We Did Start the Fire

California’s Dixie fire is now the second-biggest in the state’s history. It’s already burned through more than 720 square miles. Meanwhile, thousands of people have been evacuated — and many more are lining up to leave via ferries — from Evia, Greece’s second-largest island after wildfires ravaged the region in apocalyptic scenes. Should we be prepared for worsening wildfires each year? Vote here or on Twitter. (Sources: LA Times, NPR)

2. Taliban’s Triumphs

The Taliban grabbed control of Kunduz and two other provincial capitals in northern Afghanistan Sunday, dramatically escalating their expansion with the U.S. having withdrawn its forces from the country. In the south, the Islamist group is on the verge of capturing Helmand’s provincial seat. (Sources: WaPo, Al Jazeera, AP)

3. Alibaba Assault

A sexual assault charge against a manager at Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has sparked a national backlash against the company’s failure to address the complainant’s concerns. The company has now fired the accused manager. (Sources: SCMP, WSJ)

4. Messy Messi Move

One of modern soccer’s most formidable partnerships fell apart Sunday as a tearful Lionel Messi confirmed his departure from Barcelona, a club the Argentine superstar has been with for two decades, amid an expected signing with Paris Saint-Germain. New Spanish league rules on salary caps are said to have contributed to Barcelona’s decision to let Messi go. (Sources: Guardian, Deutsche Welle)

It’s the next best thing to a babe in arms. Japanese parents are sending bags of rice weighing as much as their newborns to relatives unable to visit during the pandemic. Family members can imagine they’re holding the new arrival, and some even include an image of baby’s face.

It might sound crazy for an Indian to learn yoga from an American, yet there’s simply no better YouTube yogi than Texas-based Adriene Mishler. I’ve been practicing with her for five years now. She’s kind, fun and will make you smile with her terrible jokes. But her secret sauce, for me at least, is Benji, her scraggly dog who goes into sleep asana when Mishler and you are holding a warrior pose.

2. Baba Ramdev

As a child in northern India, he would win wrestling bouts against his brother by tickling him. Now he’s accused of using similar trickery to build a multi-billion dollar empire that sells everything from toothpaste and cereal to purported “cures” for HIV and COVID-19 — even homosexuality. Starting in the mid-1990s, he used the power of a dedicated TV channel to reintroduce India to an easily digestible form of yoga that many in its birthplace had forgotten. But he often courts controversy: Ignoring their pandemic heroism, he recently criticized doctors who practice modern medicine, sparking nationwide protests. He enjoys the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But like all smart moguls, he has a back-up plan: a Scottish island he bought in 2013.

3. Christina M. Rice

When she started yoga in 2015, she discovered she was the only Black woman in nearly every class she attended. Today she’s leading a yoga revolution among people of color in America, Africa and the Caribbean through her academy OMNoire. Along with her team, Rice — now a trained yoga teacher — has held workshops across the U.S., Grenada, Barbados and Ghana. She’s part of a growing tide of women of color who are redefining how the wellness industry looks. Read more on OZY. 

Cryptocurrencies have long been associated with the agenda of the libertarian right. But a growing number of left-leaning cryptocurrency enthusiasts are shaking things up. They see digital money’s potential in a socialist society to help achieve anything from equitable housing assignments to the demise of autocrats. Socialist governments like Venezuela’s believe blockchain-secured funds can thwart sanctions from the West. Read more on OZY.

2. Dirty to Clean?

Cryptocurrency mining is estimated to consume as much energy as the whole of the Netherlands, generating tons of greenhouse gases and contributing to climate change. But a growing number of crypto firms are now turning to natural gas, a wasted byproduct of oil drilling, to fuel their cryptocurrency mining. Others are using renewable energy. And Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently started Efforce, a marketplace where people can use blockchain to fund environmental projects. Read more on OZY.

3. Tax Evasion

From the U.S. to China, governments are strengthening regulations on cryptocurrencies, worried about their use to avoid paying taxes because of the greater anonymity in transactions allowed by digital currencies. Hackers have sought ransom payments in bitcoin, amplifying those worries.

OZY’s hit podcast franchise The Future of X is back, and this season we’re investigating The Future of Farming with our friends at Vital Farms, from how data will revolutionize farming to the impact of Big Agriculture, along with solutions to food insecurity and climate change. Binge now on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts!

1. Champagne vs Shampanskoye

Champagne enjoys geographic exclusivity — an intellectual property status that in the European Union means only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France can legally carry that name. But when you’re Russian President Vladimir Putin, such distinctions don’t mean much. In July, Putin signed a new law under which only Russian sparkling wine can carry the local name Shampanskoye, while all imported versions, including from Champagne, must be labeled as generic sparkling wine. Global champagne giants protested, but have ultimately decided that they don’t want to lose the Russian market.

2. Prosecco vs Prošek

It’s the season for bubbling battles to boil over. Italy has protested an attempt by Croatia to gain European Union recognition for its dessert wine prošek, arguing that the name is too similar to its famed prosecco. The Croats are pointing out that the two traditional drinks are very different. But when it’s about protecting your market, sometimes it’s all in the name.

3. China vs Australia

This is a tussle over tariffs that won’t get resolved over a drink at the end of the day. China has imposed a massive 218% tariff on Australia’s wines, effectively denying manufacturers Down Under access to one of the world’s biggest wine markets. But while Australia has protested to the WTO, South African wine companies are happily filling that void in China, and Chile is eyeing an opportunity too.

Iran’s foreign ministry has been infiltrated by spies and the country’s intelligence agents must find and stop them before it’s too late. Few shows have gripped Iran in recent years like this stunning and intensely political thriller that’s openly critical of the government of former President Hassan Rouhani — so much so that then foreign minister Javad Zarif attacked its claims of being based on the truth.

2. ‘Hagma Mortada’

You could call it Egypt’s Homeland. Suave Egyptian spies ward off threats from rival agencies and the Muslim Brotherhood to further the country’s interests around the world — whether in Europe or in an American prison in Iraq. Don’t forget that it’s propaganda for the regime of current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. But the action is slick.

3. ‘El Candidato’

A rule-defying veteran CIA operative. His young protege. A popular mayor who’s too good to be true. Can they join forces to take down Mexico City’s most dangerous drug lord? Carefully etched characters and a plot full of twists and turns make El Candidato a treat for crime and espionage lovers.