Quartz
Make
cities
better
We believe companies should solve real problems without creating new ones. Quartz is your ally and resource in developing better ways of doing business. Join us in this mission by becoming a Quartz member.
Here’s what you need to know
The US House votes on the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. Even if it passes, Senate Republicans are still likely to block it at the next stage, and it’s already lost a minimum wage provision.
Huawei’s CFO is taking her extradition fight to yet another jurisdiction. Meng Wanzhou, wanted by the US, is now suing HSBC in Hong Kong for access to crucial documents.
2020’s hot IPOs: Airbnb’s was expensive… The company’s $2.8 billion stock compensation package brought its quarterly loss to $3.9 billion.
…While DoorDash’s first earnings report as a public company was a mixed bag. Full-year losses narrowed, but the pandemic boost to its business is set to diminish later this year.
The US carried out an airstrike in Syria. In the Biden administration’s first military action, the Pentagon said it targeted “Iranian-backed militant groups.”
Twitter introduced the “Super Follow.” Users will be able to request money from followers for premium content like newsletters and even more tweets.
India tightened the reins on social media and streaming. Companies must remove “unlawful” content faster, while Signal—where many people migrated from WhatsApp—could find its privacy policy voided.
Markets haiku: Place your bets
Can’t go to the game,
But you can enjoy the thrill
Of betting on it
Shares in sports betting company DraftKings rose on Friday after it reported strong growth in paid subscribers, despite a larger than expected quarterly loss.
What to watch for
The US Food and Drug Administration is on track to approve Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine sometime Friday, or possibly over the weekend, after releasing research on Wednesday that concluded the shot was effective.
It all happened in a little over a year. Here’s how it came together:
Jan. 2020: Johnson & Johnson receives the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
July 2020: Johnson & Johnson develops its single-shot Covid-19 vaccine candidate and begins early stage clinical trials.
Sept. 2020: The company begins its Phase 3 trial for its Covid-19 vaccine candidate with the goal of including up to 60,000 participants.
Jan. 29, 2021: Johnson & Johnson releases preliminary data about its Phase 3 clinical trial.
Feb. 4, 2021: The company submits its vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization.
Feb. 24, 2021: The FDA releases a 62-page review of the vaccine, which finds it safe and effective.
You ask about vaccines
What if we answered in real time?
Join us on Wednesday, March 3 at 11am US eastern time for a free virtual event featuring Quartz science and health reporter Katherine Foley and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center pulmonologist Panagis Galiatsatos. Will you still need to wear a mask? What if you get two different vaccines? We’ll cover all that and more.
Register in advance and send us any questions you’d like us to answer at reply@qz.com. In the meantime, brush up on how immunity works. See you there!
Behind Hong Kong’s crowdsourced protest manual
“It’s like running a business. You need to find good people, you need to keep good people, you need to make them better people. You often need to find the resources, maybe its funding, cars, supplies. And they are fairly boring elements, I suppose. But they are precisely the thing that you need.”
“The HK19 Manual,” a crowdsourced archive of Hong Kong protesters’ know-how created to help future demonstrators, has already been partially translated into Burmese and widely shared among protesters in Myanmar, who are demonstrating against the Feb. 1 military coup. Mary Hui spoke with a key contributor about putting together the protest manual and the broader lessons about social movements.
Becoming a member directly supports the work we do and gives you access to every bit of it. For a limited time, become a Quartz member for 20% off. Use promo code QZTWENTY at checkout.
✨ Become a Quartz member ✨Surprising discoveries
Texans are getting a little help from afar. A New Jersey plumber heard about all the burst pipes, so he started driving.
Yellow penguins are real. A condition that prevents its feathers from making melanin gives this Antarctic bird its hue.
A “cruise missile type of thing.” One pilot flying over Kentucky saw something nobody can identify. It was really fast.
Covid can’t stop sumo in Japan. After most competitions were canceled, one veteran wrestler founded a tournament via video entry.
Plants give jailbirds a little peace. Their presence has been linked to lower levels of violence and self-harm.
