US Sets Daily Infection Record | Putin Wins 'Reform' Vote

Smart news for busy people www.ozy.com [presidential daily brief]( *Podcast available from 8 am et Thursday, July 02, 2020 Sponsored by Important 1 1 [Daily US Virus Cases Near 50,000]( In eight days, the U.S. has set five new records for daily infections, including yesterday’s addition of 49,932 cases as the coronavirus surges in many states that were quick to reopen, like Texas and Tennessee, which also hit daily records on Wednesday. Meanwhile President Donald Trump said “I’m all for masks” after resisting federal mask-wearing recommendations — and, critics say, emboldening his supporters against wearing them. Meanwhile, Pfizer reported “tremendously exciting” data from early U.S. vaccine trials and said it hopes to distribute millions of doses as early as this year. Keep up with OZY’s pandemic coverage [here](. SOURCES: [NYT]( / [Fox News]( / [ABC]( 2 2 [Russian Vote Could See Putin Lead Until 2036]( In a weeklong vote, Russians overwhelmingly agreed to reset President Vladimir Putin’s term limits, allowing him to run for two more terms in 2024 and 2030. The single yes-or-no vote on over 200 proposed constitutional amendments also approved increases in minimum wage and pensions, the addition of a reference to “faith in God” to the Constitution and a ban on gay marriage. Russian election officials said 78 percent of voters were in favor of the changes, though results were announced five hours before polls closed. Critics described the vote as “well-played theater,” noting that it was impossible to monitor [during pandemic restrictions](. SOURCES: [The Guardian]( / [NYT]( / [NBC News]( 3 3 [US Advances New Sanctions Over Hong Kong]( It’s a “death blow” to Hong Kong’s freedoms. That assessment by U.S. Democratic challenger Joe Biden echoes sentiments across the aisle and around the world. China’s new national security law, which could potentially lock up the semi-autonomous territory’s protesters for life, prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to unanimously pass sanctions penalizing banks that do business with Chinese officials. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the law a “brutal, sweeping crackdown” that would destroy freedoms that were promised when Britain handed Hong Kong over to Beijing in 1997. [OZY’s Butterfly Effect]( suggests China is emboldened by Trump’s failures. SOURCES: [Reuters]( / [BBC]( 4 4 [The Economic Recovery Isn't Spelling Victory]( Signs of a V-shaped U.S. [economic recovery](, with a precipitous decline followed by an equally steep rebound, have begun to fade. With coronavirus infections rising in many states in recent weeks, spending has dropped, especially in hard-hit places like Arizona and Florida. “What began like a V is morphing into a W,” one analyst told the Wall Street Journal. If current unemployment gets worse as government benefits run out, analysts fear another steep decline before the country gets better. Even so, global stock markets and U.S. futures augured another positive day for Wall Street. SOURCES: [WSJ (sub)]( / [Forbes]( 5 5 [Also Important ...]( A New York appeals court has lifted a temporary restraining order on the printing of [a tell-all book by presidential niece Mary Trump](. Turkey has delayed a decision that could [convert the Hagia Sophia](, a 1,500-year-old Byzantine cathedral-turned-mosque-turned-museum, back into a mosque. And U.S. Embassy staff in Riyadh are [struggling to depart Saudi Arabia]( to escape COVID-19 outbreaks. Coronavirus update: Authorities in New York are [using subpoenas to track infections]( among uncooperative partygoers in suburban Rockland County. Your protest helper: Our Reset America backpack is perfect for handing out masks and water bottles at a protest — or even handling your personal grocery struggles! Make a statement with this premium, lightweight bag with plenty of space for all your necessities. Get it from [the OZY Store]( today and choose which racial justice organization gets the profits. 6 [Sponsored by Cariuma]( [6 The Shoe of This Summer, Now Back in Stock]( We declare it: [Cariumas]( are the shoes of this summer. The bright colors of these sustainable, stylish and crazy comfortable sneakers will bring the summer wherever you are. And they're now back in stock! Better yet, for a limited time, OZY readers get [$15 off]( these premium kicks. [Order now]( with code OZY-15 before they sell out again! SOURCES: [CARIUMA]( Don't keep OZY as your little secret. Click below to share this email with a friend. [Share]( Intriguing 1 [1 Ethiopian Singer's Killing Sparks Violence]( Demonstrations in Ethiopia over a popular singer and activist’s killing resulted in the deaths of 81 people. Hachalu Hundessa, who put music to the marginalization felt by young ethnic Oromos, was killed while driving Monday in what police suggested was an assassination. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, helped into office in 2018 by protests inspired by Hundessa’s music, mourned the loss of a “magnificent and vibrant young artist,” while appealing for calm on Facebook — after an internet blackout prompted Human Rights Watch to warn against making “a combustible situation worse.” OZY examines Ahmed’s [curious Nobel Peace Prize](. SOURCES: [France 24]( / [Euronews]( / [VOA]( 2 [2 Feds: Seized Hair Came From China's Gulags]( What a tangled web they’ve woven. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it seized 13 tons of weaves and other styling accessories yesterday that represent “a very serious human rights violation.” That’s because they believe the human hair used to make the products in the $800,000 shipment came from internment camp inmates in China. The exporters are based in China’s western Xinjiang region, where the government has detained over 1 million people, including many ethnic Uighurs. One of two companies importing the shipment sells its products under the ironic brand name Innocence. OZY examines the [Uighurs’ plight](. SOURCES: [Axios]( / [TIME]( 3 [3 'Sharpiegate' Resurfaces With IG's Complaint]( It would be a tempest in a teapot, except “Sharpiegate” involves an actual storm and Washington’s duty to warn citizens about it. On Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department’s inspector general expressed “deep concern” that the agency is blocking a report on [President Trump’s infamous claim]( — backed by a marker-augmented map — that 2019’s Hurricane Dorian would hit Alabama. After an Alabama weather office reassured residents that they were safe, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contradicted it, backing Trump. The report, heavily redacted by Commerce, concluded that NOAA’s statement violated its scientific integrity policy. Lawmakers are demanding its full release. SOURCES: [FCW]( / [Washington Post]( 4 [4 He Tamed the Virus, Then Had to Quit]( “I have given it my all.” So said New Zealand Health Minister David Clark, who led efforts that beat back the pandemic — thus making the country a global leader. But today he’s resigning. Why? While overseeing strict quarantine restrictions, he was caught riding a bike, walking on the beach and moving homes — all violations of his own lockdown rules. According to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Clark decided that staying on the job “is creating an unhelpful distraction.” She accepted Clark’s resignation and plans to name a successor after September elections. See OZY’s coverage on [why New Zealand might have a humility problem](. SOURCES: [Canberra Times]( / [Stuff]( 5 [5 Robot Umps Could Kill Catchers' Best Trick]( This one’s juuuust a bit outside. Fans, batters and even umpires have long known that a good catcher can turn a ball into a strike. In fact, in 2019, 22 MLB pitchers saw more than 50 percent of pitches that should have been balls called strikes, [OZY reports](, thanks to catchers who mastered the art of framing. But while subtly shifting their bodies to make a ball seem like it’s in the strike zone may fool the human eye, MLB is now testing RoboUmp, possibly taking humans out of the loop. But progress marches on — and maybe mechanical pitchers and catchers are next. SOURCES: [OZY]( caught up? now vault ahead ... To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, [check out The Daily Dose.]( True Stories [‘Flashback’ Lecture Notes: The Mysterious Disappearance That Helped Give Rise to Hollywood]( This week's episode of the chart-topping 'Flashback' podcast explores the disappearance of French inventor Augustin Le Prince. [READ NOW]( Want to share your love of OZY? 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