OZY Daily Dose

From unicorns aiming for world domination to small township startups looking to make a difference in women’s lives, Africa is replete with innovators. It has the youngest population of any continent in the world, with about 60% of Africans under the age of 25. Add to that the fact that smartphone penetration is rising as countries become increasingly connected, and you have a surefire recipe for creativity. Now, the big guns are moving in. Jack Dorsey, whose company Twitter is setting up shop in Ghana, believes “Africa will define the future.” Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma estimates that African entrepreneurs will drive the next digital revolution. In today’s Daily Dose, we’ll introduce you to some of the most fascinating movers and shakers the continent has to offer. Get ready for some Afri-nnovation!

Someone once said that “history repeats itself because no one was listening the first time.” These days, we have an increasingly rich and diverse assortment of history podcasts and audiobooks to tune in to. That means it’s easier than ever before to listen to the lessons of the past. This week on Wherever You Get Your Podcasts, we dive into unforgettable stories from the ages, share some of our favorite history podcasts and hear about the latest and greatest news from the audio world.

Our reporter Liam Jamieson was born and raised in the sprawling metropolis that is Los Angeles and loves his home city. But it’s no secret that it isn’t exactly the perfect model of urban design. Public transportation is slow and limited, making a car a necessity for getting around. But with that comes excruciating traffic and its accompanying suffocating smog. While he (maybe naively) envisions a future for Los Angeles that is efficient, sustainable and equitable, today’s Daily Dose dives into cities that are already models for the future of urban design when it comes to road safety, energy efficiency and equal access to green space. Get a glimpse of what tomorrow’s utopias may look like.

Growing up, our reporter Isabelle Lee loved listening to her mom, grandmother and aunt speak German at the dinner table. That was until she learned that they were using German as a code with which to talk about her sister and her, literally over their heads. They felt that sitting patiently through these seemingly endless, incomprehensible conversations meant that they could sit through anything. Of course, there’s a German word that sums up that particular concept — sitzfleisch. But what other super-specific, untranslatable words are out there? Join us for a dive into OZY’s archives and the minds of our editorial team to learn about words you never knew you needed.

Imagine this. You're at the checkout counter, being billed for those edibles you've grabbed for your first (socially distanced) gathering in ages, when your card is rejected. Panic ensues, but then you dig your hands into your pocket, and it jingles reassuringly — not with coins, but sea shells! The bill is settled, and the day saved. In some villages of Papua New Guinea, this could well be real. Currencies have evolved spectacularly across time and space. And around the world, the more creative ones have existed long before, and after, banknotes and coins took center stage. But what’s next? Today, we check out alternative currencies that have paved the way, and some that could diversify the future of trading.

Is the age of the intrepid explorer over? Type the name of any location into an online map and boom, there it is. Except there’s no software that can curb the all-consuming sense of adventure many of us feel — that restless drive to just get up and go. So at a time when the attention-grabbing acts of exploration are firmly fixed on jetting off into space, we’d do well to remember those on whose shoulders Bezos, Branson and company are standing. Wacky, brave and oftentimes stubborn, the six American adventurers profiled in today’s Daily Dose let their passion for parts unknown run wild. From the legendary Black pioneer to the first woman to reach the peak of the tallest mountain in North America to today’s underwater mavens, let us take you on an inspiring journey of wild discovery.

The figure you need to know is 7.5 million. Why? That’s the number of Americans set to lose unemployment benefits once the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program expires on Sept. 6, which, ironically or not, is also Labor Day. The spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant may change the date on which the scheme ends, but one thing is for sure: It’s living on borrowed time. What should Americans expect when it does end? What about talks of an economic boom? What are economists telling us? Let’s find out: In today’s Daily Dose, we delve into what’s set to transpire ahead of an oncoming “benefits cliff.”

The Olympic Games is known for some surefire spectacles: an overdone opening ceremony, dazed athletes waving at no one in particular, tumbling records and tears of joy by the bucketload. But it also throws up events and precedents that no one can expect. Shocking failures and miracle moments that need to be seen to be believed. As the Tokyo Games come to a historic close this weekend, we thought it apt to fill you in, dear reader, on the biggest, most outrageous surprises of the past two weeks. Join us in today’s Daily Dose as we toast the astounding first-time Olympians, the shocking mess-ups and other essential Olympic surprises that will leave you feeling smarter. And probably a little smug.

In June, Victoria’s Secret announced that it would be completely redesigning its brand, starting by doing away with calling its models “angels,” instead including them in the company’s new “VS Collective.” They also decided to ditch the fashion show synonymous with the brand in favor of “redefining sexy.” It’s a move that some say is too little too late. Lingerie brands like Aerie from American Eagle have already been featuring models of different weights, ethnicities, and even abilities for years. So, if the move by the lingerie giant really is too little too late, then who has taken up the mantle? What new forces are defining the future of modeling? Join us for a close-up look at the models creating their own catwalks, read how virtual modeling is an actual thing and dive into the incredible innovations set to upend the fashion world as we know it.

Attending Dartmouth College, viewed as a Wall Street feeder school, hasn't tempted me to head down the profitable career path that is the world of finance. And yet it’s all around me: Friends meticulously prep for job interviews a year before the positions actually become available. Alums who go on to become analysts then find themselves sacrificing sleep, hobbies and anything resembling a social life. Cutthroat? Undoubtedly. Worth it? Depends on whom you ask. But today facing an era of change? You betcha. In today’s Daily Dose, we dive into Wall Street as it lives and breathes in this moment, the issues forcing much-needed change, the key players and whether Wall Street is still quite what it once was. Keep your eyes on the screen, because reading this newsletter is an investment you’ll want to make.