US Toll Passes 50,000 Amid Reopening | Trump 'Joke' Takes Heat

Smart news for busy people www.ozy.com [presidential daily brief]( *Podcast available from 8 am et Saturday, April 25, 2020 Sponsored by Important 1 1 [Many States Reopening as US Deaths Top 50,000]( It’s time to get back to business. Or is it? That’s the worldwide dilemma that’s particularly acute for U.S. governors, many of whom have imposed [economically crushing lockdown orders]( that expire next week in the face of a national COVID-19 death toll that passed 50,000 yesterday. Some states have already begun. On Friday, Georgia allowed the reopening of spas and other businesses that involve personal contact — something even President Donald Trump, who’s encouraged reopening, disagreed with. But patrons are encouraged to continue social distancing, even in places like theaters, which can reopen in in the Peach State on Monday. SOURCES: [The Hill]( / [BBC]( 2 2 [Warnings Counter Trump's Toxic 'Sarcasm']( Don’t try this … anywhere. President Trump fought off widespread alarm Friday, saying he was “sarcastically” suggesting injecting disinfectant to treat the coronavirus Thursday. But that didn’t prevent 100 Maryland emergency hotline queries regarding the toxic cleaning staple, and disinfectant maker Lysol joined authorities across the country in issuing a warning that its signature product shouldn’t be ingested. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration warned that two antimalarial drugs Trump has touted, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine — which have yielded negative results in America, France and Brazil — shouldn’t be used outside of a clinical setting. Follow OZY’s comprehensive [pandemic coverage](. SOURCES: [The Hill]( / [Fox News]( / [CNN]( 3 3 [North Korea After Kim Jong Un]( Definitive evidence of Kim Jong Un’s health is hard to come by. News of the deaths of his father and grandfather were tightly controlled by North Korean authorities, but they still provide hints. In both cases, the world knew within two days, suggesting that Kim is alive. Still, after missing his grandfather’s all-important birthday celebration earlier this month, world powers need to consider what a leaderless, nuclear-armed North Korea might represent. If Kim does go, little sister Kim Yo Jong is a likely successor, in spite of a strong patriarchal hierarchy. OZY explores [North Korea’s economic future](. SOURCES: [New Republic]( 4 4 [Will Europe Hate Germany Even More?]( Before COVID-19, before the refugee crisis, there was Europe’s currency, debt and fiscal reform crisis. Greek protesters depicted German Chancellor Angela Merkel wearing a swastika, and other financially pressed southern European nations chafed under the boot of Berlin’s demand for financial responsibility. A similar dynamic is playing out with the pandemic: While Italy’s and Spain’s [deaths have sped past 20,000]( each, the wealthier Germany has had a quarter as many. And with an economic stimulus being negotiated, Germany is once again holding back, leading observers to wonder whether the coronavirus may be the last straw for the eurozone, if not the European Union itself. SOURCES: [Politico]( 5 5 [Also Important...]( A trial of the [COVID-19 treatment Remdesivir]( is progressing faster than expected, possibly yielding results next month. New research indicates that Italy’s first SARS-CoV-2 infections came in January, a[month earlier than previously known](. And a Long Island centenarian who [lost his infant twin brother in the Spanish Flu pandemic]( has died of COVID-19. In the week ahead: Advocates of [Florida ex-felons’ right to vote]( are to begin a trial Monday to prevent the state from disenfranchising those who haven’t paid all fines and restitution. Wednesday is the 75th anniversary of American troops liberating the [Dachau concentration camp]( near Munich. And many major [oil producers will begin cutting output](Friday to stabilize prices. Coronavirus update: For the 10th day, China has reported [no new deaths](. 6 [Sponsored by Bright Cellars]( [6 Wine Tasting at Your Doorstep]( There’s wine delivery … and then there’s Bright Cellars. Delivered on time to your door, Bright Cellars brings you more than bottles. Bright Cellars brings you a tasting experience, starting with a seven-question quiz to tap into your personal wine preferences. The Qs — how do you take your tea — lead you to your best match. Plus, there’s an on-call concierge to answer any questions you may have. Because in a world of uncertainty, delivery to your door and a delicious pour every time is everything. And now, Bright Cellars is offering OZY readers [$50 off their first order!]( SOURCES: [Bright Cellars]( Intriguing 1 [1 If the Virus Doesn’t Get Them, the Trolls Will]( For many Russian coronavirus patients first comes the illness, then the doxxing and trolling. Information about confirmed cases, including phone numbers, addresses and photos, are flooding social media sites. Those targeted believe the details could only have come from the very people designated to help, including health and interior ministries and law enforcement. Social media platforms claim to remove harassing posts, but victims say they have received death threats against themselves and their families and fear that once the pandemic and lockdowns pass, digital attacks may beget very real risks to their safety. OZY takes a look at [Russia’s preparedness](. SOURCES: [Meduza]( 2 [2 Startling Antibody Studies May Be Junk]( Two California surveys using antibody tests recently found that coronavirus infections were dozens of times higher than officially reported. The numbers shocked not only the nation but also experts. As Columbia University statistician Andrew Gelman puts it, researchers who tested in the Bay Area hot spot of Santa Clara County “owe us all an apology.” For starters, the antibody test used had a rate of false positives that could account for 100 percent of coronavirus cases it found. While the results convinced many of the severity of the pandemic, it also minimized [COVID-19’s death rate](, potentially prompting others to disregard virus-prevention measures. SOURCES: [Buzzfeed]( 3 [3 Journalists in Kashmir Pay the Price]( Just as the press was moving from covering India-imposed lockdowns in Kashmir to the fight against the pandemic, authorities have begun taking action against any reporting that challenges the government narrative, [OZY reports](. Two journalists — a freelance photographer and a seasoned author and commentator — have been charged under an anti-terrorism law, while a senior reporter with India’s second-largest national daily has been questioned and charged for filing a story without official approval. The “terrorized” journalists say they’re communicating their plight to the rest of the world, hoping, as one said, that “memory will win” and “censorship won’t.” SOURCES: [OZY]( 4 [4 Where 'Theft' Is a Term of Art]( If a multimillion-dollar art sale occurs in a warehouse, did it really happen? That’s the essence of the case against Inigo Philbrick, a wunderkind in the high-stakes world of auctions where priceless creative works go on the block. For oligarchs, these seeming masterpieces are the perfect investment vehicles, as transactions are unbeknownst to regulators, concluded with an email and a JPEG of the work in question, which sometimes remains stored and unseen. But collectors have gone to court on two continents, accusing the at-large Philbrick of selling the same work to multiple well-heeled and trusting buyers. [OZY visits]( a pandemic art museum. SOURCES: [GQ]( 5 [5 Is Race a Factor in Jalen Hurts' Draft Results?]( It was the Year of the Black Quarterback, with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson leading the way with a unanimous MVP. That should have changed the environment in which Jackson was the 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL draft, despite winning a Heisman Trophy, sportswriter Carron Phillips lamented this week. On Friday, Oklahoma’s Black phenom Jalen Hurts, with a 38-4 starting record and 80 touchdowns, was chosen 52nd overall — questioned as a wasted pick by some — to play backup to the Philadelphia Eagles’ well-paid and popular Carson Wentz. One consolation? Another Wentz replacement won the 2018 Super Bowl . [OZY remembers]( one NBA star’s impossible gridiron dream. SOURCES: [Deadspin]( / [NBC]( / [The Ringer]( caught up? now vault ahead ... To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, [check out The Daily Dose.]( News + Politics [India Targets Voices of Truth in Kashmir]( Against the toughest odds, Kashmiri journalists have brought the pain and hope of the troubled region to the world. Now India might be throttling that bold voice. [READ NOW]( OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](