Snakes and Ladders

Start your day smarter with the most important world news, plus intriguing and offbeat stories. www.ozy.com [OZY]( [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Presidential Daily Brief]( Sponsored by [Pique]( 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. Oct 27, 2022 Today Democrats have spent big on advertising in districts that were once safe and that could spell bad news for their midterm campaign. Iranian security forces allegedly opened fire on mourners commemorating 40 days since Mahsa Amini was killed. Billionaire would-be buyer Elon Musk visited Twitter HQ ahead of Friday’s acquisition deadline. And U.K. leader Rishi Sunak stands by Suella Braverman. All this and more in today’s PDB. [Restore gut health for radiant skin]( [Piglet]( A cult-fave coffee substitute that’ll make your skin glow. And support healthy digestion. This best-selling matcha is packed with feel-good, energy-boosting antioxidants. And it’s triple tested for purity. No wonder it’s got 15,000 5-star reviews. [SAVE UP TO 18% OFF]( IMPORTANT Got the Blues Democrats on the Defensive as Elections Near Less than two weeks before Americans head to the polls, Democrats are feeling insecure. At least $6.3 million in advertising spending was injected into three districts in New York and New Jersey Wednesday — districts President Joe Biden carried easily in 2020 — while races in nominally blue California and Oregon are “closer than normal,” according to one strategist. The Senate isn’t looking easier. Promising Pennsylvania nominee John Fetterman faced off against Republican challenger Mehmet Oz Tuesday, but struggled to keep up and was still clearly suffering medical issues after his May stroke. Fetterman’s team said he still has “deep grassroots” backing. (Sources: [WaPo](, [The Hill]() Fired Up Iranian Police Allegedly Open Fire on Mahsa Amini Mourners “Woman, life, freedom.” That was the refrain chanted by crowds of mourners who gathered in Mahsa Amini’s home city of Saqqez, Kurdistan, Wednesday to mark 40 days since her death — a significant occasion in Iranian culture. Security forces were deployed across the province in anticipation of unrest. Still, thousands of people made their way to Saqqez on foot to avoid roadblocks. Norway-based Kurdish human rights group Hengaw shared reports that authorities used tear gas and opened fire on protesters in Zindan square and at Amini’s graveside. “The riot police shot mourners who gathered at the cemetery for Mahsa’s memorial ceremony,” one witness said. (Sources: [BBC](, [Reuters]() Twitter Jitters Musk Visits Twitter HQ as Buyout Countdown Begins “Entering Twitter HQ — let that sink in!” [Elon Musk tweeted]( as he walked into Twitter’s San Francisco offices Wednesday carrying a bathroom sink. Musk is expected to speak to employees directly on Friday. The visit comes as the deadline to complete the billionaire’s purchase of the platform fast approaches, and is a clear sign that he plans to go ahead after months of delays. A Delaware court set the deadline at the request of Twitter, fearing Musk would again pull out. If the deal is not made by 5 p.m. Friday, the two sides will be back in court in November. (Sources: [NYT](, [CNBC]() Chopping and Changing Braverman Back in UK Home Office, But Even Tories Don’t Know Why Suella Braverman resigned as home secretary last week after admitting to a security breach — only to be reappointed six days later after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took the reins. It’s a decision that has left even Conservative allies scratching their heads. Jake Berry, a fellow member of Liz Truss’ short-lived cabinet, said Braverman was responsible for “multiple breaches of the ministerial code” and that senior civil servant Simon Case had agreed with this assessment. Sunak swatted down the criticism. He said Braverman made an “error of judgment” and that he is “delighted to welcome her back into a united cabinet.” (Sources: [The Guardian](, [BBC]() Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: Reformed. Finland is one step closer to relaxing abortion laws after parliament passed a reform scrapping the two-doctor consent requirement for accessing abortions. From next year, just one doctor’s approval will be needed. (Source: [AP]() Changing hands. A Thai transgender activist and businesswoman, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, has bought the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million. She plans to expand widely into Asia while promoting diversity. (Source: [CNN]() They do. Same-sex marriage is officially legal across Mexico after Tamaulipas, the last state to recognize marriage equality, voted in favor of adding it to its civil code. (Source: [Reuters]() INTRIGUING Two Steps Back A Wind Farm in Germany is Shutting Down — For a Coal Pit “We realize this comes across as paradoxical,” a spokesperson for the Garzweiler mine said of its plans to remove wind turbines at Keyenberg park in North Rhine-Westphalia to make way for a coal pit. One turbine has already been taken down with two more removals planned by the end of next year. It has sent a confusing message. Under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany plans to expand renewable energies — although recent pressures on European energy capacity have made coal production enticing again. “We are seeing an energy transition rollback in the middle of the climate catastrophe, it’s absurd,” one climate activist said. (Source: [The Guardian]() Fair Campaigns Washington State Smacks Meta with Record $24.7M Fines The Facebook parent company violated Washington’s Fair Campaign Practices Act more than 800 times, a state judge ruled Wednesday. The social media giant has been hit with $24.7 million in fines — the largest ever issued for campaign finance violations and the maximum allowed. Washington’s transparency law requires platforms to keep a database of information about political ads, including who paid for them and which users were targeted. Attorney General Bob Ferguson told the court the maximum fine was best, given Meta was sued for the same violations by the state in 2018. “It intentionally disregarded Washington’s election transparency laws,” Ferguson said. (Source: [AP]() West Goes South Ye Pays Skechers HQ an Unwanted Visit No one likes an uninvited guest ... Just one day after losing a lucrative contract with Adidas, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, showed up unannounced at Skechers’ corporate office in Los Angeles. He was escorted from the building by two executives for “unauthorized filming.” It is unclear whether Ye was seeking a new contract for his Yeezy shoe line, but Skechers — the world’s third-largest sports shoe brand — ruled out any collaboration. “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech,” the company said. Skechers is owned by a Jewish family, the Greenbergs. (Sources: [Al Jazeera](, [TMZ]() Il Duce Endures A Century on From Mussolini, Italy Still Grapples with History Benito Mussolini’s fascist blackshirts stormed Rome on Oct. 28, 1922. It was the start of a long period of dictatorship for the country — a time many Italians still view fondly. The centenary of the March on Rome holds new significance as Italy appointed far-right Giorgia Meloni as prime minister Tuesday. While Meloni has downplayed her party’s historical connections to fascism, some Italians wouldn’t mind. Reminders of Il Duce — from statues in town squares to off-the-cuff supportive remarks by politicians — show a country that has yet to interrogate its history, unlike others in Europe. For her part, Meloni condemned autocratic political systems “including fascism.” (Source: [France24]() Fun for Some British LGBTQ Soccer Fans Must Be ‘Flexible’ in Qatar, Says Minister “I think it’s important when you’re a visitor to a country that you respect the culture of your host nation,” said British Foreign Office leader James Cleverly. Same-sex activity is illegal in Qatar — a controversial choice for the World Cup, with LGBTQ organizations petitioning global governing body FIFA on ensuring the safety of fans. Cleverly’s comments come as U.K. activist Peter Tatchell was[prevented from staging an LGBTQ rights protest]( in Doha Tuesday. Tatchell said lawmakers planning to attend the event are essentially “colluding with a homophobic, sexist and racist regime.” The opposition Labour Party called Cleverly’s stance “shockingly tone-deaf.” (Source: [BBC]() The OZY Genius Awards Are Back! OZY believes college students hold the keys to unlocking a brighter future. Do you have a genius idea? Share it with us for a chance to win up to $10,000 in grants! Applications close October 31st. Apply Today! [APPLY HERE]( COMMUNITY What else are you curious about? Share your questions or thoughts 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. 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