A New Cold War?

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 [Cariuma]( 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. Feb 20, 2023 Today Antony Blinken’s worried that China’s seriously considering giving “lethal support” to Russia. Jimmy Carter will live out the rest of his days in hospice care. Cyclone Gabrielle’s killed at least 11 in New Zealand’s worst natural disaster this century. And Lake Powell is only 22% full. All this and more in today’s PDB. [OZY’s Pick For Spring Kicks]( [Cariuma]( We don’t know about you, but we’re over these winter blues. And…we have just the thing. Meet the OCA Low, by the cool, sustainable sneaker brand, [Cariuma](. Good news, they just cleared a 77k+ person waitlist- right in time for spring! With a comfort-first feel and dozens of colors to choose from, it’s no wonder they’re loved by celebs, skaters, and surfers (and even the OZY Tribe!). Exclusive to OZY readers: Get 15% off your pair of Cariumas with code [OZYFEB](, before they sell out again! [SHOP NOW]( IMPORTANT Dire Consequences Blinken Warns China Is on Brink of Giving Military Aid to Russia While President Joe Biden made a [surprise visit to Kyiv]( Monday morning, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken spent the weekend [telling anyone who'd listen]( that China’s “considering providing lethal support to Russia in its efforts in Ukraine.” This followed a meeting where Blinken warned his Chinese counterpart of the “serious consequences” of such a decision. The White House seemingly hopes that sharing military intelligence and details of private conversations will dissuade China from precipitating a new cold war. Whether it works remains to be seen — but with U.S.-China relations at a longtime low, they don’t have many other options. (Source: [NYT]() Going Gracefully Jimmy Carter, 98, Opts for Hospice Care Over Medical Treatment The longest-living former president has chosen to spend his final days “at home with his family” in Plains, Georgia, and to forego “additional medical intervention.” Carter’s single-term presidency, from 1977 to 1981, was a challenging one. But he and Rosalynn, his wife of 76 years, dedicated their post-presidency years to peacemaking and charity, most notably with [Habitat for Humanity](. As Gunnar Berge said while introducing him as the winner of 2002’s Nobel Peace Prize, “Jimmy Carter will probably not go down in American history as the most effective president. But he is certainly the best ex-president the country ever had.” (Sources: [WaPo](, [AP]() Cyclone Gabrielle 11 Dead in New Zealand’s Biggest Natural Disaster This Century “Our resilience is being tested like never before,” said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins after Gabrielle cut a deadly swath across North Island. “The true extent of the devastation and loss become clearer with every passing day.” While 3,215 people are still unaccounted for, police don’t expect the death toll to rise significantly. At least 28,000 people remain without power and 800 have been moved into temporary accommodation. Finance Minister Grant Robertson is already considering reassessing the country’s budget: “We save for a rainy day, we happen to be having a lot of them at the moment and we will respond.” (Sources: [Reuters](, [Stuff](, [NZ Herald]() Running on Empty Lake Powell Hits Lowest Water Level on Record America’s second-largest reservoir supplies water to 40 million people and generates electricity for 4.5 million — but for how long? Last week its water level fell to 3,522 feet above sea level, the lowest since Powell was filled in the 1960s. If it drops 32 feet more, it’ll stop producing hydropower, and once it hits 3,370 feet the lake becomes a “dead pool” with no water flowing downstream. “There’s too little supply and too much demand,” said climate scientist Brad Udall. All seven states that rely on the Colorado River need to drastically cut usage — but none wants to. (Source: [WaPo]() Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: Running out of time. Two weeks after suffering a 7.8 magnitude quake, Turkey has called off rescue efforts in all but two provinces. At least 44,000 people have lost their lives in Turkey and Syria. (Source: [BBC]() Washed away. At least 36 people have died in Brazil’s São Paulo state after torrential rain triggered flooding and landslides. (Source: [Al Jazeera]() Buckets of love. Hundreds of swimsuit-clad Russian men and women in Blagoveshchensk, Siberia, have poured buckets of icy water over themselves in solidarity with “the boys who are carrying out heroic acts in the name of our fatherland.” (Source: [Business Insider]() [GET ‘EM BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!]( [Cariuma]( If you missed them last time around, the sneakers you’ve heard us rave about from the cool sustainable sneaker brand, [Cariuma]( are back after clearing a 77k waitlist! With over twenty-thousand (😲) 5-star reviews, a vast range of colors, prints, and limited edition collabs, they’re sure to have exactly what you’re looking for to gear up for spring. And for a limited time, the OZY family can take 15% off your pair. Use the code [OZYFEB]( at checkout. [SHOP HERE]( INTRIGUING Justice Delayed Peruvian Loggers Given 28 Years for Murdering Indigenous Leaders In 2014, four Ashéninka leaders, including prominent anti-logging campaigner [Edwin Chota](, were murdered in the Peruvian Amazon while on the way to the Apiwtxa Ashéninka community in Brazil. Chota dedicated his life to fighting for his people’s right to legally own their land — and expel illegal loggers from it. In sentencing the three men who committed the murders and the two timber kingpins who planned the crime, the judge noted that the victims had been tortured before being killed. Despite the legal delays, the lengthy sentences marked a rare win for environmental justice in the region and the world. (Source: [The Guardian]() Pro Life? She’s Being Forced to Give Birth to a Baby That’ll Live for Minutes Instead of getting excited about the birth of their second child, Deborah Dorbert and her husband Lee are thinking about how they’ll manage the infant’s death. When their baby was diagnosed with Potter syndrome, a doubly fatal condition where babies are born without working kidneys and unable to breathe, the Dorberts made the heart-wrenching decision to terminate the pregnancy. But a new Florida law, triggered by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, forced their doctors to deny this request. Instead Deborah must wait until the fetus is at least 37 weeks before giving birth — and then watching her newborn die. (Source: [WaPo]() Funny / Not Funny Tiger Woods Apologizes After Tampon Prank Goes Viral After outdriving Justin Thomas on the ninth hole of the Genesis Invitational, Woods handed his playing partner a tampon — apparently suggesting Thomas’ performance made him less masculine. Thomas tossed it away before laughing and hugging Woods, but their amusement wasn’t shared by the Twittersphere. Woods was forced to apologize for his prank Friday: “It was supposed to be all fun and games and obviously it hasn’t turned out that way.” Sports editor Alex McDaniel [summed up the zeitgeist](, tweeting, “If tiger spent three months a year bleeding and coping with period pain, they’d make a whole-ass documentary about how champions overcome insurmountable obstacles.” (Source: [CNN]() Throne Room The Reopened Paris Pissoir That’s Fit for Royalty In recent years the ornate spiral staircase that leads down to the art nouveau public bathroom had become an “open-air garbage can,” explained Karen Taïeb, the French capital’s deputy mayor. Today, after 12 years out of action, the Lavatory de la Madeleine is again accepting deposits. Originally built in 1905 at the height of the Belle Époque, its varnished mahogany panels, stained glass windows, brass faucets and elaborate ceramic detailing make taking a whiz an attraction in itself. Using the facilities, open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, will set you back $2 and there’s no disabled access. (Sources: [Sortira Paris](, [The Guardian]() Tragic Toll Ghanaian Soccer Star’s Body Found Under Turkey Earthquake Rubble In the immediate aftermath of the quake it was reported that Christian Atsu had been rescued alive. But on Feb. 8 the [Hatayspor]( player’s status was changed to “missing” and 10 days later his agent confirmed the worst: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning.” Atsu’s résumé included 65 games for Ghana, 121 for Britain’s Newcastle United and an [indelible legacy of charitable giving back home](. His body was returned to Ghana late Sunday, with Vice President Mahamudu Bawmia promising a “befitting” burial. (Sources: [CNN](, [BBC]() NOW STREAMING FROM OZY STUDIO COMMUNITY What else are you curious about? 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