Trump Disavows Georgia Opening | House to Pass Stimulus in Person

Smart news for busy people www.ozy.com [presidential daily brief]( *Podcast available from 8 am et Thursday, April 23, 2020 Sponsored by Important 1 1 [Trump Disavows Georgia's Eager Reopening]( After haranguing governors for continuing their lockdowns, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he told Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp “that I disagree, strongly, with his decision to open certain facilities.” Kemp is allowing many establishments, from gyms to massage parlors, to reopen Friday. Trump argued that those businesses could “wait a little bit longer.” Meanwhile, in Germany, where some restrictions are also being lifted amid comparatively low death rates, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that while “we have won time,” it was “still the beginning” of the pandemic. Global cases have surpassed 2.6 million, with 184,000 deaths. Follow OZY’s [pandemic coverage](. SOURCES: [USA Today]( / [Reuters]( / [Fox News]( 2 2 [House to Vote on Stimulus — in Person]( It’s for a good cause, at least. But Americans are wondering why, if they can have meetings from home, is Congress risking contagion during a pandemic? In keeping with [the president’s call]( for returning to work, Republican leaders are insisting on having lawmakers and staff converge on the Capitol — while the rest of Washington remains on lockdown — to pass a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill today. House leaders couldn’t agree on allowing passage by unanimous consent, which would let most lawmakers avoid gathering in person. Many politicians are also sending mixed messages, appearing for photo ops unmasked. SOURCES: [ABC]( / [NYT]( 3 3 [Study Pegs China Infections Four Times Higher]( While China reported no deaths from COVID-19 today — and just 30 new infections — a study from Hong Kong University estimates that the country’s total number may be about four times higher than official figures. That’s due to China’s definitions of coronavirus cases changing repeatedly since the beginning of the outbreak. Beijing has already confessed that the death toll in Wuhan was far higher than originally reported. The country also announced a $30 million donation to the World Health Organization, on top of $20 million last month, after the U.S. cut its funding. This [OZY True Story]( explores racism against Asians. SOURCES: [Al Jazeera]( / [The Guardian]( 4 4 [US, Iran Renew Tensions Over Satellite]( As both nations are beset by the pandemic, their military rivalry has been boosted by the launch of the Islamic Republic’s first military satellite. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Wednesday that its Noor satellite had reached orbit 264 miles above Earth. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded that “Iran needs to be held accountable” for violating a 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution — but that resolution was linked to the nuclear deal the U.S. abandoned. President Trump, meanwhile, said he’d ordered the Navy to “shoot down and destroy” [Iranian gunboats that harass American ships](. SOURCES: [The Guardian]( / [RFE/RL]( 5 5 [Also Important...]( At least [six people were killed]( yesterday by storms that blew through Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has shocked many by declaring that it’s time to [reopen the city’s famous Strip](. And the mayor of South Korea’s second-largest city, Busan, has resigned after [admitting “unnecessary physical contact”]( with a female subordinate. Coronavirus update: Some of Britain’s social distancing rules [will remain in effect for the rest of 2020](, the country’s chief medical adviser has said. Speak back to OZY! We know this is a difficult time for subscribers around the world. We want to hear from you about how OZY fits into your lockdown life — and what we could do differently. Whether you consume OZY through email, podcasts or TV, let us know by replying directly to this email. Thank you! 6 [Sponsored by CARIUMA]( [6 Celebrate Earth Day From Home]( We’ll do the heavy lifting while you help support Earth Day every day from home. CARIUMA is planting 10,000 trees in Brazil's Amazon rainforest — plus an additional 10 with every purchase of their stylish, sustainable sneakers. We’d like to call that a win-win scenario. Now, [OZY readers get 10% off using discount code OZYEARTHDAY.]( SOURCES: [CARIUMA]( Intriguing 1 [1 Malaria Drug's Star Falls Quickly]( It was a panacea, but not the good kind. Hydroxychloroquine, praised in a French study and at the White House podium, has lost its shine as a potential [COVID-19 treatment](. But not before Veterans Affairs doctors observed more deaths among those treated with it. White House virologist Dr. Rick Bright also said he was demoted for not pushing it — a move he called putting “cronyism ahead of science.” Observers say the biggest sign that the drug and its cousin chloroquine have fallen from favor is that Fox News’ positive coverage of them has gone silent. SOURCES: [Fox News]( / [Vox]( / [HuffPost]( 2 [2 Now House Cats Are Becoming Infected]( Luckily, distancing is their thing. While we knew cats could contract the coronavirus after five tigers and three lions in the Bronx Zoo tested positive, few people beyond Joe Exotic need to worry about snuggling with those kitties. But ordinary folk may be alarmed that two domestic cats in New York became the first American pets to test positive Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reassured that pets don’t play a significant role in spreading the virus, but said as a precaution owners shouldn’t let them roam. [OZY introduces you]( to activists saving pets from war zones. SOURCES: [NBC 4 New York]( / [Daily Beast]( 3 [3 COVID-19's Fatal Clotting Complication]( Doctors around the world are reporting blood coagulation in coronavirus patients that’s causing embolisms, heart attacks and, in Broadway actor Nick Cordero’s case, the loss of a leg. It’s [another deadly effect]( of a virus that can damage “almost anything,” said one expert, including the heart, kidney and brain. But like so much about this disease, the reason is elusive, and even patients on anticoagulants have suffered clots. Some scientists hypothesize that blood problems could explain many bizarre and confusing complications of COVID-19, and some doctors are considering preventive blood thinners for even patients with mild symptoms. SOURCES: [Sacramento Bee]( / [Washington Post]( 4 [4 'Shark Tank' Star Denies Mask Profiteering]( Daymond John is denying a Miami Herald report that he offered to sell 1 million coronavirus-blocking N95 masks to Florida for $7 million — a markup of more than 300 percent. A state official said the Shark Tank entrepreneur told him he had “connections with factories in China.” But John claims he was simply “serving as an intermediary,” and that he established an escrow account to protect the state against fraud. The deal fell apart last week, and is now one of many cases being scrutinized by mask manufacturer 3M in an effort to prevent price gouging. Read [OZY’s feature]( about a Shark Tank success. SOURCES: [Miami Herald]( / [People]( 5 [5 Can VR Defeat the Quarterback Draft Curse?]( As the NFL draft begins today, it’s expected that unless the top QB pick’s name is Manning, he won’t win a Super Bowl. But maybe teams just need better data: Several innovators have devised virtual reality systems that evaluate not just physical talent, but how well a prospect learns, [OZY reports](. Former Broncos scouting director Ted Sundquist, for example, has developed Sports VTS QBSIM, which simulates game play while a headset-wearing quarterback actually hurls a football. Filling the pivotal position is “barely a science,” the company’s CEO admits, but VR might make it more so. SOURCES: [OZY]( 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 [Getting Mental Health Advice From a TikTok Doc]( Dr. Janine Kreft is helping heads that are stuck at home and in need of help, one TikTok video at a time. [READ NOW]( OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](