Important | 1 | | Tens of thousands of Americans marched last night in cities from California to Texas to Maine, rallying on foot and on horseback and calling for an end to systemic police brutality against African Americans. Though they routinely broke city curfews intended to quell protests, clashes with police appeared rare. Sympathetic demonstrations intensified across the world as well: In Paris, 20,000 people defied COVID-19-related rules against large gatherings to demonstrate in honor of Black victims of police brutality. And in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz announced an investigation into statewide police discrimination. Read OZY founder Carlos Watson on responding to this moment. | |
|
| 2 | | With about 1,600 troops being deployed around Washington, D.C. — the only place in America President Donald Trump can order them without having to go through a state governor — some military officers are conflicted about the increasingly politicized role of active-duty soldiers in the current protests. After Defense Secretary Mark Esper referred to American streets as “battlespace” Monday, retired officers like former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey contended that “America is not a battleground.” Still, 58 percent of Americans support deploying the military to deal with the protests, according to a new poll. | |
|
| 3 | | At least 100,000 people were evacuated from the Mumbai area ahead of Cyclone Nisarga, expected to be the worst to hit the city in 70 years. Eastern India, meanwhile, is still recovering from Cyclone Amphan, which killed scores of people and knocked out power to millions. The nation is also still struggling with coronavirus: It’s seen more than 200,000 cases and doctors say the peak is likely weeks away, but lockdowns have eased and some were hoping for economic recovery before the storm blew in. Nisarga is expected to cause flooding, potentially threatening low-lying slums and beaches. | |
|
| 4 | | Deputy Treasury Secretary Justin Muzinich gave up his stake in his family’s company when he took the government post. But Muzinich — who’s largely responsible for administering America’s $3 trillion coronavirus bailout — has retained company ties through his father. And his focus on buying up corporate debt, a first for the Fed, has seen Muzinich & Co.’s funds jump in value and the junk bond market recover despite the economic crisis that’s devastated millions of Americans. While the Treasury says there’s no ethical conflict, others are skeptical, worrying Muzinich will simply get his shares back when he leaves public service. | |
|
| 5 | | Ferguson, Missouri, elected its first Black mayor last night. The last person collecting a Civil War pension — on behalf of her father, who originally fought for the Confederacy and then defected to the Union side — has died at the age of 90. And the Austrian house where Adolf Hitler was born will be turned into a police station to “neutralize” it. Coronavirus update: Scientists are probing an apparent link between low incidence of the virus and high-altitude locations. Tune In. In the latest episode of our hit new history podcast, Flashback, OZY’s resident polymath Sean Braswell reveals how one man’s crusade against obscenity resulted in abortion rights. For this and more unintended consequences that the history books never told you about, click here to listen and subscribe to Flashback. |
|
|
| | Don't keep OZY as your little secret. Click below to share this email with a friend. Share |
|
|
|
| Intriguing | 1 | | You come at Steve King, you best not miss. A primary challenger has ousted the congressman known for his inflammatory comments about race and immigration, including wondering in an interview last year when “white supremacist” became a negative term. In recent years, many conservatives had broken ties with King over his radical views. He’ll be replaced on the November ballot by state Sen. Randy Feenstra, who’s billed himself as a loyal follower of President Trump. Feenstra will face Democrat J.D. Scholten, a former professional baseball player who lost to King in 2018. | |
|
| 2 | | In a column published in the South China Morning Post, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the 7.5 million people of Hong Kong — 350,000 of whom hold British National Overseas passports — that Britain will not “shrug our shoulders and walk away” if China moves forward with draconian new security laws. The proposed laws conflict with agreements made between China and the U.K. when Britain gave up its colonial claims on Hong Kong in 1997. Johnson also promised holders of overseas passports easier immigration rules and a path to citizenship in Britain. Read OZY’s analysis of Britain’s fractured left. | |
|
| 3 | | Between 2013 and 2019, American police killed 7,666 people — and disproportionately those victims were Black. In 99 percent of those cases, no officers were charged, so it’s no wonder people are calling for change, OZY reports. In the past, as after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, or the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence in the U.K., those changes largely came from court verdicts that led to independent oversight and new bias training standards. But some are now looking beyond that, wondering if the whole institution of policing needs to be turned upside down — or left behind altogether. | |
|
| 4 | | They can’t just wipe it away. TikTok issued an apology yesterday to Black users who say they’ve been censored when talking about racism in videos and ignored when they report racist content. The company instead blamed accusations that hashtags #blacklivesmatter and #georgefloyd were intentionally muted on a technical glitch. TikTok pledged $4 million to fight racial inequality and said it plans to roll out new initiatives to make the app more welcoming to people of color. Some users, though, have called for a Juneteenth protest, coordinating efforts to give one-star reviews on June 19. | |
|
| 5 | | Now that’s a wild card. While the Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament and the U.S. Open are both scheduled to go ahead in August, organizers are now considering moving the Masters to New York City to function as a double-header with the Open to reduce travel and comply with pandemic safety guidelines. It’s unlikely fans will be allowed to attend, prompting stars like Roger Federer to worry it would be “difficult” to play without them. But world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova disagreed, noting that most female players are used to non-prime-time matches and smaller crowds. Read OZY’s deep dive into a forgotten American tennis star. | |
|
|
| caught up? now vault ahead ... | To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, check out The Daily Dose. | | News + Politics George Floyd’s death in police custody is raising fundamental questions about the moral authority of American democracy. | READ NOW |
|
|
| Want to share your love of OZY? Forward this email to a friend by clicking the button below. Share |
|
|
| |
|