What’s Making Brazil’s COVID Strain So Dangerous?

The Brazilian variant of COVID-19 has reinfected several people who had recovered from the virus, scientists have concluded, sparking concerns over the efficacy of the vaccines that are currently available to combat the strain. Meanwhile, African and Southeast Asian governments are asking pharma firms to share vaccine knowledge with them so shots can be produced locally. (Sources: NYT, FT)

2. ‘Can I Kiss You?’

That’s what New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo allegedly asked a young woman he met for the first time at a crowded wedding reception. He didn't wait for an answer, according to the woman, before grabbing her face and planting a kiss on her cheek — a moment caught by a photographer. It’s the latest sexual harassment allegation against Cuomo. (Sources: CBS, Globe and Mail)

3. Sarkozy Sentenced

A French court has sentenced former President Nicolas Sarkozy to jail for attempting to bribe a judge in 2014. Sarkozy will appeal the verdict and will meanwhile remain free. Which other world leader could be headed for jail next? Vote on Twitter or here. (Sources: Guardian, Al Jazeera)

4. Is Bond the Villain?

Yes, for Wall Street … a threat that’s as serious as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. But we’re not talking about secret agent 007. Investors are increasingly worried that bonds are overheating the market — though Monday saw the S&P 500 rise to its highest since June amid hopes for a stimulus package and increasing COVID-19 inoculations. (Sources: CNN, WSJ)

President Biden wants you to “buy American.” President Tsai Ing-wen is more specific. Taiwan’s leader wants her people to “eat pineapples all together!” after China banned imports of the fruit from the self-governing region that Beijing claims. It’s a prickly patriotism test.

She was part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, the daughter of Lithuanian Jews is Mexico's most influential female politician, as mayor of capital Mexico City. An ally of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the scientist-turned-politician has drawn criticism amid the pandemic for her reluctance to enforce lockdowns, in keeping with her boss’ controversial positions. But as a potential successor to Obrador, she could become the country’s first female president.

2. Sam Cramblit

Donald Trump might have won Ohio in the presidential election, but Cramblit, a 6-foot, 260-pound former all-state football lineman, offered early evidence of the blue swing that helped Joe Biden win nationally. In 2019, the 28-year-old Democrat won the mayoralty of Ironton, a small Ohio town where Trump had won comfortably in 2016. The son of an ironworker and a nurse, Cramblit pitched himself as a moderate, opposing a tax increase. It worked — just as a moderate approach did for Biden nationally. Read more on OZY.

3. Ekrem İmamoğlu

When Istanbul students gathered early in January to protest against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's appointment of a university rector, they found support from İmamoğlu, the city's soft-spoken mayor who has emerged as the biggest political threat to Erdoğan's 17-year-long rule. The bespectacled Istanbul mayor makes a public show of his Islamic faith to woo back voters from the religious politics of the president. Will it work? Read more on OZY.

Meet the “Rulebreakers” — change-makers who break barriers and defy the odds. Today, that's filmmaker Ava DuVernay. She tells Carlos about how she's amplifying the stories of women and people of color, and trying to hold law enforcement accountable through art. Watch now.

1. Co-Living Craze

Amid a public health crisis, sharing bathrooms and kitchens with strangers might not sound very appealing. But contrary to industry expectations, co-living hasn’t just survived the pandemic, but it’s taking off like never before as young people with tight budgets try to get around the loneliness of lockdowns with affordable housing, from Shanghai to Seoul and across America. Read more on OZY.

2. Tone to Tongue

Music and the arts are central not just to the culture of Cuba but are a pivotal means of economic sustenance for the island nation’s creatives. With the pandemic killing their tourism-dependent revenue, Cuba’s musicians have embraced a new skillset: baking and cooking at home, and selling their crafty crusts.

3. The New Ubers

More and more self-employed workers — including millions who’ve been laid off — are turning to platforms like Patreon and Substack that allow them to charge subscriptions for their content. These platforms, which are witnessing a surge in sign-ups, could be the next Ubers and Lyfts of the gig economy. Read more on OZY.

The future of your favorite tiger prawn will depend on the impact of climate change on the base of the food chain: marine microbes that zooplankton and small fish consume. Take them out of the equation and we wouldn’t have seafood. Read more on OZY.

2. Fishing in a Desert

Somaliland, the self-declared state on the Horn of Africa, never had a fishing tradition with its coastline a sandy desert. But stung by frequent droughts that are killing off the region’s livestock — which contributes 30 percent to its GDP — Somalilanders are boldly reorienting their future and their diet. Within a decade, they’ve emerged as exporters of fish, building a new economy that’s creating jobs and empowering women. Read more on OZY.

3. Crab in a Lab?

Here’s another way to sustain the seafood industry. Scientists and companies are now starting to grow seafood in a lab. They’re trying it with tuna first, but if it works, the sky — or rather the ocean — is the limit.

Is there a subject you’d like covered in a future Whiskey in Your Coffee? Tell us and we’ll get your cocktail ready!

The Atacama is the world’s driest non-polar desert. But there's nothing dry about experiencing dawn while soaring over this unique terrain as the sun reflects off the Cordillera de la Sal salt mountains.

2. Okavango Delta, Botswana

Safari car rides are great — safari flights are even more stunning.Watch giant African elephants roam the land below, as hippos and crocodiles bob their heads in lakes and rivers.

3. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Top up your visit to the world's largest religious monument by flying over the Angkor Wat temple complex, taking in its architectural and historical majesty.

To us, you’re part of the OZY family. So whether you’ve just graduated, had a baby or done something amazing … tell us and we’d love to amplify your special moments and accomplishments in this email! Because that’s what families do.