Has Trump Punctured America’s Lung?

A bounty of new surveys Wednesday show Joe Biden’s tightening grip on key states. OZY’s own forecast predicts an 88 percent chance of victory for Biden. From Democratic enthusiasm to a weakening in Trump country — embodied by a millennial Ohio mayor profiled in OZY today — there are ample signs that this isn’t a replay of 2016. But, both for determined Trump fans and panicky Democrats, memories of four years ago die hard.

2. Spinning the News

President Donald Trump’s energetic closing campaign schedule is playing out against the backdrop of a steady drumbeat of bad news for him: The stock market is plunging as the coronavirus is soaring. It’s crowded out stories like the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia, which has led to mass protests followed by vandalism and unrest — as Trump plays up concerns about violence.

Unproven drugs won’t fix this. The Trump administration is lifting protections against logging and other development in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests and a giant carbon sink. All while China is aggressively planting trees toward its goal of going carbon neutral by 2060. South Korea and Japan have also committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. There’s a reason they say Asia’s the future. Should Trump rethink his order? Vote on Twitter. (Sources: WaPo, BBC, Nikkei)

2. It’s Time for Africa

Former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has won support from most of the World Trade Organization’s members to take over as the first female and African head of the body. The only holdout? America. She’s not the only one facing Washington’s opposition. The CEOs of tech giants Google, Facebook and Twitter were grilled by a congressional panel Wednesday over allegations that they’re censoring conservative voices. (Sources: FT, Guardian)

3. No Dodging The Virus

Even the Dodgers couldn’t escape the COVID-19 bullet. Major League Baseball is investigating third baseman Justin Turner, who tested positive for the virus but joined other players in celebrating on the field after the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first World Series in 32 years on Tuesday. Meanwhile, France and Germany have announced national lockdowns to curb a spike in cases. (Sources: Reuters, LA Times, WSJ)

The Italian legend returns to screens after a decade with Netflix’s Nov. 13 release, The Life Ahead, directed by her son. Loren started acting at the age of 16 and became a darling of Hollywood’s Golden Age — stealing the hearts of husband Carlo Ponti and actor Cary Grant. The first actor to win an Academy Award for a foreign language film, Loren has a distinctive scar on her chin from World War II shrapnel. Her new film is about giving people a second chance. Not that Loren has anything left to prove — the film’s trailer is evidence enough that her brilliance remains undimmed at 86.

2. Rita Indiana

Her short cropped hair and woman-next-door demeanor bely the brilliance that’s earned the Dominican writer and musician the nickname of La Montra — “the monster” in her homeland. Her 2010 debut album El Juidero turned her into an overnight star in the Latin music world. Now a decade later she’s returning with Mandinga Times, a much-awaited new album that’s apocalyptic in its theme but could be the call for change that the Caribbean — beset by poverty, violence and racism — needs.

3. Ben Enwonwu

Often called the father of African Modernism, the artist is no longer alive — but his works have witnessed a resurgence since one sold for $1.7 million at a Bonhams London auction in 2013. Now you can catch some of his finest art at the digital Frieze Masters exhibition this year.

OZY is partnering with Danai Gurira, Stephen Daldry, Lynn Nottage and other leading theater artists forAct Out: Vote 2020, a special hour-long video event featuring monologues, songs and other performances to encourage audiences to vote. Stream it starting tonight at 9 p.m. ET.Subscribe here so you don't miss the premiere — and stay tuned for Friday's special episode of The Carlos Watson Show featuring Gurira and Heidi Schreck.

This isn’t your typical migrant story. In Chile’s isolated, southernmost region of Magallanes, migrants are the rescuers. The region’s picturesque terrain — Antarctic waters and rugged mountains — has for years struggled to attract Chilean doctors. To get there, you must take a three-day ferry, fly or drive through part of Argentina. Now Venezuelan doctors fleeing their troubled nation are making Magallanes their home, offering a medical lifeline to the region. Read more on OZY.

2. Chilecon Valley

It’s famous for wines, not Windows. But Chile’s changing that, one startup at a time. Shadowed by the mighty Andes, capital Santiago is fast emerging as one of South America’s leading tech hubs. Chile’s rated Latin America’s most innovative nation. And the state-backed incubator Start-Up Chile is adding the spice that’s making the country an irresistible destination for new firms: Since its launch in 2010, it has helped bring more than 1,300 startups to life, and has inspired similar accelerators in more than 50 nations.

3. Joaquin Niemann

The lanky 21-year-old golfer is an unlikely sports icon in soccer-crazy Chile. But he has done something no Chilean had before: win on the PGA Tour. The former No. 1 ranked amateur in the world is now hoping to continue that success at the pro level. The Santiago native has age on his side. He also has the genes: His mother played field hockey for Chile and his father was a college basketball player. As a child, he says he used to talk too much. Now he lets his golf swing do the talking.

If a pumpkin is the perfect fall fruit, it deserves the perfect way to be prepared: deep fried. Try pampoenkoekies, aka pumpkin fritters. Add caramel sauce, cinnamon sugar or even powdered sugar and you’ve got yourself a sweet/savory South African dessert.

2. Canh Bí Đỏ Thịt Bằm

Yes you can. This pumpkin soup is a Vietnamese specialty that comes with pork, onion and parsley.

3. Camarão na Moranga

Brazilians eat this all year round. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s pumpkin stuffed with shrimp. This dish is quite easy to make, but a secret ingredient, requeijao — a soft, creamy cheese that goes inside the pumpkin — is what sets it apart. 

Yesterday we asked you what drink mellowed U.S.-China diplomatic talks in the 1970s. Danelle P. and Martin P., yes, it was baijiu. But not just any baijiu. Jeffrey L. — you were spot on! It was Moutai, the drink of the Chinese elite. Henry Kissinger once told Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, “I think if we drink enough Moutai we can solve anything.” Too bad President Trump’s a teetotaler.