A Postal Service Reckoning | Cruise Ships Launch Again

Sponsored by Advertisement] Monday, August 17, 2020 *available from 8 am et important 1. Congress Recalled to Defend Postal Service With President Donald Trump trailing Joe Biden by 9 points in recent polls, Democrats are accusing the president of trying to rig the election by sabotaging the [U.S. Postal Service](. Trump said last week that he opposed bailing out the agency because it would enable an unprecedented increase in mail-in ballots. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has recalled Congress for hearings on the matter, calling postmaster general (and Trump megadonor) Louis DeJoy to testify about cutting overtime, removing mailboxes and dismantling sorting machines. Meanwhile, Democrats begin their virtual party convention today to officially nominate Biden as Trump’s challenger. Sources: [FT (sub)](, [Reuters](, [WSJ (sub)]( 2. Belarus on Verge of General Strike Amid Protests Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Belarusians gathered in the capital Minsk to protest the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko, who won disputed Aug. 9 elections. More than 6,700 people have been arrested, many reporting torture by government authorities. Opposition candidate [Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]( has taken refuge in Lithuania but released a video message today offering to lead the country while overseeing new elections. Thousands of workers walked off the job last week and the opposition is urging a general strike today, while an offer of Russian military help evoked memories of troops crushing Czech and Hungarian uprisings. Sources: [BBC](, [Forbes](, [The Guardian]( 3. New Zealand to Postpone Elections Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the country’s parliamentary poll, scheduled for mid-September, will be postponed for a month as the nation acts to contain a new outbreak of COVID-19. Officials are still investigating how the virus broke through the island nation’s defenses, infecting 58 people after 100 days of no community spread. Still, Ardern’s handling of the crisis has sent her to [new heights of popularity]( both at home and abroad, and she’s expected to comfortably win re-election in the October 17 vote. Sources: [Washington Post](, [CNN]( 4. Japan’s Economy Sees Biggest Slump on Record Even before the coronavirus, trade tensions and tax hikes weighed on the Japanese economy, but the 27.8 percent plunge just reported for the second quarter is so significant that it wipes out the [economic gains]( created by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s lauded “Abenomics” reforms. It’s the largest shrinkage since such records were first kept in 1955, officials say. Still, it could be worse — the U.S. economy contracted by almost 33 percent. And it’s expected to rebound somewhat over the summer, though economists say a full bounce back will take years. Sources: [Japan Times](, [Reuters]( 5. Also Important … Temperatures in [California’s Death Valley]( yesterday soared to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, possibly a world record. Ten thousand people gathered in Bangkok to protest the Thai government, the [largest such rally]( since 2014. And 10 people are reported dead after an [Al-Shabaab siege]( of a hotel in Mogadishu. Talk to us: Are you looking to increase your daily dose of OZY, even outside your inbox? Follow us on [Twitter]( to voice your opinion on our polls about up-to-the-minute issues: Should children be allowed to choose their own gender? Is marriage obsolete? Should all rich people's tax returns be made public? [Check it out now](. Tee up: You don’t have to wear your heart on your sleeve — but you can wear [OZY Facts on your t-shirt](. If you’ve already got the set, explore the [OZY store]( for more. Watch it: New episodes of [The Chi]( are only on Showtime. [6. Today on ‘The Carlos Watson Show’]( You’ve heard of the squad — now meet their inspirations. Minyon Moore, Donna Brazile, Leah Daughtry and Yolanda Caraway have been the power brokers behind Democratic campaigns and policy for the past three decades. Today, they join Carlos to discuss the historic nomination of Kamala Harris, the vilification of ambitious women, and the behind-the-scenes decisions of past campaigns you didn't know about. Be sure to [subscribe to the OZY YouTube channel]( to be notified when it's live — and remember, new subscribers will be entered for a chance to win an invitation to a Zoom taping with a celebrity guest! [Advert]( [Advert]([Advertisement] intriguing 1. First Pandemic-Era Cruise Ship Sets Sail Whatever floats your boat. The first big cruise ship in the Mediterranean since COVID-19 ravaged Europe launched yesterday from Genoa, Italy, its 2,500 passengers subjected to a blood screening before boarding for their seven-day trip. The Grandiosa is a key test for the cruise industry, which shut down in March but recorded about 3,047 cases of the coronavirus and 73 deaths. Thousands were left [stranded on ships]( as the pandemic intensified and ports refused to take possibly infected passengers ashore. An earlier attempt to restart cruises made by a small Norwegian ship was suspended after passengers and crew tested positive. Sources: [AFP](, [BBC]( 2. Greenland’s Melting Ice Sheet Past ‘Tipping Point’ It’s enough to make your blood run cold. A three-decade study of Greenland glaciers has found that warming has accelerated enough that [snowfall can’t replenish]( what’s melting off the country’s ice sheet in the summers, meaning that even an end to carbon emissions won’t halt the rest of it melting. The Arctic region has been warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet for decades, and Greenland’s melting raises sea level about a millimeter every year. It’s expected to raise oceans 2.75 inches by 2100 and 23 feet by the year 3000. Sources: [Sky News](, [BI]( 3. UK School Exam Crisis Escalates With the [A-level exams]( canceled due to COVID-19, teachers were asked to estimate what grades students would have achieved. But English teenagers, who rely on results for university placement, were dismayed when a government algorithm changed their grades, disproportionately downgrading good marks from disadvantaged schools. Scotland chose to revert to the original estimates, while in England some are urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to step in as the authorities responsible for the algorithm suspended the appeals process. Results for the other major high school exam, the GCSEs, are expected to cause a similar kerfuffle upon their Thursday release. Sources: [The Independent](, [The Guardian]( 4. Rural Communities Look to the Arts for a Boost Just 2 percent of U.S. arts funding goes to rural groups, even though 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas. Nevertheless, [OZY reports]( that small isolated areas are turning to the arts to offset recent downturns and long-term decline, with places like Lewellen, Nebraska and Holyoke, Colorado, welcoming galleries to try to attract tourism. And the timing might be right: With an exodus from big cities anticipated as people lose lucrative jobs or are newly able to work remotely, these rural communities could be attracting not just visitors, but new neighbors. Source: [OZY]( 5. NBA Offers Spit to Yale COVID-19 Study It’s an add-hock experiment. When Yale’s School of Public Health published a paper in April with promising initial results from COVID-19 saliva, rather than nasal mucus tests, a lot of people took notice — including the NBA. Players and staff take [regular tests](, and the league (and player’s union) contributed $500,000, along with generous player spit donations, to help develop a quick and cheap saliva test. Yale got emergency FDA approval Saturday for its SalivaDirect screening, which bypasses an expensive lab procedure, and proponents hope spit will provide all the accuracy at a fraction of the cost. Sources: [Gizmodo](, [ESPN](, [Stuff]( 6. A Moment to Celebrate Black women in America really do own the conversation … and OZY has the Emmy nod to prove it. OZY's and OWN’s Black Women Own the Conversation "Motherhood" episode has been nominated for the Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis Emmy. Please help us celebrate by [watching this wonderful deep dive]( into the challenges Black moms face in shaping their children. We promise you’ll laugh, cry and fall in love with these women, including guests such as actress Ryan Michelle Bathe, California Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, comedian Dulcé Sloan and political commentator Angela Rye. [TV]( | [Podcasts]( | [News]( | [FESTIVALS]( Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy](