The US War at Home | Bezos Has 'Splainin to Do

Smart headlines for busy people – Delivered briefly, daily. Sponsored by Saturday, July 25, 2020 *available from 8 am et important 1. Story of the Week: The War at Home As pandemic deaths mounted this week, President Donald Trump declared war on [Black Lives Matter demonstrators](, expanding federal intervention to other cities from a proving ground of Portland, Oregon, whose mayor was tear-gassed by agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Last night protesters continued to fight back, rattling chain-link fencing around a Portland federal building and shooting fireworks toward it, eliciting a tear gas response. Oregon petitioned a federal court to stop the federal intervention, but lost — likely because it’s easier to litigate against past government wrongs than to enjoin future actions. Sources: [New Yorker](, [AP](, [Portland Oregonian]( 2. Coming Up: Bezos Has Some ’Splainin’ to Do Back in April, Amazon launched an AI product that collects and labels data — a mirror image of a startup it had “partnered” with. Dozens of tech insiders report that [Amazon]( invests in promising firms, then develops a competing product and crushes the startups they’ve “helped.” Now the Federal Trade Commission, the Justice Department and Congress are sniffing around. CEO Jeff Bezos will head to Washington on Monday, along with other tech chiefs, to face legislators who want to know how such tactics, which Amazon denies, aren’t being stopped as anti-competitive. Sources: [WSJ (sub)]( 3. Italy Is Coming Back — Slowly and Painfully In a few short months, Italy went from being the “sick man of Europe,” with a shaky government and economy, to the literal sick population of the world. Infections are declining and things are coming back, but so is organized crime, offering loan sharking services, along with political leanings and financial troubles that threaten to [infect the rest of the European Union](. But Italians save money — and expect little from their government — so don’t be surprised when they bounce back, dragging the EU’s third-largest economy with them. Source: [The Atlantic]( 4. China’s Diplomats Jeered as US Nets Spy Plea It was a red flag operation. While a Chinese researcher who allegedly hid military ties took refuge in Beijing’s San Francisco consulate, President Trump on Wednesday ordered the economic rival’s Houston mission closed, purportedly over[intellectual property theft](. That set up China’s diplomats for jeers from anticommunist demonstrators as they left the facility yesterday. It’s all “anti-China lies” to the People’s Republic, which is shuttering Washington’s Chengdu consulate, but China hawks’ case was bolstered Friday by a Singaporean national pleading guilty to spying for Beijing while the FBI nabbed the San Francisco suspect, who’ll appear in court Monday. Sources: [CNN](, [Reuters](, [Washington Post](, [CNBC]( 5. Also Important … President Trump signed executive orders yesterday aiming to [reduce prescription drug prices](, including allowing medicine to be imported. [Thirty-seven nations from every global region]( have seen record increases in coronavirus infections over the past week. And the Supreme Court has [refused to reverse]( a Nevada pandemic restriction that limits church attendance. In the week ahead: On Monday and Tuesday, the body of 17-term congressman and [civil rights leader John Lewis]( will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol — on steps outside to allow mourners to maintain safe distances from each other. On Thursday, NASA plans to launch its $2.7 billion Perseverance Rover from Florida on its [mission to explore Mars](. Not far away, in Orlando, the [NBA will resume official games]( on the same day, starting a 20-team tournament. Reset America: Join The Movement. Now you can join our campaign to refocus the world's attention on issues of race, racism, policing and protests by getting your hands on a brand-new line of exclusive [#ResetAmerica]( merchandise. All profits go to the racial justice organization of your choice, so now you can do good while looking good. [Get it today](. [time to learn]( [Take a Walk on the Wild Side]( OZY joins [The Great Courses Plus](and National Geographic to give you a one-of-a-kind African Safari experience from the comfort of your own home. Explore the world’s most diverse flora and fauna in over 20 distinct landscapes, led by a National Geographic expert. Best of all, get this experience and countless others completely [free for one month](when you [sign up today](using OZY’s unique code! [Start Free Trial]( intriguing 1. Letting Killers Talk to Survivors in Florida Its sword cuts both ways. Restorative justice invites victims to talk to perpetrators, yielding forgiveness and acceptance, and it’s gaining traction as the U.S. weighs the future of policing. It’s demonstrated decreases in recidivism, and surprisingly, some of the most [pioneering work]( with murder cases has been in the death-penalty-grounded state of Florida. One prosecutor offered it to two sets of survivors. It seemed a surprising success in one case, but in another, the defendant balked and the husband of the victim ended up dying without seeing any resolution. Lessons learned, the prosecutor is pressing on. Sources: [The Marshall Project]( 2. When Safety, Voyeurism and Racism Come in an App Can a startup that stomped onto the scene calling itself Vigilante ever be redeemed? Maybe not, but [the allure of following crime]( and other emergencies a few streets away is powerful. Rebranded as Citizen after being booted from Apple’s App Store in 2016, the service now claims 5 million users in 19 cities, including New York, Baltimore and Los Angeles. Its volunteer army of siren-chasers helps keep other users aware of incidents in their area, promoting safety, the company says. But critics say the app also amplifies bigotry and violates crime victims’ privacy, so it may not shed its “vigilante” stigma very quickly. Sources: [Wired]( 3. The Diet Pill That Works — Until You Die Dinitrophenol, also known as DNP, is easy to procure. You can easily order it online. And why wouldn’t you? It “burns” excess fat more effectively than traditional diet pills do. Sure, it’s lethal and might kill you, but does that really matter when you desperately [want to lose weight]( ? In fact, between 2007 and 2020, the U.K. National Poisons Information Service recorded 138 cases of poisoning and 26 deaths caused by DNP. If you’re still tempted by this “miracle” weight loss pill, you need to learn more about its dark and deadly history. Sources: [The Guardian]( 4. How the Tattoo Stopped Being Taboo They’re nothing new. Egyptian mummies as old as civilization have tattoos. In the last millennium, most denizens of the Nile’s banks became Muslim, meaning getting stuck with needles is self-harm that’s haram, or forbidden. But now there’s a loophole, [OZY reports](: A respected Cairo religious institution said microbladed tattoos, which only penetrate the first layer of skin, are halal. That’s been a godsend for Egyptians who have scars they want hidden or just fancy a bit of ink. But there’s a catch: Within 18 months, the design will slough off — generating more business for tattoo artists. Sources: [OZY]( 5. Pandemic Baseball’s Drama Comes From a Lab Even before Dr. Anthony Fauci threw the first pitch of the 2020 season, Washington Nationals star outfielder Juan Soto struck out, testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. Major League Baseball resumed Thursday, but it may set a record for asterisks, including the fact that Soto may have [infected multiple teammates](, along with a few Baltimore Orioles he practiced with. It’s a game that first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, a career Nat with All-Star and Gold Glove honors, has opted out of to protect his family. But America needs baseball. The question is, will the coronavirus win the World Series? Sources: [Yahoo Sports](, [SI]( How about some sweet tweets? Do you want to stay up to date with the latest from OZY throughout the day — not just in your morning newsletter? 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