzo, whose star is so bright right now ... for her to use her time in the spotlight on SNL to honor my grandmother was definitely just awe-inspiring,” he said. He’s now offered Lizzo the rights to use Blue Monday again in a video for the song. (Sources: Chicago Sun Times, Artnet) |
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| | | Man of Steel | Pittsburgh’s NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris Dies at 72 The legendary running back, who sparked the mid-1970s Steelers dynasty into postseason glory with the “Immaculate Reception” — voted the greatest play in NFL history — died on Wednesday. Harris’ death comes just two days before the 50th anniversary of the play and three days before the Steelers planned to retire his No. 32 during a halftime ceremony. In his career, Harris ran for 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowl rings with Pittsburgh. Steelers president Art Rooney II said, “From his rookie season, which included the Immaculate Reception, through the next 50 years, Franco brought joy to people on and off the field.” (Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN) |
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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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| 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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