Up and Down and Down

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 22, 2023 Today Biden and Putin sparred in separate public addresses as Biden continued his European tour. Speaker McCarthy refused to reveal why he gave footage of Jan. 6 to Tucker Carlson. North Korea’s state media warned against accepting foreign aid as its food crisis worsens. And the Seattle City Council is the first in the country to target caste-based discrimination. All this and more in today’s PDB. [The Shoe with the 77k Waitlist is Back in Stock!]( [Cariuma]( From LA to NYC, and Munich to Sydney meet the shoe that’s loved by celebs, surfers, and skaters alike. 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Earlier Putin used a televised address to blame the U.S. and Western allies for causing the “global confrontation.” (Sources: [CNN](, [NYT]() Rating Winner Speaker McCarthy Handed Over Jan. 6 Footage to Tucker Carlson But he won’t say why. Fox News talking head Tucker Carlson has repeatedly played down the riot at the Capitol in 2021 as a “false flag” operation. Carlson used his Monday night show to tell viewers Speaker Kevin McCarthy had given his producers “unfettered” access to video footage. McCarthy has declined to comment in the days since on why the access was granted. The footage has pushed the Capitol Police onto the defensive, raising questions about the security of current CCTV placement. “Get ready for the truth from J6 because the videotapes are coming!” tweeted McCarthy ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. (Source: [WaPo]() ‘Poisoned Candy’ Hunger Crisis Looms in North Korea, but No Time for Food Aid “It is a mistake to try to boost the economy by accepting and eating this poisoned candy,” the country’s state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun warned. It comes amid reports North Korea’s access to food is at its lowest levels since the deadly famine of the 1990s. “Food production dropped from last year, and there is a possibility of distribution issues due to a change in their food supply and distribution policy,” a spokesperson from South Korea’s unification ministry said. Economic sanctions and inward-facing policy have seen external aid to North Korea all but dry up in recent years, with China one of few remaining sources. (Source: [The Guardian]() Equality In US First, Seattle City Council Adds Caste to Discrimination Laws Kshama Sawant, the council’s only Indian American member, led the campaign to have caste discrimination added to the city’s existing laws. “This bill is not technically complicated, it’s a very simple question: Should discrimination based on caste be allowed to continue in Seattle?” she said Tuesday. Washington State is home to around 150,000 Indian Americans without recourse for caste discrimination. While technically outlawed in India, the hierarchical system of five groups and hundreds of other subgroups continues to permeate in India and across the diaspora. Sawant said she hopes the ordinance inspires other cities around the U.S. to follow suit. (Source: [Seattle Times]() Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: Staying put. Controversial former boxer turned ‘manosphere’ influencer Andrew Tate will remain in a Romanian prison for another 30 days. Tate faces charges of exploitation and sexual assault. (Source: [Sky News]() Busted. Former Mexican security minister Genaro García Luna has been found guilty of drug trafficking in a New York court. García Luna faced charges of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel between 2006 and 2012. (Source: [DW]() Sit-down. Senior officials from Japan and China met in Tokyo on Wednesday for the first high-level security talks between the two countries in four years. The meeting follows heightening tensions between the two over spy balloon surveillance. (Source: [Kyodo]() [A Special Offer For The OZY Family]( [Cariuma]( Look good while doing good with the cool sustainable sneaker brand, [Cariuma](. With over 20 thousand 5-star reviews and a waitlist that’s just cleared 77k, they’re not only a cult-favorite but have made OZY’s must-have closet staples for years now. Best of all, we’ve gotten OZY readers an exclusive code for 15% off. Use code [OZYFEB]( at checkout. [SHOP NOW]( INTRIGUING Covered Landmark Ruling a Win for LGBT South Koreans The National Health Insurance Service was out of line to withdraw coverage for the same-sex spouse of a customer, the Seoul High Court ruled — despite no marriage equality in the country. Plaintiff So Seong-wook said the ruling is “recognition of a very obvious right that has not been given.” The case was filed in 2021 when So’s coverage on his partner’s insurance plan was revoked after the service learned the couple is gay. Activists have celebrated the ruling as a major advancement for South Korea, where Human Rights Watch describes discrimination as “pervasive.” The decision will likely be challenged in the Supreme Court. (Source: [BBC]() Artificial Emotional Intelligence This College Used A.I .to Write a Mass Shooting Condolence Email In the wake of Michigan State University’s mass shooting last week, students and staff at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development received an email calling for unity. It said they should strive for “a safe and inclusive environment for all” and “come together as a community.” And later: “paraphrase from OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI language model, personal communication.” “There is a sick and twisted irony to making a computer write your message about community and togetherness because you can’t be bothered to reflect on it yourself,” senior Laith Kayat said. A follow-up email was sent apologizing for the use of ChatGPT. (Source: [ABC]() Posthumous Deal Michael Crichton’s Early Novels Set for Release Blackstone Publishing will bring a series of the author’s unreleased novels to a bookshelf near you after buying the rights from CrichtonSun. Written under the pseudonym John Lange while he was studying at Harvard Medical School, the novels are reportedly an homage to Ian Fleming and Alfred Hitchcock. They came before a long career as a writer, with hits including Jurassic Park and ER. “In these eight early adventure books, Michael was honing his skills and themes that would later make him one of the most successful authors of all time,” his widow Sherri Crichton said. Crichton died in 2008. (Source: [Deadline]() Message From Below A Metal Orb Washed Ashore in Japan. No One Knows What It Is An iron ball with a diameter of almost 5 feet was discovered by a local woman on Enshu Beach in Hamamatsu City on Tuesday. Authorities have fenced off the area while investigating what exactly the ball is, and where it came from. The ball is rusted and appears to have a hook, leading the more level-headed to suspect it is merely a mooring buoy — an anchor alternative. But that hasn’t stopped speculation from kicking off online amid a flurry of unidentified objects in the sky above North America. Still, with Japanese officials donning hazmat suits to investigate the orb the mystery continues. (Source: [Vice]() Tee Up TMRW Launch a New Day in Golfing History That’s what golf greats Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy hope after breaking ground at the league’s arena in Florida’s Palm Beach State College. The pair are two of the co-founders of TMRW — pronounced “tomorrow” — with its TGL high-tech golf league set to play its first round early 2024 in partnership with the PGA Tour. Around 11 players have signed on, including world No. 1 Jon Rahm. It’s no regular golf — players will team up for 2-hour sessions on a data-driven virtual course, mic’d up to keep fans close to the action. “In terms of fan experience, it’s going to be nothing like golf has offered before,” McIlroy said. (Source: [AP]() NOW STREAMING FROM OZY STUDIO 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. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s 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} [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](