US Officials: Stay Home on July 4 | Epstein Associate Arrested

Smart news for busy people www.ozy.com [presidential daily brief]( *Podcast available from 8 am et Friday, July 03, 2020 Important 1 1 [US Virus Cases Mount as Holiday Looms]( State officials from Oregon to Nebraska pleaded with Americans not to gather for the Fourth of July holiday this weekend, as Thursday brought yet another coronavirus record: 55,220 new cases in just one day. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in an about-face, ordered residents to [wear masks]( after cases soared 34 percent in one week. Not everyone is urging caution, though: Thousands are expected to gather at Mount Rushmore tonight for a fireworks show organized by President Donald Trump. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem promised there will be no social distancing at the event despite the entreaties of the National Park Service. SOURCES: [Washington Post]( / [NYT]( / [WSJ (sub)]( 2 2 [Epstein Ex Maxwell Arrested, Charged]( Police had been tracking Ghislaine Maxwell — an ex-girlfriend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison last August — and finally arrested her Thursday at a 156-acre estate in New Hampshire. Maxwell, 58, allegedly helped Epstein find, recruit and groom underage girls to be trafficked for sex. She’s now been charged and will be sent to New York to face further proceedings. Another person of interest: Prince Andrew, a longtime friend of both Epstein and Maxwell, whom prosecutors say they still hope to speak with about the case. Read OZY’s dossier on [Prince Andrew’s involvement]( with Epstein. SOURCES: [BBC]( / [NYT]( 3 3 [French PM Resigns in Government Reshuffle]( As French President Emmanuel Macron enters the second half of his term, a reshuffle of his Cabinet had been widely expected. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe’s popularity has grown during the COVID-19 crisis — but as is standard in reshuffles, he tendered his resignation this morning, along with the rest of the government. He could be reappointed, but some speculate Macron will dump the center-right Philippe to bolster his credentials with the left ahead of a 2022 reelection bid. It could backfire, though, setting Philippe up as a rival for the presidency. Read OZY on the [French fight]( against police brutality. SOURCES: [France24]( / [Al Jazeera]( / [The Guardian]( 4 4 [Vaccines Hit Hiccups as Wall Street Swarms]( Small biotech firms like Moderna enjoyed a sizable bounce as the pandemic accelerated, with news of their in-development COVID-19 vaccines making headlines and sending stocks soaring. But Wall Street investors are now largely switching their bets to big pharma companies like Pfizer, which have longer arms and bigger manufacturing capabilities. Moderna — which has never [delivered a vaccine]( to the market before — was set to start Phase 3 human trials on 30,000 subjects next week, but they’ve been delayed, which could hamper the firm’s hopes to report results by Thanksgiving. SOURCES: [Reuters]( / [STAT]( / [WSJ (sub)]( 5 5 [Also Important...]( The trial of 20 absent Saudi nationals in the [murder of Jamal Khashoggi]( has begun in Turkey. Hong Kong activists say they’re planning a [parliament-in-exile]( due to China’s new national security laws. And the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked an attempt to ease [voting restrictions]( in Alabama. Try this: Feeling presidential after a week of briefings? Prove it with [the PDB Quiz](. Discover This: OZY co-founder and CEO Carlos Watson is now on Instagram. [Follow him @ozycarlos]( for all his latest updates, along with some behind-the-scenes pics from a secret new project we’ve been working on over the last few weeks! [Check it out.]( 6 [6 A New Kind of Patriotism]( This Independence Day, celebrate a new kind of patriotism — one that meets the moment. Make a statement with the shirts, stickers, hats and more from our Reset America collection. All profits go to the racial justice organization of your choice, so now you can do good while looking good. Get all your gear from the [OZY Store]( today. SOURCES: [OZY Store]( Don't keep OZY as your little secret. Click below to share this email with a friend. [Share]( Intriguing 1 [1 Sparrows Go Wild for New Hit Song]( It’s a viral tweet. Canadian white-throated sparrows have been singing the same melody since the 1960s, with a distinctive three-note finish. Now a new song — with a two-note finish — is spreading across the country at a rate scientists have never seen before. Birds can learn new songs, but it’s unclear why this particular tune has caught on so quickly. It’s now so prevalent that the old melody may actually go extinct — though in British Columbia, where the new version originated, scientists say they’re already seeing an even newer variant. Read OZY’s report about [India’s sparrow savior](. SOURCES: [Gizmodo]( / [CBC]( 2 [2 Airbnb Cracks Down on House Parties]( More like Squarebnb. In its latest effort to discourage people from renting out houses solely to throw parties, the home sharing platform has announced that users younger than 25 without at least three positive reviews will be banned from renting homes near to where they live. [Airbnb]( says it’s been piloting this program in Canada and has seen a meaningful change in the number of house parties — a priority for the company not just because of coronavirus, though big gatherings are widely discouraged, but because of a shooting last year during a party at an Airbnb. SOURCES: [BI]( / [Honolulu Star-Advertiser]( 3 [3 Why the US Is Short of Accessible Homes]( People with disabilities often need a different type of living space than people without, such as stepless entrances, no stairs and grab bars in bathrooms. But the U.S. housing supply is coming up woefully short: More than twice as many people need accessible housing as there are units available, [OZY reports](. Furthermore, people with disabilities often have far lower incomes, meaning they’re shut out of newer buildings more likely to have been built under regulations requiring some accessibility. And with a rapidly aging population, demand for these accommodations is only expected to grow. SOURCES: [OZY]( 4 [4 Walmart to Host Drive-In Theaters]( Amid a medieval-like plague, pretending it’s the 1950s might feel like progress. That throwback to simpler times when Americans could watch movies from a safe distance makes sense in the age of coronavirus. So Walmart is teaming up with Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Enterprises to convert 160 of its sprawling parking lots into drive-in cinemas. Moviegoers will be able to order snacks online to pick up curbside or get delivered to their vehicles. Celebrity appearances will also spice up the 320 showings, which will include free events for frontline workers. Let OZY introduce you to an artist who [still paints movie posters](. SOURCES: [Motley Fool]( / [The Hill]( 5 [5 Sponsor Pressures Redskins to Change Name]( They’re trying to deliver real change. For decades, FedEx has lent its name to the Washington Redskins’ home stadium — a $205 million deal that expires in 2025 — but now the longtime sponsor has formally asked the team to change its name, which is a slur toward Native Americans. Owner Daniel Snyder has previously resisted any name change. But city officials have said that until it loses the racist name, the team won’t be allowed to play at a Washington, D.C., stadium either after its lease on Maryland’s FedEx Field expires. Read OZY on an [iconic Native American protest tactic: the “fish-in.”]( SOURCES: [ESPN]( / [CNBC]( caught up? now vault ahead ... To get more fresh stories and bold ideas in your inbox, [check out The Daily Dose.]( News + Politics [The OZY News Quiz]( What was the objectionable utterance heard on a video President Donald Trump retweeted last Sunday? [READ NOW]( Want to share your love of OZY? Forward this email to a friend by clicking the button below. [Share]( OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](