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Good morning! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I just realized I have a potential spy hiding in my cleaning closet — and you might too. Would the world’s most paw-werful presidential pets be able to sniff out these threats? Meet them today, learn why green is the new color of protest and buy yourself time this Black Friday — literally. Read to the end for the answer to Tuesday’s question. |
| | Charu Sudan Kasturi, Senior Editor |  |
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|  | | 1. Do-OverThey’d like another shot. Share prices in Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine dropped after experts questioned the company’s reports and researchers scheduled a whole new global trial. Turns out that the original claim to be 70 percent effective meant 62 percent in major trials and 90 percent in a small test in the U.K. where everyone was given a lower dose — initially by accident. Also not helping: North Korea, which Seoul says it caught trying to hack companies developing vaccines in South Korea. (Sources: Guardian, Al Jazeera) |
| 2. Concession StandPresident Donald Trump confirmed to reporters yesterday that he’ll leave office after the electoral college certifies President-elect Joe Biden’s win — but he repeatedly denied Biden’s victory, questioning his vote total and alleging massive fraud. To a reporter who pushed back, he said, “Don’t talk to me that way. You’re just a lightweight.” (Source: NPR) |
| 3. Legend GoneNot a lightweight: Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer legend who died of a heart attack Wednesday at age 60. Though the funeral was small, massive crowds lined the streets of Buenos Aires to say goodbye. Would you risk a crowd to bid farewell to your favorite sports star? Vote on Twitter. (Source: BBC) |
| 4. Glug GlugThis won’t go over well Down Under. In a move that’s likely more about an ongoing diplomatic spat than about tannins, China has levied tariffs of up to 212 percent on Australian wine. Almost 40 percent of Australia’s wine market is sold to China, and importers are expected to turn elsewhere rather than pay the import fees. (Source: Reuters) |
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| | It’s fine to change your colors. The Fritillaria delavayi, historically a green flower that grows on the rocky Hengduan mountains in southwestern China, is increasingly being plucked for traditional medicine. So it has developed a stunning defense through rapid evolution: turning gray to camouflage itself in the mountain rocks. |
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|  | | Awaken your senses with the feeling of a hot towel shave at home. With a warming bar that heats up in less than one second and five blades for maximum comfort, the Heated Razor by GilletteLabs is turning your everyday shave into an unexpectedly luxurious experience. It’s the ultimate holiday gift for the discerning man in your life … or a way to treat yourself. Use the code HEAT30 to get 30 percent off, but don’t delay: This sale ends Dec. 1. WHAT’S IN THE BOX? 1) World’s First Heated Razor: With a push of a button, easily choose between two levels of heat to achieve optimal comfort. 2) Signature Gillette Blades: Five of Gillette’s best blades combine with FlexDisc™ technology to maintain skin contact and give a smooth shave and maximize heat delivery. 3) Wireless Magnetic Charging: Ensures the heated razor is ready when you are — up to six shaves from a single charge. |
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|  | Dog-PlomacyPresident-elect Joe Biden’s canines, Major and Champ, will move into the White House with him. When their boss goes toe to toe with world leaders, can they go nose to nose with these other famous first dogs? |
| 1. YumeEmpathy isn’t a word you normally associate with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Yume, his Akita, brings it out. One bark and she has Putin smiling and pulling treats out of his pocket. Just ask the Japanese journalists who received an earful from Yume in 2016, before Putin calmed her down. “You were right to take caution,” he later told them. “Yume is a no-nonsense dog.” Like her master, who was once accused of using hisblack Labrador Koni to scare German Chancellor Angela Merkel. |
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|  | Spy GameFrom election interference to attempts at stealing vaccine secrets, spies have had a busy year. But the latest tools of espionage often don’t need tuxedo-wearing killing machines like James Bond. Sophisticated, hidden tech can do it just as well. |
| 1. Vacuum CleanersThey can wipe out your privacy too. Scientists at the University of Maryland showed this month that modern robotic vacuum cleaners that use the popular lidar — light detection and ranging — technology can store private conversations they overhear. Lidar uses lasers to measure distances and is gaining traction in augmented reality apps and driverless cars. What you say in the car might not stay in the car. |
| | 3. Phone StorageIt seemed like an innocuous service, offering to help create more space on your phone for you to store photos and videos. But it was a disguised Egyptian surveillance app — uncovered last year — that was used by the country’s authoritarian regime to spy on political opponents and journalists. |
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|  | Ever-GreenOK, enough with the scary stuff. If you’ve been watching season 2 of The Carlos Watson Show, you might have noticed Carlos’ stunning new green chair. While I’m green with envy, there’s plenty else that the color denotes that you probably didn’t know. |
| 1. Markets Up or Down?In the West, rising stocks are represented by the color green and red is used to symbolize a fall. Cross over to China, the world’s second-largest economy, and the color coding flips. There, red is auspiciousand is used to denote rising stocks, with green the color of decline. |
| 2. Get NoticedIt sits in the middle of the visible spectrum of light, making it the easiest color to see. The human eye can also distinguish most easily between different shades of green — a part of the reason night vision goggles are tinted with that color. |
| 3. No Hanky PankyGreen handkerchiefs stand in the way. They’ve emerged as the symbol of the women’s resistance movement in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years, from Peru to Argentina and beyond. The color symbolizes health. And now, protest. |
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| | Storeless Black FridaysHow about buying something truly unique … or bizarre? |
| | 2. Show OZY LoveThis Black Friday, we're offering our fans a 20 percent discount across all items — from OZY mugs to The Carlos Watson Show tote bags — in theOZY Store until midnight ET on Sunday, Nov. 29.Shop now. |
| 3. Buy Yourself TimeWell, sort of. It’s gimmicky but the idea of “owning” or “gifting” a day to someone sounds just perfect, and a Canary Islands firm is making money off it. “Get Your Time” lets you register a 24-hour period as yours, complete with a certificate, to mark special days. |
| 4. Tongue TrickThis one’s for cat people — just in case my fascination with Dylan and Lennu made you believe I have a pet prejudice. It’s a tongue extension with bristles that lets you lick your cat. What a purrfect experience, right? |
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| | On Tuesday we asked you to match poems to lesser-known verse styles. Here’s the answer! “Sometimes, I’d rather start …” — Luc Bat “Sweetest sun so soon is setting …” — Daina Eunice, Kelly P. and Patricia P., you got it right! |
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| THROWBACK TO THE GOOD TIMESMissing the good old days? We are too. Luckily, our friends at Cariuma have captured the nostalgic, effortlessly cool style we all crave with their brand-new CATIBA Pro. Beyond its attractive vintage style, the CATIBA Pro is built for an active lifestyle and has maximum durability without sacrificing comfort. Join us, and rock the fashion of the good old times — and don’t forget to use code OZY to get $15 off for a limited time! |
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