Sula Costa Daily NYC

The Chamber celebrates Women's History Month with initiatives focusing on gender equality and inclusivity, highlighting the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. Our March 4th "Women’s Initiative Series” kickoff event, “Challenges to Workplace Gender Equality and Advancement," spotlighted female business executives resetting norms and creating inclusive, equitable cultures that empower women to succeed. To view the event recording, please click on the video to the right.   We congratulate Erica Butow (2012 Person of the Year Fellow and President and Co-Founder of Ensina Brasil), winner of the Women Who Transform Award (Prêmio Mulheres que Transformam) in the Social Entrepreneur of the Year category.   Our Person of the Year honorees Luiza Helena Trajano (Magazine Luiza) and Virginia Rometty (IBM) continue their great work as female business leaders, promoting equal rights, healthcare, and education for all. Stay tuned as we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month with initiatives dedicated to the achievements of women! Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. | 485 Madison Avenue, Suite 401, New York, NY 10022 | (212) 751-4691

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Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce • 485 Madison Avenue, Suite 401, New York, New York 10022, United States • 2127514691

Bold start. Smooth finish. The newsletter that interesting people love. SPONSORED BY  Is it just us or do the rays of sunshine at the start of spring feel unusually welcoming this year? Maybe it’s because we’re slowly starting to step outside more. In today’s brew, we tease your wanderlust with places that have opened up, introduce you to the world’s bravest dissidents, offer an inside look at countries betting on oil for their future and excite the amateur magician in you. And no, there’s no sleight of hand in the spot the difference game you’ll try.  Joshua Eferighe, Reporter, and Nick Fouriezos, Senior Reporter

NEWS IN A MINUTE 1. Alaskan Thaw? SeniorU.S. and Chinese officials will meet next week for the first time since President Joe Biden took office. Their summit in appropriately chilly Anchorage, Alaska, could set the tone for the world’s most vital diplomatic relationship. Will U.S. ties with Beijing improve under Biden? Vote on Twitter or here. (Source: SCMP) 2. Economic Jump-Start Economists believe the $1.9 trillion stimulus that’s set for a rollout this weekend could push America’s GDP up by nearly 6 percent this year, the highest annual growth in four decades. The package includes checks of up to $1,400 for most Americans and child tax credits among other measures. (Source: WSJ) 3. Mexi-juana The lower house of Mexico’s Parliament has passed a historic law legalizing marijuana for medicinal use, moving the country a step closer to creating one of the world’s largest markets for recreational pot. (Sources: BBC, Reuters) 4. COVID Clot Five European nations — Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia — have suspended the use of a batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines pending a probe after cases of expected blood clotting in some recipients of the doses. Meanwhile, Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who has underplayed the threat of the virus, has been missing in action for two weeks, sparking speculation that he might be suffering from COVID-19. (Sources: Yahoo News, Guardian)

DANCING IN THE DARK The dancers can’t see their audience, and the audience can only catch the performance through tiny letter box-sized slits. It’s the latest Japanese innovation to revive theater performances while keeping everyone safe amid the pandemic.

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BEYOND NAVALNY You’ve heard of Alexei Navalny, but the jailed Kremlin critic isn’t the only dissident battling for their nation’s future against the odds — and often against authoritarian regimes. 1. Ilham Tohti Few have given up as much. The Uyghur economics professor has served a life sentence in a Chinese prison since 2014 for “fomenting separatism” after repeatedly calling attention to Chinese human rights abuses against the Muslim ethnic minority community. But from behind bars, the global focus he sought has finally resulted in the U.S. declaring China’s treatment of Uyghurs as “genocide.” 2. Sônia Guajajara “In the flames, they see money.” That’s what the Brazilian Indigenous activist said in October while accepting an award for speaking truth to power. Conservative President Jair Bolsonaro has blamed the burning of the Amazon rainforest on Indigenous groups, even as Guajajara and others have fought deforestation spurred by the congressional ruralistaagribusiness bloc. “The whole world is looking for ways to protect the environment … we’re here dealing with a government who is doing the exact opposite,” she warned recently. 3. Stella Nyanzi Earlier this month, the 46-year-old fled from Uganda to Kenya to seek asylum, alleging that her partner was abducted and tortured after Ugandan dictator Yoweri Museveni returned to power following controversial January elections. Among Museveni’s most vocal critics, she has called the president “another pair of buttocks” and has waxed eloquent about wishing that his mother’s vagina had drowned him. Read more on OZY.   And don’t miss former CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin’s column on Navalny’s staying power in Russia, only on OZY today.

DIVE INTO ANCIENT HISTORY Join the coolest new streaming platform. With CuriosityStream you can dive into history and explore nonfiction films and series. Interested in other topics? They have thousands of documentaries on topics ranging from food to space exploration to 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. SIGN UP NOW

OIL IS WELL Globally, countries are trying to cut their oil addiction — even the Middle East is trying to diversify its economy. But some are breaking with that trend, doubling down on crude. 1. Guyanese Glut When crude oil helps your GDP leapfrog more than 43 percent in a year when most economies shrank, it becomes an irresistible poison. Guyana has emerged as a future capital of the global crude industry since ExxonMobil discovered oil off the country’s shore in 2015. The government’s revenues are expected to balloon 30-fold over the next decade. 2. Russian Risk Russia’s expanding oil and gas exploration into the ecologically vulnerable Arctic, ironically relying on climate change to improve access to the region. And it’s offering up Arctic oil and gas to others: from western multinationals to energy-guzzlers like India. Read more on OZY. 3.  Namibian Novelty Southern Africa could be the next frontier. Angola is already one of Africa’s largest oil producers. But experts and explorers are eyeing Namibia and South Africa as new playgrounds — even COVID-19 has failed to dim their enthusiasm.

FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA After suffering bankruptcy and imprisonment in his early 20s, young entrepreneur Henry J. Heinz made his version of a popular sauce that would change Americans’ tastes. Based on the HISTORY channel documentary series, OZY and HISTORY bring you The Food That Built America, your latest podcast fix about the bold visionaries behind some of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

OPEN SEASON As U.S. states lift COVID-19 restrictions, here’s a look at countries that are almost entirely open again — and the lessons, good and bad, to be learned. 1. New Zealand Last fall, as many of us craved live sports and had to settle for the television and empty stadiums instead, New Zealand opened up its arenas for fans to devour rugby games in the flesh. Like other countries, New Zealand has had ups and downs while combating the virus. But for the most part, it’s an example of the best way to stay open: by actually defeating COVID-19. 2. Tanzania It’s home to Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. And it was one of the first African nations to open up to international travelers. But unlike New Zealand, it’s low case count is based on COVID-19 denialism, with President Magufuli insisting the country is free of the virus — never mind the evidence to the contrary. 3. Antigua This island destination is among a growing set of nations wooing visitors with long-term work-from-home visas. If you’re going to be working remotely, why not do so from the beach, sipping a Caribbean cocktail? Read more on OZY.

WHISKEY IN YOUR CLUBHOUSE Join OZY editors and writers today, March 11 at 6 p.m. PT/8 p.m. CST/9 p.m. ET for insights on the week’s hot news and sections that’ve tickled your fancy. Sign up for Clubhouse and follow OZY’s Tracy Moran (@tmoran), Joshua Eferighe (@Eferighe) and Nick Fouriezos (@nick4iezos). Email us below so we can ping you into the room. See you soon! COUNT ME IN!

MAGIC TRICKS YOU CAN DO A little bit of illusion, a dose of skill, and tons of practice … mix the three and you might just be able to add some magic to the lives of those around you. 1. Betcha Can't Crack an Egg Hold an egg before your audience and insist it’s unbreakable. They smirk but you know better. If the peaks of the egg are in the dead of your hands, no matter the pressure, the egg won’t break. Nor will the spell you’re casting on your audience. 2. Levitate Appearing to defy gravity is always fun. Try the Balducci levitation technique. Position yourself away some distance from the audience. Then with your feet close together, lift off on the balls of one foot, taking both your heels off the ground. They shouldn’t be able to see the part of the foot on the ground. 3. Cup Through the Table All you need is a cup, a ball and a sheet of paper. Promise to make the ball go through a hard table but instead use that as a distraction to deftly drop the cup into your lap, with help from the paper. The deception helps you fool them into thinking you’ve actually passed the cup through a rigid surface.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE There’s no magic here. Can you see the four differences in the two images above? Write in below. REPLY

DID YOU GET LAST WEEK'S RIGHT? The answers to last week’s spot the difference: Empty booth number 5, different numbers on the booths to the right, a flying saucer poster and a trumpet.  Check here to see if you got it right!!

TV  |  PODCASTS   |  NEWS  |  FESTIVALS Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 COLLECTION      DESIGNERS      ART      PRESS Introducing: Cumaru Beautiful, weather-resistant wonder wood  Cumaru is a native Brazilian hardwood often referred to as "Brazilian Teak;” but with superior qualities when it comes to hardness and resisting outdoor elements. The challenging tropical conditions that are home to this species build its resistance to humidity, fungus and weather elements. The wood produces its own natural oils that help protect it from outside damage, and requires little intervention to prevent decay, termites and other dry-wood borers. At Espasso, we work exclusively with responsibly-harvested Cumaru.  No wonder Cumaru is outdoor furniture's best-kept secret! Rio Manso Collection by Carlos Motta Mangaratiba Collection by Claudia Moreira Salles Diamantina Collection by Butzke Toras Collection by Arthur Casas Sources:  http://www.eastteak.com/cumaru-wood/ https://www.wood-database.com/cumaru/ https://www.butzke.com.br/institucional   Photo of cumaru tree via Anywhere Photo of Rio Manso Armchair via Barracuda Beach Hotel Photo of Mangaratiba Armchair via Butzke  Espaço do Traço Architecture project featuring the Mangaratiba Collection Photos of Diamantina Collection via Butzke  Photos of Toras Collection via Butzke  New York • Miami • Los Angeles • London Want to know what it is, Sula? It's the For the People Act, the pro-democracy legislation that just passed in the House of Representatives and is now waiting for passage in the Senate. Help us get this legislation to Pres. Biden for signature! Here's the latest: Republican legislators all over the country are pushing some of the worst voter suppression bills we've seen since Jim Crow. -- In Georgia, for example, they're trying to end Souls to the Polls and prohibit volunteers from giving food and water to people waiting in line to vote! -- At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court just heard two Arizona cases that could "destroy what remains of the Voting Rights Act." And it's no coincidence these bills are coming up in swing states that flipped blue in 2020. The For the People Act can put an end to bills like these and save our democracy by restoring voting rights, ending congressional gerrymandering, and limiting the influence of money in politics. This is the legislation we need right now, and it MUST be Congress' top priority. We need all hands on deck to help us get the For the People Act through the Senate and onto President Biden's desk. Will you pitch in now to help us pull out all the stops and fight for democracy reform across the country? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: Donate $5 Donate $15 Donate $25 Donate $50 Donate $100 Another amount DONATE Since 2017, the NDRC has executed a comprehensive redistricting strategy that shifts the redistricting power, creating fair districts where Democrats can compete. Our victories have been made possible by our strong community of grassroots supporters. MAKE A DONATION If you want to receive periodic updates from the NDRC on our fight for fair maps, text MAPS to 36787. Text HELP for help, STOP to end. Msg & Data rates may apply. We know we send a lot of emails, but we think it's important to keep you updated with the latest information on Republican gerrymandering and voter suppression and how we're fighting back -- regardless of whether you choose to donate. If you'd like to receive fewer emails, click here. Click here to unsubscribe completely. Click here to make a donation. Every dollar you give will go toward our fight to end gerrymandering and voter suppression. Paid for by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.