Coronavirus Toll Hits 41 | Dems Wrap Up Impeachment Case

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 25 [Coronavirus Toll Hits 41 | Dems Wrap Up Impeachment Case]( important 1 [Doctor Dies as Coronavirus Toll Hits 41]( The contagion that’s [locked down travel for tens of millions of Chinese]( has claimed 41 lives, with 15 new deaths announced today, among them a doctor in Wuhan who’d been treating Coronavirus patients. Outside of China, cases have been reported in seven Asian nations, Australia, America and France. Hong Kong declared a health emergency and cancelled Lunar New Year celebrations, while Taiwan has banned tour groups from China’s Hubei province, where the virus originated in Wuhan. What’s the international response? While the World Health Organization hasn’t declared an emergency, nations like Britain, investigating suspected cases and tracing 2,000 recent arrivals from Hubei, are on alert. SOURCES: [BBC]( / [WSJ (sub)]( / [Al Jazeera]( 2 [Democrats Wrap Up Case Against Trump]( It goes back to Russia. As House impeachment managers ended their case against President Donald Trump Friday, they linked his pressuring Ukraine’s president for political favors to his “dangerous” affinity for Moscow. The president, they argued, has dealt “grave harm” to his nation’s foreign alliances to suit a “Trump first” agenda. Meanwhile, tapes of the president discussing Ukraine have reportedly been supplied to House Democrats. What’s next? The defense begins its arguments Monday, and Trump says his team needs to “just tell the truth” to counter “so many lies” told against him. [OZY profiles](a breakout Impeachment star. SOURCES: [NYT]( / [Fox News]( / [The Hill]( 3 [UK All But Set to Leave EU on Friday]( After 46 years, the United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union on Jan. 31. Queen Elizabeth II has approved Britain’s Brexit bill, and on Friday, the heads of the European Commission and Council signed the withdrawal agreement. On Wednesday, the European Parliament is expected to add its stamp to the divorce. Is that the end? No. Relations will continue as though Britain remained in the bloc until the two parties work out their future trading and other relationships, with what EU leaders consider an exceedingly tight deadline of the end of the year. [OZY looks]( at how Poles are fleeing Britain. SOURCES: [The Telegraph]( / [BBC]( 4 [The Great (Alleged) Tax Refund Robbery]( As an investment, you couldn’t beat the 1-for-1 returns. But German authorities, having lost $30 billion, are prosecuting investment managers who masterminded the cum-ex (“with-without” in Latin) investment vehicle. The carefully timed transactions involved buying and selling stocks, then collecting two refunds for taxes withheld only once. Other European countries, including France, Spain and Italy, were also hit by the scheme that some contend isn’t technically illegal. Who’s implicated? Centered in London, cum-exers [included German banks fresh off government bailouts](, along with British and U.S. institutions, all of whom may have to surrender gains if prosecutors prevail. SOURCES: [NYT]( 5 [Also Important...]( An [earthquake in Turkey]( has killed 22 people. The Pentagon says 34 U.S. troops at an Iraqi base hit by Iranian missiles [suffered traumatic brain injury]( after President Trump described soldiers’ complaints as “headaches and a couple of other things.” And yesterday Trump became the [first president to attend]( the annual antiabortion March for Life rally in Washington. In the week ahead: On Sunday, Peruvian voters will [elect a new Parliament]( after its September dissolution. Monday is the [75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz](, where nearly 1 million Jews and 125,000 others were systematically murdered during World War II. Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, will attempt to [withdraw his guilty plea]( for lying to authorities. OZY is hiring! We’re looking for an ambitious journalist to cover business and finance through unique, analytical and globally-minded write-ups. Check out our [jobs page]( and read the description [here](. 6 [Sponsored by CARIUMA]( [Shoes to Help You Keep Your Cool in PANTONE Classic Blue]( You can’t predict the news, but you can choose your shoes. This year, responsibly sourced footwear company CARIUMA has partnered with PANTONE to create a limited-edition line of high-tops and low-tops in PANTONE's color of the year: Classic Blue, chosen to be reflective and meditative amid world unrest. It’s one way to stay grounded in an era of impossible-to-predict events. Start 2020 in sneakers made for walking … and staying cool. Treat yourself to a pair and [save $15 by using the OZY code here.]( SOURCES: [CARIUMA]( intriguing 1 [How Fossil Fuel Extraction Spreads Radiation]( When fossil fuels are pumped out of the ground, liquid waste from the bowels of the Earth comes with them. Innocuously named “brine,” it’s often radioactive, says a new investigative report. U.S. haulers are told their loads aren’t harmful, but one suspicious handler had samples tested, to find that they were contaminated with radium in quantities 140 times the limits set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. What happens to it? The waste leaks into waterways, is stored in dumps, used in commercial products and even spread on roads as a de-icer. [OZY remembers]( when X-rays were used for hair removal. SOURCES: [Rolling Stone]( 2 [Is This Congresswoman the Next Vice President?]( Democrats hope the Senate impeachment trial will be the undoing of President Trump, but they could also be the beginning of Florida Rep. Val Demings’ rise. The congresswoman was unopposed for a second term in 2018 and last year became one to watch in the House, [OZY writes](. With Democratic presidential hopefuls eyeing the finish line, Demings is emerging as a top-notch potential running mate. How will a short list look? With a candidate almost certainly set to be White — and a man, at that — Democrats will be on the lookout for a savvy woman of color. SOURCES: [OZY]( 3 [They’re Mad as Hell, and as Real as Bigfoot]( Her sister was murdered by immigrants; her brother praises her bravery and fears for her safety. Facebook posts record an emotional family reunion. The problem? Alice Bergman of eastern Germany, along with Facebook personae from 30 nations, was [shown in a recent investigative report to be fake](. The problem is so enormous that the social network says it has deleted billions of fakes — in 2019 alone. What are they doing? Many of the bogus “friends” promulgate political propaganda, as in the case of the families and friends of immigrant “murder” victims. They’re also used to send malware via private messages. SOURCES: [Der Spiegel]( 4 [How Rotten Tomatoes Conquered Hollywood]( It’s become the unrivaled arbiter of what’s good, and as such, haters abound, many of whom complain about the site’s “algorithm.” But it doesn’t have one, its editors maintain. The humans who curate reviews are faced with a binary choice: “fresh” or “rotten,” which distresses those whose write-ups are nuanced. And critics wonder how a corporate-owned review site can remain unbiased. Is it changing? Rotten Tomatoes has tweaked its numerical user ratings to mitigate trolls’ influence, and it’s going back to the birth of cinema to rate old films. OZY takes a look at the [future of film](. SOURCES: [Wired]( 5 [Shanahan’s Running Backs Come Out of Nowhere]( Within just four months in 2015, Raheem Mostert was cut by three NFL teams. Last Sunday, he rushed for a record 220 yards to vault the San Francisco 49ers into the Feb. 2 Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. And Mostert isn’t the only one: Niners coach Kyle Shanahan continues the tradition established by his father, Mike, of transforming unheralded running backs into championship-worthy contenders. How does Shanahan do it? Zone blocking, which works for both running and passing plays, and with the help of an informal adviser: His dad. Read [OZY’s Immodest Proposal]( to do away with America’s worst all-star game. SOURCES: [The Ringer]( 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 [Legalize Marijuana, Save Wildlife]( Illegal cannabis grows take a toll on public lands. [READ NOW]( OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](