Europe Braces for Fourth Wave of the Coronavirus

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Start your day smarter with a dossier on the most important world news, rounded off with a shot of intriguing and offbeat stories. Like the president, you deserve no less. Nov 24, 2021 TODAY Europe may face more economic turmoil, as the fourth wave of COVID forces governments across the continent to impose multiple restrictions. Meanwhile, grief has hit the Shabazz family yet again as the daughter of Malcolm X, Malikah Shabazz, was found dead in her apartment in Brooklyn on Monday. Down in Virginia, a jury awarded $25M in damages caused by the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville in 2017. Finally, the post-pandemic world may witness a rise in job opportunities for immigrants and foreigners in wealthy nations, as these nations struggle to fill their growing labor gap. All this and more in today’s Presidential Daily Brief. IMPORTANT 1 - The 4th Wave Europe braces for economic toll of new wave of coronavirus Across the European continent, governments are anticipating the economic impact of the latest wave of coronavirus infections. Strict restrictions are commencing that could reduce shopping and discretionary spending. In Austria, the government has imposed vaccine mandates and a nationwide lockdown as of Monday. The tough lockdowns that swept across Europe during the early months of the pandemic last year ended up shrinking economic output by nearly 15 percent. Buoyed by government support, most countries recouped their losses after vaccines were introduced, infection rates tumbled and restrictions eased. (Source: [NYT]() 2 - Gone Too Soon Daughter of Malcolm X, Malikah Shabazz, found dead Ms. Shabazz was found unresponsive on her living room floor by her 23-year-old daughter. Her death did not appear to be suspicious, said a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner, who will determine the cause of death. A high-ranking police official said accidental food poisoning may have played a role. Ms. Shabazz’s death at 56 comes just four days after a judge exonerated two men who were convicted in 1966 of assassinating Malcolm X. Ms. Shabazz and her twin sister, Malaak, were born in 1965 after their father was assassinated. Tributes have been pouring in online as news spread of her death. (Sources: [NYT](, [CBS News]() 3 - Neo-Nazis’ Pay $25M jury award granted against leaders of Charlottesville rally In a decided win for justice, five white supremacist organizations and 12 of their leaders were held liable for the bloodshed at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. The civil lawsuit, filed by nine people who suffered physical or emotional injuries in the rally, placed the guilt squarely on the neo-Nazi organizers. One woman, Heather Heyer, was killed and dozens were hurt after an avowed neo-Nazi drove a car into counter-protesters. The legal action alleged that the defendants "brought with them to Charlottesville the imagery of the Holocaust, of slavery, of Jim Crow and of fascism." "They also brought with them semi-automatic weapons, pistols, mace, rods, armor, shields and torches," the lawsuit said. (Source: [BBC]() 4 - Pandemic-fueled Demand Shifting labor force sparks new opportunities for migrants A new dynamic is unfolding, as the global markets heat back up with pandemic-related restrictions lifting. There is a battle for young and able talent. Wealthy nations are enticing skilled immigrants with fast-track visas and promises of permanent residency. From Germany to Canada to Australia, countries are seeking new immigrants to fill roles ranging from academia to more blue collar jobs. Moreover, COVID’s disruptions have pushed many people to retire, resign or just not return to work. As a result, demographics are changing. Rapidly aging rich nations are producing too few new workers, while countries with a surplus of young people often lack job opportunities for all. In this new world, opportunities and competition arise for “digital nomads” as more than 30 nations, including Barbados, Croatia and the United Arab Emirates, have created programs to attract mobile technology workers. And it has led to a general easing of the rules on work for foreigners who had already moved. (Source: [NYT]() 5 - Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: China cracks down on #MeToo movement. While the focus has been on the disappearance of Chinese tennis champion, Peng Shuai, after her accusation of sexual assault, several other women have also spoken out against harassment, violence and discrimination but have been hushed, trolled or jostled out of the way. (Source: [AP]() NASA launches spacecraft to test asteroid defense. On Tuesday night, NASA launched the DART spacecraft to test whether a speeding space rock could knock an asteroid off its collision course with Earth. The exploratory defense mission is estimated to collide in 10 months, for this $330 million project. (AP, [NYT]() A wave of "smash-and-grab" crimes is plaguing upscale stores in major US cities. At least 18 people broke into a Nordstrom department store in Los Angeles Monday night and stole thousands of dollars in merchandise. The thefts followed a rash of similar incidents over the weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. The incidents are suspected to be the work of organized crime rings. (Source: [CNN]() MEET  Aida Rodriguez The sh*t-talking unifier --------------------------------------------------------------- INTRIGUING 1 - Cashing Out with Crypto Los Angeles Rams star, Odell Beckham Jr. to take new salary in Bitcoin Odell Beckham Jr., one of the highest-paid NFL players and a recent signee with the Los Angeles Rams, has revealed that he will be taking his new salary in bitcoin. In an announcement on Twitter, Beckham shared he plans to use CashApp to get paid in the popular cryptocurrency. The generous football star also plans to share the wealth with fans by giving away $1 million worth of the cryptocurrency. Feeling lucky? To enter the giveaway, fans will just have to post their CashApp usernames in the comment section of the video and it runs until December 10th. (Sources: [Bloomberg](, [Complex]() 2 - Mandate Manifesto Hundreds of Google employees sign manifesto against vaccine mandate At least six hundred Google employees have signed and circulated a manifesto opposing its widened COVID vaccine mandate after Google asked employees to upload their vaccinations status to their internal system. The mandate comes after the Biden administration’s order that U.S. companies with 100 or more employees must ensure their employees are fully vaccinated or regularly tested for coronavirus by January 4th. The company has also said that all employees who work directly or indirectly with government contracts must be vaccinated, even if they're working from home. The signatories claim that the mandate violates their medical history privacy. Starting January 10, most of the company’s employees will be required to return to physical offices three days a week. (Sources: [CNBC](, [Business Insider]() 3 - Retail Recklessness Three retail pharmacy chains held responsible in opioid crisis in Ohio On Tuesday, a federal jury concluded three retail pharmacy chains recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties. The verdict could set an important precedent for city and county governments across America that want to hold pharmacies accountable for their role in the devastating opioid crisis. CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies in Lake and Trumble counties were blamed for not stopping the flood of pills that caused hundreds of overdose deaths and cost each county about $1 billion. Despite abuse prevention policies at all of the major retailers pharmacies, jurors said they failed at their role as the last line of defense to prevent the pills from getting into the wrong hands. (Sources: [NYTimes](, [Reuters]() 4 - A Mother’s Love Behind a young mother's search for her missing baby in India In India, an “honor-crime” takes Kerala by storm, as a 22-year-old mother refuses to give up her baby born out of wedlock. The young activist protested for months outside an adoption agency for the return of her missing child, allegedly given away for adoption by her family without her consent. Having a child out of wedlock is not just a taboo in India but is also considered offensive, causing a political rage in the community. After 13 months of struggle, the interfaith couple was finally reunited with their child on Tuesday evening. (Source: [BBC]() 5 - Weed On the Go UberEats now delivers pot to your door Uber is making a major push into cannabis with an updated app and service. In partnership with Tokyo Smoke, the ride-hailing company's foray will allow users to order marijuana in Ontario, Canada through UberEats when it launches later this year. It's a major win for legal cannabis companies in Canada, a country where illegal producers still control the majority of total annual sales. If you’re hoping that the service will be available to you soon, don’t get your hopes up. When asked about the possibility of expansion into U.S. markets, an Uber spokesperson said there is “nothing more to share at this time.” (Sources: [Reuters](, [BBC]() OZY COMMUNITY Grace and Gratitude As we enter the holiday season, we’d love to hear what you’re grateful for or what makes you smile. We’ll be sharing your thoughts in our Grace and Gratitude Corner. “I’m grateful for compassion in the growing number of people who are bringing peace into the world. We are waking up to the reality that Love connects and unites us, making us whole even with our holes.” - Meredith What do you think? Want to share your thoughts on what makes you grateful this season? Please share your email (and photo) with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Welcome to the New + the Next! [OZY]() [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](