1. Trump Bulldozes Biden in First Debate

A Fox News headline nailed it, noting “moderator works to keep order.” But Fox’s own Chris Wallace couldn’t stop President Donald Trump from constantly talking over Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Calling Trump America’s “worst president,” Biden scored some jabs, but the floor belonged to the incumbent, who attacked relentlessly, insisting he’d done more in one term than Biden had in a half-century. To OZY Senior Editor Daniel Malloy, it was “exasperating” and ominous, with Trump instructing white nationalists to “stand by” and urging supporters to “watch” urban polling places. Six in 10 polled by CNN thought Biden won — which may not matter, considering Hillary Clinton enjoyed similar approval.

Sources: Fox News, NYT, OZY, CNN

2. Major New California Fires Rage, Killing Three

The end of fire season is still weeks away. California’s worst-ever year for fires shows no signs of abating, with Napa and Sonoma counties being ravaged by the 46,600-acre Glass Fire. The Zogg Fire in Shasta County, also in the state’s north, has killed three people and is burning out of control, scorching 50,000 acres since it began Sunday. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared states of emergency in the three counties. The Glass Fire destroyed a winery among some 100 structures either consumed or damaged as tens of thousands of evacuees escaped the blaze’s path.

Sources: CNN, CBS

3. Is a US War vs. Iraq Brewing?

The signs are mounting. Yesterday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. may close its embassy in Baghdad, one of its largest diplomatic posts, over Iraq’s failure to stop Iranian-backed militants from firing missiles at it and other American facilities. After declaring victory against Iran by killing Gen. Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad’s airport nine months ago, America is still vexed by Iran’s presence in Iraq. Analysts now wonder if a diplomatic pullout is a precursor to a bombing campaign against Iraqi militias. But will that bring Baghdad in line, or move it closer to Tehran?

Sources: Washington Post, NYT, Al Jazeera

4. Disney to Dump 28,000 Amusement Park Workers

The Happiest Place on Earth may need therapy. Disneyland announced Tuesday that it would lay off 28,000 furloughed U.S. workers amid uncertainty over when pandemic restrictions would be lifted enough for its famed amusement complexes to fully reopen. That means pink slips for 13 percent of Disney’s global workforce of 223,000. The company's pandemic-constrained segments include Disneyland in Southern California and Walt Disney World in Florida, as well as production studios and four cruise ships — although Trump administration officials have reportedly overruled health authorities’ proposal to extend a cruise ban past October.

Sources: WSJ (sub), LA Times, Axios

5. Also Important …

A court in India has acquitted three members of the ruling BJP party of inciting mobs that destroyed the 16th century Babri mosque in 1992. An international report on plant life says human activity has put 40 percent of the world’s species of flora at risk of extinction. And the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died at the age of 91.

As the fight to improve the American experiment is at a tipping point, we want to keep the conversation going. Today, our #ResetAmerica campaign is taking over the entire OZY ecosystem, as we pledge to continue coverage and not let this important conversation die down. 

How can you get involved? First, let us know how you would Reset America by tweeting with the hashtag #ResetAmerica. Second, tune into today's episode of The Carlos Watson Show, where Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo discusses how to end "lawful but awful" policing. Third, tune into A&E tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT to catch Voices Magnified: Locked Up in America, the latest TV special from OZY, where Carlos will be joined by rapper and actor Ludacris, as well as several currently and formerly incarcerated individuals to discuss the issue of prison reform.

Asking the right questions has the power to dissolve the barriers to creative thinking, and channel the pursuit of solutions into new, accelerated pathways. A great question can ignite innovative thinking that is essential in our globalized, digitized, and disruptive world. The six-week Inquiry-Driven Leadership online short course from the MIT Sloan School of Management teaches you to adopt a questioning approach to effectively identify and solve organizational problems.

Are you ready to unlock the power of catalytic questioning? Find out more about the program here.

1. ‘I Am Woman’ Singer Helen Reddy Dies at 78

She was strong. She was invincible. Reddy, who became a feminist icon with the empowering anthem in 1972, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. Born in Australia to entertainer parents, Reddy won a singing contest for a trip to New York and decided to stay. After a string of 1970s hits including “Delta Dawn” and “You and Me Against the World,” Reddy stepped out of the spotlight. She said after seeing her name and the lyrics to her Grammy-winning feminist anthem in a school textbook, “I’m part of history … how do I top that?”

Sources: NBC, ABC Australia, Rolling Stone

2. ‘Iron Man’ Jet Suit Might Save Lives

There’s nothing cooler than a flying jetpack. When inventor Richard Browning introduced his superhero suit in 2017, few saw applications outside of daredevil stunts. But on Tuesday his Gravity Industries released a video demonstrating a simulated emergency call, with a paramedic hovering up a mountainside in England’s Lake District. It could be a breakthrough for remote medical care, speeding first responders to places costly helicopters can’t reach. But the jet suit does require some upper-body brawn to balance on one's arms to support the microjets— which cost $438,000 and currently only run for about 10 minutes.

Sources: VOA, Engadget

3. Office Cleaner Unseats Pro-Kremlin Politician

She mopped the floor with him. But that wasn’t the plan when Nikolai Loktev, head of Povalikhino Rural Settlement in northeastern Russia, asked his office cleaner, Marina Udgodskaya, to compete for his job in local elections. A member of President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party, Loktev needed an opponent under election rules. But his 35-year-old “rival,” who expected no one to vote for her, scored 62 percent of the village’s ballots and now has a new job. Protesting that she has “absolutely no clue” how to govern, Udgodskaya’s contemplating calling a new election.

Sources: BBC, Meduza

4. He Aims to Deliver Smart Vaccines to the World

Jacob Becraft knows there are no Nobel laureates in his field. But that’s OK, he says, if it means saving lives by getting a coronavirus vaccine to where it’s needed, OZY reports. The 29-year-old biotech entrepreneur runs Strand Therapeutics, which specializes in engineering two-dose vaccines — like a potential COVID-19 inoculation — down to one shot: The second phase is triggered later with a pill. Becraft, who’s working on implementing Strand tech in Southeast Asia, says it could let remote areas get more immunizations that require a costly deep-freeze to transport.

Sources: OZY

5. Titans’ Positive Tests Lock Down Two NFL Teams

Their viral defense was overwhelmed. Three Tennessee Titans players and five team employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the organization to shut its facilities until Saturday. The Minnesota Vikings, who played Tennessee this weekend, are also shutting down, though no players have yet tested positive. The Titans are still scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but the NFL may be forced to reschedule as more information comes in. What’s clear, posits sportswriter Conor Orr, is that fans lulled into complacency watching players thrive must remain vigilant against the virus.

Sources: ESPN, NFL, SI