House Delivers Impeachment Charges | Putin Preps for Transition

Smart news for busy people www.ozy.com *Podcast available from 8 am et *Podcast available from 8 am et Sponsored by HAPPENING TODAY | January 16 [House Delivers Impeachment Charges | Putin Preps for Transition]( important 1 [US House Delivers Articles of Impeachment]( Setting the stage for President Donald Trump’s [trial in the Senate](, which kicks off with procedural formalities today, the lower chamber also appointed seven Democratic lawmakers to make their case against him. “It’s not partisan. It’s patriotic,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decried the “factional fever” he claims has tainted the process. What’s on Trump’s mind? While he dismissed the proceedings as a “hoax,” some allies suggest he’s split between wanting a swift conclusion and a prolonged trial to publicly defend himself. SOURCES: [NYT]( / [Washington Post]( 2 [With Shake-Up, Putin Preps for Transition]( Pledging constitutional changes during his state of the nation address yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin prompted his government to resign. While it’s unclear what his next move is, analysts say the surprise shake-up is aimed at paving the way for the 67-year-old — who’s ruled Russia since 2000 — [to remain in power]( after term limits force him out of the presidency in 2024. Tax chief Mikhail Mishustin, a political unknown, was tapped as new prime minister. How would things play out? By constitutionally boosting the powers of Parliament and the prime minister, Putin could remain Russia’s top dog by wielding influence through one of those channels. SOURCES: [The Guardian]( / [Reuters]( 3 [US, China Sign Initial Trade Pact]( President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He inked an 86-page, eight-chapter document at the White House yesterday, easing the trade war that’s hobbled their economies. Yet despite Beijing’s agreement to tighten intellectual property rules and buy $200 billion in U.S. goods, serious issues remain unaddressed. Those include state subsidies for Chinese firms and commercial cybertheft. What’s next? With American tariffs still in place on some $370 billion in Chinese goods, the two sides will need to work out the other thorny issues, though another deal is unlikely before November’s U.S. election. Check out [OZY’s feature]( about how China manipulates foreign firms. SOURCES: [FT (sub)]( / [WSJ (sub)]( 4 [Philippines Volcano Continues Rumbling]( The Pacific nation’s Taal volcano — which erupted last weekend for the first time since 1977, belching ash for days — appears to have eased its intensity. But it may not be finished: Amid lighter tremors and smaller plumes, officials and seismologists warned Thursday that [it could blow again](. “We’ve lost everything,” said a resident of one of the four northern Philippine towns that police have cordoned off. What are the scenes like? Images have emerged depicting a ravaged landscape of damaged houses, caked with ash and littered with bodies of trapped horses and livestock. SOURCES: [AP]( / [CNN]( / [Reuters]( 5 [Also Important...]( An indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani [claimed the U.S. president “knew exactly what was going on”]( as Giuliani pressured the Ukrainian government for political help. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam suggested the Chinese territory’s “one country, two systems” framework [could last beyond its 2047 expiration]( if protests don’t ruin it. And Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has shocked the country [by announcing he’ll take a two-week paternity leave](. #OZYfact: African American caregivers are about four times more likely than White ones to spend more than a third of their income on care costs. Read more [on OZY](. OZY is hiring! We’re looking for an analytical and globally minded reporter to sniff out today’s most important stories in science, technology and health. Check out our [jobs page]( and read the description [here](. 6 [Sponsored by Well Being Trust]( [Celeb Instagram Accounts Shatter Mental Health Stigma]( Ninety percent of teens struggling with mental health challenges go online to find information and support, according to a 2018 study by Hopelab and Well Being Trust. And as celebrities like Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Kristen Bell, Daniel Radcliffe and others get real on social media about their own struggles with issues ranging from depression to substance misuse, research shows they’re helping shatter the stigma surrounding mental illness. Their honesty helps young adults facing similar struggles and encourages them to seek help. [Read more.]( SOURCES: [Well Being Trust]( intriguing 1 [Study: Last Decade Hottest Ever]( Humanity has just survived the hottest decade ever recorded, according to research from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Their data also found that 2019 was the second hottest year [since scientists began tracking]( global temperatures in the 1950s. Meanwhile, massive wildfires from Australia to the Amazon leave researchers warning that more disasters will come. How do severe temperatures affect our health? Extreme heat kills 1,300 people in the U.S. alone each year, and if the climate warms to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, another 2,000 will die. SOURCES: [BuzzFeed]( / [HuffPost]( 2 [Toyota Bets Big on Flying Taxis]( The Japanese carmaker has contributed $394 million to Joby Aviation, a California-based aerospace firm hoping to build a fleet of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles for ride-sharing purposes. Toyota’s investment brings Joby’s latest round of funding to $590 million and gives it a serious boost of confidence. “This agreement sets our sights to the sky,” said Toyota chief Akio Toyoda. What’s next? While Joby is now the most generously funded eVTOL designer on the market, it still faces serious regulatory challenges over safety. Read [OZY’s profile]( about the man plugging in all the driverless electric cars. SOURCES: [Bloomberg]( / [The Verge]( / [TechCrunch]( 3 [Poland's Rainbow Culture Wars Hit the Streets]( Conflicts over rainbow-colored roundabouts and benches are pitting the LGBTQ community against Poland’s conservative majority. The fiercely Catholic country has remained resistant to demonstrations of pride, [OZY reports](, leaving it an outlier in largely tolerant Europe. But activists are standing firm in the face of conservative outrage. In Kielce, organizers behind proposed pride benches vowed that if they’re vandalized, they’ll be restored like “a phoenix from ashes.” Why does it matter? Advocates say it’s crucial that the LGBTQ community becomes more visible in everyday life in order to counteract conservative antagonism. SOURCES: [OZY]( 4 [Whitney Houston, B.I.G. Tapped for Rock Hall]( They died young, but their legacies remain. Houston, who succumbed to an overdose in 2012, made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame cut after being nominated four times. Charismatic Brooklyn rapper Notorious B.I.G., gunned down in 1997 at age 24, will join her. Other honorees include T. Rex, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and the Doobie Brothers. What makes this year’s induction different? The May 2 ceremony in Cleveland will be televised live for the first time, and will rely heavily on tribute performances for the deceased honorees. Don’t miss [OZY’s profile]( of the Syrian rapper hoping to return home. SOURCES: [Deadline]( / [THR]( 5 [Tennis Stars Raise $3.5M for Australian Fires]( Inspired by Australian star Nick Kyrgios pledging $200 per ace, fellow athletes — Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff and Rafael Nadal, among others — [raised nearly $3.5 million]( during yesterday’s Rally for Relief exhibition. Some stars played matches against volunteer fire personnel in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, which will host the Australian Open later this month. Federer and Nadal each donated $172,625. What did the players say? Federer described the disaster as “hard to watch,” while Kyrgios said he “got goose bumps” after learning of the total amount raised. SOURCES: [7News]( / [ESPN]( / [Yahoo Sports]( caught up? now vault ahead ... To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, [check out The Daily Dose.]( News + Politics [The Unequal Financial Burden for Black Caregivers]( Cultural expectations can weigh extra heavily on African Americans. 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