Good morning.
Mixed messages from the White House. Secretary of state Michael Pompeo's visit to the continent is more likely "unfortunate coincidence" rather than a well-thought-out diplomatic play by the US after its recent travel bans on more African countries.Quartz
New research put more atmospheric methane blame on humans. Analysis of ice cores in Greenland found that the share of methane—a super-potent driver of climate change—attributable to fossil fuel extraction has been underestimated by up to 40%.Washington Post
Staples will rent you a podcast studio. Good news for anyone who’s ever thought “My coworkers and I should really do a podcast, but where do we find the time or space when we have all this printer toner to buy?” The office supply megastore, which hopes to enter the coworking arena, has you covered (but only in some Boston locations, for now).The Verge
Remember Groupon?
Big Tech met Big Brother
Who's who after Brexit?
Britain’s social care sector is not happy with the government’s immigration plan. The new rules for prospective migrants, with a tough points-based system to navigate, are likely to reduce the number of workers available to look after the elderly and vulnerable at relatively low cost.Quartz
Europe is the region of the world with the fastest-aging population, and it needs social care workers to look after this growing sector of the population. But the UK's new, post-Brexit immigration plan strips the sector from a major recruitment pool: Unskilled workers from the EU. The plan, which was
Europe is the region of the world with the fastest-aging population, and it needs social care workers to look after this growing sector of the population. But the UK's new, post-Brexit immigration plan strips the sector from a major recruitment pool: Unskilled workers from the EU. The plan, which was released today, will award points to applicants based on their professional and academic qualifications, skills, and job prospects in the UK. With no job offer on the ground or PhD in a STEM skill, it's highly unlikely that an applicant would get a visa to work in the UK after Dec. 31. In my piece, I talk to representatives of the social care sector what this will mean for them.
The global impact of coronavirus
Adidas’s sales are getting slammed amid the coronavirus outbreak. The company has just offered a dire update on how the outbreak is affecting business in China, a key market for sports apparel companies..Quartz
The lower-cost iPhone 9 could be delayed. Production was supposed to start in February for a March delivery, but reports indicate that the phone will likely be pushed back as suppliers struggle with shortages of labor and components.Tech Insider
An expert said that Japan’s coronavirus controls are “completely chaotic.” An infectious disease expert from Kobe University boarded the quarantined Diamond Princess and was shocked at what he saw—poor-quality protective gear and no demarcated zones.Quartz
Virus contamination is HARD. Essentially anywhere we are, viruses can be, too. But that's no excuse for not trying to establish borders of those who are contaminated and those who are not.
The latest threat to Roe v. Wade
More than 200 lawmakers are urging the Supreme Court to overrule Roe v. Wade. Nearly half a century after a woman's right to bodily privacy was recognized by the high court, American politicians are chosing sides ahead of upcoming test of the landmark decision.Quartz
Next month, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments in what should be an open and shut case. The matter out of Louisiana resembles a similar dispute over a Texas statute that was already ruled unconstitutional.
Many people believe the new case was brought to the 2020 bench by design, to test the junior
Next month, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments in what should be an open and shut case. The matter out of Louisiana resembles a similar dispute over a Texas statute that was already ruled unconstitutional.
Many people believe the new case was brought to the 2020 bench by design, to test the junior justices appointed by Donald Trump. Pro-life activists hope to see the court's abortion precedent overruled. Court commentators see that possibility but some wonder if the justices will really fall into the activists' trap.
The purpose of B Corps
Lots of companies say they want to balance profit with purpose, yet fewer than 3,300 have taken the next step to become certified as B Corps. But their ranks are growing, and they have a great deal to teach other companies about success. Quartz’s Cassie Werber brings you essential lessons from the world of B corps. ✦Quartz
B Corps are meant to exemplify one idea: That we need to transform the way capitalism works in order to save the world. A growing number of corporations are signing on, from Patagonia to Danone. Quartz’s Cassie Werber reports on why B Corps are gaining momentum—and on the limitations that make them imperfect vehicles for social change. ✦Quartz
In a recent (2019) Harris Poll we conducted among American Millennials and Gen Z found that 72% said they’d work for less money at a company whose values aligned with theirs. B Corps may be small in number now, but their influence could be outsized in setting new standards for expectations among young
In a recent (2019) Harris Poll we conducted among American Millennials and Gen Z found that 72% said they’d work for less money at a company whose values aligned with theirs. B Corps may be small in number now, but their influence could be outsized in setting new standards for expectations among young talent, for whom a strong market provides them leverage to do, not just say. Great read.
A long read, but the goals are laudable. I would hope to work with companies that looked at the long term view. It impacts the talent and type of investors you attract
Capitalism at a crossroads: today's millennial workforce are not as blindly obedient to the system as their parents were, and they're demanding that their jobs are about more than making money. I can only imagine that Gen Z's consumer habits are going to reinforce the work that B-Corps are doing now.
Excellent thorough and balanced piece 👏🏻 Rangan’s point about the need for education is the most important take-away. If we want to transform our economy, we have to learn what it could look like and how to work, collaborate, manage, and lead to get there. Strickler’s Bentoism is a perfect example
Excellent thorough and balanced piece 👏🏻 Rangan’s point about the need for education is the most important take-away. If we want to transform our economy, we have to learn what it could look like and how to work, collaborate, manage, and lead to get there. Strickler’s Bentoism is a perfect example of a tool to help people contribute to a healthier, more equitable and sustainable version of capitalism.
Like Warby Parker, but for teeth
When is a dentist not a dentist? A California suit against SmileDirectClub—a service US readers may recognize from an onslaught of TV ads promising straight teeth with no orthodontists—says it’s unlicensed to practice dentistry in the state. Orthodontists aren’t dentists, says the service, and California’s dentistry board is just peeved at the competition.Reuters
Breaking ground through film
The new film “Suk Suk” highlights Hong Kong’s closeted gay “uncles.” Director Ray Yeung’s directorial debut, which has nabbed award nominations and an upcoming Berlin International Film Festival release, is a captivating romance on the secret lives of older men navigating their sexuality amid traditional Chinese values.Quartz
The trials and tribulations of train travel
We’re obsessed with Zeno’s paradoxes
The architectural critic in chief
The war for live TV
A feast that portends ill
Take a load off, and come back later
Amid mixed messages and inconsistency China is the only constant of Trump’s US-Africa policy
Quartz AfricaAfrican countries debate repatriating citizens from China as coronavirus fears mount
Quartz AfricaMore of Africa’s leading economies are already looking to wind to power their homes
Quartz AfricaKenya has world-class runners but investors have been hesitant to back locally-made running shoes
Quartz AfricaThe unexpected link between Kenya’s unusual torrential flooding and Australia’s bushfires
Quartz AfricaAfrica’s rising “unsustainable” debt is driving a wedge between the World Bank and other lenders
Quartz AfricaScientists say the pangolin endangered by Chinese smuggling may have passed the coronavirus to humans
Quartz AfricaThe lessons of West Africa’s Ebola’s crisis will save the continent from the worst of coronavirus
Quartz AfricaThis contemporary art exhibition in Dakar tackles African migration and reframes colonization
Quartz AfricaWhy Kenya’s pre-independence rebel fighters Mau Mau gave up their fight
Quartz Africa