Economía en Cifras: Spain Is Registering Anti-Vaxxers

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Good morning! It's easy to think of 2020 in black-and-white terms. But amid the tragedies it has heaped upon us, the year has also seen the emergence of unlikely champions of hope. Don't believe me? Meet the tattooed Maori foreign minister who's changing New Zealand's relationship with itself, and try our gardening tips and brilliant fusion food. If you're looking for a change at work, you could learn from some of the best in history. It's all there in today's mix. Eclectic? Yes. And also unmissable.

Charu Sudan Kasturi, Senior Editor

News in a Minute

1. In the Way

President-elect Joe Biden has publicly dinged the outgoing Trump administration for withholding national security information his team may need to protect the country. President Donald Trump, who fully blocked all transition efforts for two weeks after he lost the election, has still refused to concede. Biden reportedly plans to invoke the wartime Defense Production Act to direct the private sector to mobilize against the pandemic once he takes office Jan. 20. (Sources: Washington Post, Axios)

2. Be Counted

Spain, one of the European countries worst hit by COVID-19, has announced that it'll create a registry of people who refuse to get vaccinated. Though the list won't be public, it will be shared with other EU countries. Some tech companies are working on vaccine passport apps that will allow global travelers to show proof of vaccination when they cross borders. (Sources: BBC, CNN)

3. Bigger Balance

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to increase COVID-19 benefit checks from $600 to $2,000, though it's unclear if the changes will make it through the Senate. Meanwhile, New York state passed sweeping legislation banning most evictions for another 60 days even if tenants can't pay rent. (Sources: WSJ, NYT)

4. Wrongful Death

Columbus, Ohio's police department has fired an officer for shooting an unarmed Black man while responding to a non-emergency call. Meanwhile, jazz musician Keyon Harrold's video of a white woman accusing his Black 14-year-old son of stealing her iPhone has gone viral. In it, the unidentified woman tackles the child, demanding he hand over his own phone. She reportedly hasn't apologized, even after her phone was returned by the Uber driver whose car she left it in. (Sources: Reuters, BuzzFeed)

Top Cop

Don't expect interviews from the police officer selected as the best in the force by the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Not unless you've got a treat or two to offer. Ruby, a Belgian Shepherd, won the "cop of the month" award after she sniffed out thieves who had stolen two silver trays from a royal palace. Three woofs for her!

hindsight is 2020

Political Pathbreakers

At leastfive transgender candidates won elections in America's November vote. And a Native American might finally join the country's Cabinet. Meet some of the other new glass ceiling-breaking politicians from around the world.

1. Nanaia Mahuta

The 50-year-old New Zealand foreign minister is still adjusting to Zoom diplomacy but has learned to stand up against China, New Zealand's biggest export partner, over its authoritarian steps in Hong Kong. The country's first female foreign minister is also Maori and proudly wears a sacred facial tattoo on her chin. Known to steer clear of controversies, she let her diplomatic side slip just a bit after President-elect Joe Biden's win as U.S. president, with a smiley on Twitter. And domestically, Mahuta has already zoomed in on her long-term priorities, including introducing Maori language classes in all New Zealand schools.

2. Erica Malunguinho

Her fist raised high, Malunguinho walked up to take her oath as Brazil's first transgender politician to enter a state senate last year. Her role model Marielle Franco (read her profile on OZY) — a bold Afro-Brazilian woman like Malunguinho — was assassinated in 2018. But Malunguinho isn't one to stand back. She's helping Black Brazil rediscover itself through Aparelha Luzia, a unique community space she's created in São Paulo where art, music, dance and politics come together to celebrate a long-ignored culture.

3. Salum Barwani

The first albino member of Parliament in Tanzania understands the risks that come with being a persecuted minority. In parts of East Africa, killing albinos is considered good luck. But Barwani, who's from the opposition CUF party and was first elected in 2010, is a vital cog in the Tanzanian opposition's efforts to hold authoritarian President John Magufuli accountable. During recent elections, Barwani alleged that opposition polling agents weren't allowed into some voting centers. Neither racism nor political threats will stop him.

look no further: your go-to jeans

Grow Your Grub

Winter might not seem the best time for gardening. But there's plenty you can do indoors or on your balcony. In fact, entire nations are encouraging their citizens to grow their own food. What's stopping you?

1. Feeding an Island

Singapore imports 90 percent of its food — leaving it vulnerable to global supply shocks from crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why Singapore's government this year started handing out two packets of seeds to every family, asking them to grow their own greens in veranda gardens. If this model works, Singapore could offer valuable lessons to other tiny islands that have no farmland. And why just islands? Desert nations like the United Arab Emirates are also exploring this model.

2. 'Tis the Season

For hot peppers. While you may be enjoying them in your risottos and curries this winter, it's time to get started on next year's batch because this spicy fruit takes a long time to grow. Start now with indoor trays until they hit the quarter-inch mark. When leaves appear, transplant them into pots, keeping them warm and moist throughout the colder months so they can bear fruit and spice up your savory dishes next year.

Feminism: Different Perspectives

Today we're bringing you a deep dive into different perspectives on feminism from some of our favorite episodes of The Carlos Watson Show. Whether you explore the philosophies of OGs like Gloria Steinem and Donna Brazile, or new takes on gender and power from Jameela Jamil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Isabel Sandoval, find them all here.

Maverick Marketers

Admit it, we're all marketers. We sell our qualities and ideas every day: Our resumés are little more than marketing pitches. But some masters have aced the craft better than most.

1. Dr. Seuss

The children's author who wrote such anti-consumerist works as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Lorax spent a good chunk of his early career in the corporate world. Seuss' capacious imagination fueled advertising campaigns for his largest client, Standard Oil . Long before children were being entertained by the Grinch or the Sneetches, magazine readers were encountering surreal beasts with funny names like "Karbo-nockus" or "Moto-raspus" in ads for Essolube motor oil or Flit insecticide. Read more on OZY.

2. Samuel Colt

If the name Samuel Colt has become synonymous with guns, it's no accident. It was his intention. Colt may not have invented the revolver whose design he perfected, but he was a pioneer in everything from production lines to political lobbying to mass marketing and celebrity endorsements, and, more than any other man, he is responsible for fanning the flames of America's affinity for privately owned firearms. Read more on OZY.

3. Ivy Lee

For the man considered the father of public relations, the field was about helping big companies tell their stories and get them out in front of potential controversies. Lee believed that publicity worked best when it played on "the imagination or emotion of the public." Presentation was paramount and the facts were … flexible. Lee's skills were tested in 1914 when he salvaged titan John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s charred legacy from the ruins of the bloody "Ludlow Massacre" in which striking coal miners and their families were fired upon by National Guardsmen bankrolled by Rockefeller. Read more on OZY.

Great Fusion Food

Think of your two favorite cuisines. Now imagine if you could marry the two. Great fusion can bring together flavors but also cultures.

1. Paratha Quesadilla

Taco Bell never stood a chance. Join our colleague Sandya Kola as she shares the secrets of Indo-Mexican cuisine, where the best Punjabi fried breads don't just coexist, but embellish Mexican spices and preparations for a food riot that'll leave your tastebuds — and stomach — craving another helping. Read more on OZY.

2. Kosherati

Diplomacy can resolve differences between enemy nations. Food does it even better. Elli Kriel's Kosherati cuisine — a blend of kosher and Emirati food — is building bridges that Israel and the United Arab Emirates hope to capitalize on with their landmark peace deal this year. Read more on OZY.

3. Jolloff in Paris

It's much better than the caricature of French and American people that was Emily in Paris. No, this isn't a show, though it deserves one. A growing number of African restaurants in Paris are melding West African flavors and ingredients with French cuisine. Ready for crème brûlée with hibiscus?

What's the most memorable fusion food you've tasted?

Contributors

Fiona Zublin, Ned Colin, Sean Braswell and Tracy Moran contributed to making this Whiskey in Your Coffee special.

martes, 29 de diciembre de 2020

Spain Is Registering Anti-Vaxxers