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Good morning! I was never any good at roller skating — my memories involve falling with my body twisted in biology-defying shapes. But the skill has grown in popularity in recent months. In Monday’s mix, read about the Colombians acing the sport, meet the Pakistan-born economist exposing America’s widening savings gap, hear Barry White turn unromantic words into love lullabies and visit Algeria’s famed sand castles. |
| | Charu Sudan Kasturi, Senior Editor |  |
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|  | | 1. Trump Tax TemblorPresident Donald Trump cited losses to pay no federal income taxes in 10 of the 15 years preceding 2016, a New York Times investigation has found, raising questions about whether he lied about his wealth or was just a really poor businessman. The president called the reports — two days before the first presidential debate — “fake news.” He could settle the debate by finally releasing his tax returns as other recent presidents have done. Will he? |
| | | 4. Nick of TimeIt’s only appropriate for a platform that prides itself on its 15-second quick hits. A federal judge Sunday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ban on viral Chinese app TikTok hours before it was to go into effect. | TikTok can make you an overnight celebrity — just as video call embarrassments during the pandemic can bring instant notoriety. Just ask Argentine legislator Juan Emilio Ameri. |
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| |  | | If you’re like us, you’ve gotten used to working from the comfort of home wrapped in cozy blankets, and might dread the idea of putting on “real clothes.” With Outerknown’s Blanket Shirt, your problem is solved: It’s rugged and sustainable and, we promise, the coziest shirt ever made. Don’t let its stylishness fool you: The Blanket Shirt can also stand up to the natural elements and function as an extra layer on chilly nights.
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| As the country mourns the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, hear about a heartwarming nugget from her confirmation proceedings in the 1990s that none of us knew about. |
|  | | As a young law student, OZY co-founder and CEO Carlos Watson worked in the White House counsel’s office and was tasked with helping RBG prep for Senate hearings. But all she wanted to do during breaks, Carlos recalls, was to hold hands with her husband Marty. Listen to Episode 1 of When Katty Met Carlos, brought to you by OZY and the BBC, onApple Podcasts,Spotify, theiHeart Radio app, orwherever else you get your podcasts. | The economy will take time to recover. But these leading global economists are flagging more fundamental worries about the very future of capitalism. |
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|  | Fix or Fade: Capitalism's Truth Tellers |
| 1. Anne CaseAmerican capitalism is increasingly killing its working class — literally — the Princeton economist showcases in her latest book with Nobel Prize-winning economist husband Angus Deaton, titled Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism. White Americans are increasingly likely to die in their middle age and are living less healthier lives. Published amid the pandemic, the book's a warning for capitalism as it enters its own middle age. |
| 2. Atif MianOne of capitalism's central arguments for wealth creation is that the additional income goes back into the economy, fueling further growth. Except that's no longer true for the richest Americans,new research led by thePakistan-born economist shows. The top 1 percent have increased their savings over the past 35 years, while the rest of America and their government have become more indebted. |
| 3. Dambisa MoyoWhat about global inequality?This Harvard-trained Zambian economist has a bold — if controversial — proposal to keep Africa aligned with the West instead of China amid a devastating global recession. America and Europe, she says, should make direct cash payments to Africans in a 21st-century version of the post-World War II Marshall Plan. | We don’t know about cash payments, but one woman can help you with clever investments. |
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| Meet the Queen of Finance |
| Afsaneh Beschloss manages over $60 billion as the CEO of RockCreek. Today she joins Carlos to talk about breaking the glass ceiling and the smartest investments to make now. Subscribe to OZY’s YouTube channel. You could win an invitation to a Zoom taping with a celebrity guest! | You know what’s a timeless investment? Great music. And few voices surpass the lush baritone of Barry White. Here are a few lesser-known tidbits about the late soul icon. |
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|  | | | 2. Love on His LipsNo word’s more unromantic than “gubernatorial” … except when intoned by White. Don’t believe us? Hear him with David Letterman read out “Words That Sound Romantic When Spoken by Barry White." |
| 3. Pan-AfricanismWhite didn’t mix much with politics, but in the late 1960s he helped forge bonds with post-colonial African musicians and intellectuals. Along with Nina Simone among others, he joined the historic Pan-African Festival of Algiers in July 1969. What are your favorite Barry White songs? Tell us and we’ll create your playlist. | White went there more than 50 years ago — today Algeria’s rising again in surprising ways. Take a trip with us.
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| | | 2. K-Pop ConquestThe Korean pop wave has found an unlikely home in the Arab nation, sparking a broader fascination with Korean culture. Young Algerians now dress like K-pop stars and incorporate Korean phrases into their everyday speech, while the demand for Korean language schools is growing. Read more. |
| 3. Castles of SandThese ones don’t crumble. For centuries, Algerians have made homes from earth with porous walls that allow ventilation in the desert’s scorching heat. Now as concrete increasingly takes over, architect Yasmine Terki is trying to revive the earthen architectural tradition for a future that’s only getting hotter. Read more. | Speaking of revived traditions, more and more people have taken to roller skates again amid the pandemic. And the modern faces of this footwear aren’t those you’d expect. |
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|  | | | | 3. Today’s TeaserWhich iconic 20th-century global leader and war hero once overruled opposition from store owners to allow children to roller-skate in one of the world’s biggest cities? Tell us. |
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