Sondland Throws Trump Under the Bus | Prince Andrew Ditches Royal Duties

www.ozy.com [ozy.com]( [VIEW ONLINE]( YOUR PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF [sponsor][sponsor]( Thursday Nov 21, 2019 [LISTEN FROM 8:00AM EST]( A television in New York City broadcasts images of the impeachment inquiry Wednesday. Source: Getty IMPORTANT 01 [Gordon Sondland Throws Trump Under the Bus]( In his highly anticipated testimony yesterday, the U.S. envoy to the European Union said he “followed the president’s orders” when he pressured Ukraine to probe Donald Trump’s political rivals in exchange for a White House meeting and millions in military assistance. Sondland also said “everyone” — including Vice President Mike Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — was “in the loop” on what he described as a clear quid pro quo. But will his account matter? Some commentators believe the public is so polarized that [Sondland’s bombshell testimony]( will change few minds. SOURCES: [NYT]( / [Fox News]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 02 [UK's Prince Andrew Ditches Royal Duties]( Amid the maelstrom of criticism over his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Duke of York announced last night that he’ll step away from public life “for the foreseeable future.” Facing pressure from Epstein’s victims and their lawyers, Andrew is also said to be preparing to hand over evidence to U.S. investigators digging into Epstein’s criminal past. What’s the bigger picture? Observers of Buckingham Palace say “the monarchy is shaken” [by the uglier side]( of what’s been a centuries-old trend of mostly freewheeling princes. SOURCES: [BBC]( / [The Guardian]( / [The Telegraph]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 03 [Google Cracks Down on Political Ads]( Parent company Alphabet announced yesterday that the search giant will soon block some targeted political ads. That means advertisers [won’t be able to use public voter records]( and other personal data to home in on users: They’ll be restricted to targeting based on gender, age and location. Part of a broader Silicon Valley shift on political ads, the measure will first take effect in the U.K. ahead of that country’s Dec. 12 election, before being rolled out in the rest of the world by Jan. 6. How will it affect political campaigns? The move might result in the redirection of more cash toward television and smaller online rivals. SOURCES: [Reuters]( / [WSJ (sub)]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 04 [Are US-China Trade Talks in Trouble Again?]( Global shares slid today on speculation that Beijing and Washington won’t reach a trade agreement by the end of the year. After weeks of positive signals, President Trump said yesterday that the Chinese aren’t “stepping up to the level that I want.” Still, both China’s Commerce Ministry and the White House were quick to assert that trade talks are still on track. What are insiders saying? Trump’s reportedly being advised to temper his expectations if he wants to secure a deal — which analysts believe is still possible. Check out [OZY’s stor]([y]( about U.S. public opinion of China. SOURCES: [AP]( / [Washington Post]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 05 [Also Important...]( Health care and defeating President Trump [dominated the fifth Democratic primary debate]( in Atlanta last night. China [has lashed out against U.S. lawmakers for approving]( the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act yesterday. And a new study has found that [less than 10 percent of aid from the European Union actually reaches]( the world’s poorest countries. #OZYfact: Seventy percent of women in the Balkans say they’ve experienced violence since the age of 15. Read more [on OZY](. OZY is changing! And we’d love to hear your feedback as we evolve and improve: [Click here]( to fill out our 2019 User Survey. It should take no longer than 10 minutes, and you could win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards — or even an all-expenses-paid trip to meet the OZY team in California! [Sponsored by: MassMutual]( [She’s Bringing Financial Literacy to Those Who Need It Most]( As a Wall Street trader by day, Chloe McKenzie managed millions of dollars. By night, she volunteered at a homeless shelter. The contrast shocked the 27- year-old into leaving her job to launch BlackFem, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching financial literacy to disadvantaged students. Working with kids as young as 4, McKenzie is planting the seeds of financial knowledge so these children will grow up understanding the basics of money, savings and how they can translate to economic power. [Read more.]( SOURCES: [MassMutual]( [facebook]( [twitter]( INTRIGUING 01 [US Turkey Prices Lowest in Nearly 10 Years]( There’s good news for America’s Thanksgiving-minded shoppers: Average retail prices for the all-important centerpiece of the festive meal are at their holiday-season lowest since 2010. They’re also down 4 percent from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Yet the average cost of a meal for 10 has ticked up 1 percent, coming in at $48.91. How helpful could cheaper turkeys be? That depends on what else graces your table: Experts say the lower costs help balance out price increases in other ingredients, like sweet potatoes, which rose 11 percent. Read [OZY’s True Story]( about playing Thanksgiving football with Bill Clinton. SOURCES: [Bloomberg]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 02 [Could Fentanyl Be the Next Bio-Weapon?]( Incidents of open-air fentanyl exposure have jumped since 2016, when the cheap, synthetic opioid exploded across the U.S. Midwest. That’s prompted fears that it could be used as a highly effective and deadly weapon — which is why narcotics specialist Jake Kelton developed Bloc, a spray that encapsulates powders dispersed in the air. So far 28 police departments have purchased his product this year, [OZY reports](, while the Department of Homeland Security is even considering doing so for TSA agents. Is fentanyl inhalation really dangerous? Some critics believe the concerns are simply scare-mongering and that symptoms could be psychosomatic. SOURCES: [OZY]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 03 [Why You Should Get Palm Oil From Colombia]( Palm oil has long been considered an environmental scourge due to the deforestation of rainforests for its production and its huge carbon footprint. But a new study in Science Advances reveals that if you buy oil produced in Colombia, there’s a 60-70 percent chance [it’s from plantations on former pastureland]( — not freshly cleared rainforest. Such farms, experts say, also have much lower impact on wildlife and biodiversity. Is palm oil in demand? Yes: In the EU, for instance, more than half is burned in vehicles as a subsidized biofuel. SOURCES: [New Scientist]( / [Mongabay]( / [Science Daily]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 04 [Michelle Obama Nominated for Grammy Award]( The former first lady thanked her fans “for every ounce of love and support” after learning that the audio version of her memoir, Becoming, is up for best spoken word album. Her competition includes Hairspray director John Waters, musician Eric Alexandrakis, poet Sekou Andrews and the Beastie Boys. What’s special about the Jan. 26 event? Like last year, women are prominently represented in top categories, with Lizzo nominated for eight awards — the most of any artist this year — and Billie Eilish up for six. OZY asks: Is the music industry [ready for a trans star](? SOURCES: [Washington Examiner]( / [The Hill]( / [ABC News]( / [The Wrap]( [facebook]( [twitter]( 05 [Charles Barkley Apologizes for Threatening Journalist]( The former basketball star and TNT analyst apologized yesterday for [saying to a female reporter](, “I don’t hit women, but if I did then I would hit you.” Barkley later claimed he was “joking” with Axios writer Alexi McCammond after she pressed him in an off-the-record conversation about his conflicting statements supporting both former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Pete Buttigieg as presidential candidates. What else should you know? It’s not Barkley’s first flippant comment about domestic violence — which is estimated to affect 1 in 3 U.S. women — prompting McCammond to reply, “Threats of violence are not a joke.” SOURCES: [CBS News]( / [The Daily Beast]( / [USA Today]( [facebook]( [twitter]( Caught Up? Now Vault Ahead ... To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, [check out The Daily Dose.]( The New + the Next [Is Weaponized Fentanyl the Next Terror Threat?]( A former undercover cop, Jake Kelton has developed a device to help police officers deal with exposure to the deadly synthetic heroin. [READ NOW]( [facebook]( [twitter]( OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](