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Happy Monday! If the excitement of a world that’s reopening is mixed with the anxiety of dressing up and meeting people again, we know how you feel. After all, the best cocktails also carry a couple dashes of bitters. Today’s dose offers lessons and tricks to deal with those fears. But first, you’ll meet the 17-year-old Japanese golf star who’s got Tiger Woods’ attention, discover why Botswana and South Africa are encouraging poaching … to protect endangered species, and pay tribute to the DMX you did not know. |
| | Charu Sudan Kasturi, Senior Editor, and Joshua Eferighe, Reporter |  |
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|  | | 1. Nuking Peace?A cyber attack at one of Iran’s biggest nuclear facilities on Sunday led to a blackout, with growing indications that Israel was behind the attack. The strike threatens to further escalate tensions between the archenemies and complicate efforts by the Biden administration to revive nuclear talks with Iran. (Sources: Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN) |
| 2. Floyd Fire AgainA police officer shot dead a Black man pulled over for a traffic violation 10 miles from the Minneapolis location where George Floyd died last May, after an officer used his knee to press Floyd’s neck against the ground. The shooting sparked fresh protests even as the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer accused of killing Floyd, continues in a Minneapolis court. (Sources: NYT, WaPo) |
| 3. Left, Right or No One?Pedro Castillo,a far-left schoolteacher, emerged as the front-runner in a fractured election to pick Peru’s next president, but will likely face a runoff against Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori. Some 28 percent of voters didn’t want anyone from a field of 18 candidates. Meanwhile, in Ecuador, conservative banker Guillermo Lasso won the presidency. (Sources: France 24, Guardian, Reuters) |
| 4. Crisis-Exploiting OfficersThe median pay of top CEOs at U.S. public companies rose by almost a million dollars in 2020 — even as unemployment was skyrocketing — boosted by rising stocks. Instead of taking standard pay cuts, should CEOs share annual earnings from stock options they receive with employees? Vote here or on Twitter. (Source: WSJ) |
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| |  | | Noom’s health program cares about your mental well-being and overall wellness. Learning how your mind works is a huge step toward improving your health, forming good habits and having a sustainable lifestyle. Noom uses psychology to teach you about your mind, provides the tools you need and — along with an encouraging support system — helps you start meeting your health goals to see long-lasting results. Let Noom help you feel your best. Start your health journey today with Noom’s quick quiz. |
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|  | Asia: Golf’s Generation Z FutureHideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese golfer to win the Masters on Sunday. But at 29, he's already part of the old guard. Meet the Gen Z Asian golfers preparing to take over the sport. |
| 1. Sungjae ImThey call him Iron Byron, the name of the U.S. Golf Association’s robot golf tester. At a 2019 tournament in Melbourne, Australia, other top golfers concluded they couldn’t play against a 25-mile-an-hour wind. But the South Korean golfer, now 23, kept hitting the green … like a machine. At the Masters last November, he registered a performance that would have won him the green jacket 80 out of the previous 84 times, only to be beaten right at the end by eventual winner Dustin Johnson. Im won’t be denied much longer. |
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|  | | America’s COVID-19 vaccination program is progressing rapidly and states are reopening. But could new variants undermine those gains? Katty Kay and Carlos Watson are joined by Cynthia Finch, who is fighting vaccine inequity, and Dr. Michael Osterholm, a leading epidemiologist. Listen onApple Podcasts,Stitcher, theiHeart Radio app or OZY. |
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| Counterintuitive ConservationThese unlikely approaches are helping to save endangered animal species against the odds. |
| 1. Poaching to ProtectSouth Africa and Botswana are embracing a radical approach that regulates but allows trophy hunting of endangered animals. Banning poaching altogether, they've found, only encourages illegal hunting, where local communities have little incentive to stop the killings. Instead, by allowing limited trophy hunting, governments give communities a reason to ensure the long-term survival of endangered species. It’s working with Botswana’s elephants and South Africa’s sable antelope. |
| 2. Where Shepherds Save WolvesFor centuries, the rugged terrain of Ladakh, along the India-China border, has witnessed pitched battles between yak herders and predatory wolves and snow leopards. Now a dramatic new approach pioneered by local conservationists and villagers is upending that seemingly irreconcilable tension, using Buddhist principles to turn enmity into peaceful coexistence. Read more on OZY. |
| 3. Test-Tube FrogsWhat if a lab could meet the demand for exotic species that’s behind illegal hunting? Conservationists in Ecuador are doing just that: breeding a rare species of frog specifically for the wildlife-trafficking market. They argue that as long as there’s a demand for these creatures, poachers with resources will find ways to get them. So it's better to meet that demand — but without killing any wild frogs. |
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|  | DMX: The Legacy You Did Not KnowThe iconic rapper passed away on Friday, but if you’re still thinking about him, you’re not alone. His legacy will live on, even the parts you likely didn’t know. |
| 1. Boxing for Justice?Neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty in the 2012 killing of Black teenager Trayvon Martin, said he wanted to box. His promoter put out a bid. DMX won it, and was clearly licking his lips. “I am going to beat the living f--- out him … I am breaking every rule in boxing to make sure I f--- him right up,” the rapper said. Zimmerman called off the 2014 fight. |
| 2. Behind Woodstock ‘99DMX’sperformance at Woodstock ’99 drew 200,000 attendees, making it one of the biggest rap concerts in history — and the source of clips that still go viral. But did you know that in addition to being overbooked, the venue wasa 100-degree oven that day, with a water shortage. And that 1,200 people were sent to on-site medical facilities? |
| 3. DMX Gets CuteWith a lengthy record of arrests, struggles with addiction and a voice that seems like it was made for aggression, it would be easy to assume the Yonkers native didn’t have a soft spot. You couldn’t be more wrong. Just check out hiscover of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” during a visit to a radio station. What’s your favorite DMX song? Tell us and we’ll create a playlist. |
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|  | Getting Over Your FONOFOMO is out, FONO (fear of normal) is in. But these simple lessons and tips could help us deal with the anxieties of reentry. |
| 1. Learn From the Really IsolatedWe’ve all been lonely this past year, but imagine being on an island with no one visiting during the pandemic. That’s the struggle Mauritius has grappled with, as its tourism-dependent economy was battered. Now it’s reentering the world, building confidence among its people and potential visitors by offering free COVID-19 vaccines not just to citizens but to long-term visa holders too. Trust science. It’s our best shot at health and economic recovery. |
| 2. Exposure TherapySlowly expose yourself to anxiety-inducing situations. Meet one person, then two, to regain your confidence before attending a party. More and more experts are recommending this “exposure therapy” as the smartest way to reenter. It’ll help you overcome your fears of acne coming back a year after you last put on makeup. But even if your country or state is a leader in COVID-19 vaccinations, don’t lower your guard, or masks, too much — or, as Chile is discovering, the virus will bite back. |
| 3. Time to InspireAmid growing talk of a “lost year” in education, mental health specialists are now advising parents to get out of a sense of crisis and model optimism for their children. Yes, last year was tough. But children will recover — if that’s the message we give them. |
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|  | | Join the coolest new streaming platform. With CuriosityStream you can explore nonfiction films and series on topics ranging from history and food to space exploration and animals. Best of all, for a limited time OZY readers can spark their curiosity and get a full year of access for only $1.25/month with an annual plan using code OZY. |
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