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Monday, August 31, 2020
| Happy Monday!!! I hope your weekend was restful. Mine was spent poring over photos from past travels, wondering when I might get to take a vacation next. If yours was spent worrying about the violence in Portland, we’ve got a deep dive just for you. Not everything’s all doom and gloom, though. Meet a 24-year-old South African millionaire betting on the dollar’s future; thank songbirds for fashion’s coolest new fiber; sway to some of 2020’s funkiest beats and check the end of the email to see whether you got Friday’s U.S. Open trivia right. |
| | Charu Sudan Kasturi, Senior Editor |  |
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| | | 2. Not So Fast, TikTokThis is no 15-second challenge. That’s Beijing’s message to the U.S. and a bevy of suitors trying to buy the Chinese social media app’s American operations ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline declared by Trump. New export control rules introduced by Beijing mean that TikTok might need China’s approval before going ahead with a sale. |
| |  | 4. Belarus Birthday BluesIt’s a birthday Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko won’t forget in a hurry. Thousands of protesters defied bans and took to the streets on Sunday, Lukashenko’s 66th birthday, to demand that he resign after a controversial election in early August. “Happy birthday, you rat,” some of them chanted. Is Lukashenko’s ship sinking? |
| 5. Outage OutrageIndia and Russia have been declared joint winners of the 2020 Chess Olympiad — after two Indian players lost their internet connection mid-match and were logged out. The chess competition was moved online because of the pandemic. Sun-kissed beaches, crystal-clear water, a piña colada … I’d give a lot for an island retreat at the moment; just not what one of Brazil’s most popular paradises wants. |
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| | | The clash in Portland was no isolated incident. Understanding what happened there — and before that in Kenosha — could help us prepare for the next two months. | |  | 1. Powder Keg PortlandThe city is a liberal bastion, but it’s an easy drive away from pockets of staunch support for Trump, who in 2018 pardoned Oregon cattle ranchers convicted of arson on federal land where they were grazing their animals without authority. That makes Portland a ready battleground for clashes between pro-Trump caravans and Black Lives Matter activists. |
| 2. Black ResiliencePortland is also Ground Zero for innovative anti-Trump campaigns. Cameron Whitten, a 29-year-old longtime Portland resident, has launched a “Black Resilience Fund” that rapidly raised more than $1 million to help local residents in need. Read more. |
| 3. Militia MenaceBut there’s a broader pattern at play. Right-wing militias from outside the city organized and then entered Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week, to battle protesters angry about the police shooting of Jacob Blake. A white teenager from Illinois shot two protesters dead. |
| 4. Common Link?There’s no evidence yet that the Kenosha shooter was inspired by the militias, but both the left and the right are increasingly using Facebook to mobilize support for rallies, testing the social media giant’s ability — and willingness — to screen out provocative content. |
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| shh ... it's ozy confidential |
| | Share your love for OZY's edgiest podcast, OZY Confidential with these print posters. Get them today from the OZY Store. |
| If like me, you find textiles soothing, you’ll love these pretty, bold yarns. |
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| | | 2. AguayosMade from the wool of alpacas, llamas or sheep, these handmade weaves are native to the Andes, and are used by women to carry children and other items on their backs. |
| 3. Vegan WoolThank the sunbirds for this wool. Seeing them spin a yarn from fibers of a wasteland shrub inspired Indian natural fashion entrepreneur Gowri Shankar into developing what could be a game-changer in the sustainable fabric industry. His plant-based wool is already drawing the attention of European brands, while giving local communities a livelihood. Read more. What’s your favorite textile? Tell us on Twitter or below. |
| Speaking of livelihoods, millennials are embracing an unpredictable economic vocation even amid the global crisis: foreign exchange trading, where you take bets on how currency values will move up or down. It’s a market that sees $6.6 trillion in trade every day — that’s 25 times the world’s stock markets combined. Meet some of the emerging stars of forex trading. |
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| |  | 1. Sandile SheziHe got his first taste of business at the age of 12, when he sold muffins. Now the 27-year-old born in a poor South African township is a self-made millionaire, with a net worth of more than $2.3 million earned through forex trade. |
| | | 4. Samuel LeachThe 29-year-old British trader isn’t waiting for millennials to seek his advice — he’s going straight to them on their favorite platform, Instagram, where he offers tips, do’s and don’ts on forex trade to his 115K followers. Money might move the world, but nothing moves me like music. Start the week with these cool 2020 numbers from south of the border. |
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| |  | 1. Imposible AmorDriving your car? Washing dishes? Banging out a newsletter on a Monday morning? This collaboration between Mexican band Matisse and Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa is perfect to get you moving. Watch and listen. |
| 2. BounceThe name of the song says it all. You’ll be bouncing on your feet before you know it with this peppy number from Argentine singer Cazzu. Watch and listen. |
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| | We’re inviting you to meet our team and share your thoughts on what you love and what we can do to make Whiskey in Your Coffee even more delicious. If you’d like to join us for a quick chat, please let me know below. Oh, and there’s a gift voucher waiting for you! |
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| | On Friday we asked you: How old was the youngest male champion at the U.S. Open? The answer: Vincent Richards was 15 years, 4 months and 26 days when he won the men’s doubles title with Bill Tilden in 1918. |
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