Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
US markets are expected to open higher after a major rout. Last week, stocks around the world suffered drops not seen since 2008 as Covid-19 outbreaks expanded outside China. Asian and European markets fared better today.
Donald Trump meets with pharmaceutical executives. They are discussing the prospects of a Covid-19 vaccine at the White House. The president previously said that a vaccine is being “rapidly” developed, but experts have cautioned that a final product is at least a year away.
The OECD weighs in on Covid-19’s impact. The organization is updating its economic outlook for the first time since November, which was before the outbreak. Up for debate is whether Covid-19 will tip some European countries into recession.
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Over the weekend
The US registered its first Covid-19 deaths. Two men, one in his 50s and another in his 70s, died at a hospital near Seattle. Authorities increased testing for Covid-19 as new cases appeared in six states, including New York. The infection continues to spread around the world, causing 3,000 deaths.
China’s factory activity plunged to an all-time low. Last month, a key index that measures the health of the manufacturing sector slipped to 35.7—much worse than analysts’ expectations.
Pete Buttigieg ended his US presidential bid just before Super Tuesday. Buttigieg rose from mayor of a small Indiana city to a serious contender in the primary race, winning in Iowa. But he failed to gain support from non-white voters, and came fourth in South Carolina.
Public Enemy fired Flavor Flav. It happened after the hip hop collective’s founder Chuck D performed at a Bernie Sanders rally on Sunday without Flav, who had earlier sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Sanders campaign. He departs after 35 years with the legendary group.
Turkey launched a military offensive against Syria. It is a response to Syrian and Russian airstrikes that killed 36 Turkish soldiers last week. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opened Turkey’s borders with Europe, letting migrants cross into Greece, to try and force the EU to support his military campaign.
Quartz membership
TikTok has taken India by storm. The Chinese video streaming app is a global sensation, and India has quickly become one of its largest markets. Quartz’s Niharika Sharma explains how TikTok made its way into Indian pop culture—and parliament.
Quartz daily obsession
Did you make the most of your Leap Year Day? Feb. 29 comes around once every four years and it helps the world stay in order. Without it, the calendar would fall out of sync with Earth’s rotation around the sun. Banish the chaos with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Which Democrat has the best policies for families? Quartz explains the candidates’ positions on childcare, paid family leave, and maternal health.
Only the privileged can afford to be writers. It’s not just a question of economic security, but of having the blind confidence to enter such a risky profession in the first place.
The New York Times’ success is bad news for journalism. That’s according to Ben Smith, who left BuzzFeed News to become media columnist at the Times in January.
Surprising discoveries
German has a word to describe the act of panic hoarding—because of course it does. Hamsterkauf is a noun made up of “hoarding” (hamstern) and “buy” (kaufen).
Wealthy motorists really are ruder. Every $1,000 increase in the value of a car brings the likelihood of a driver yielding to pedestrians down by 3%.
South Koreans are using apps to avoid coronavirus. One alerts a user if they come within 100 m (330 ft) of a location visited by someone who’s had Covid-19.
Dogs can smell heat. Canines join just a handful of animals able to sense the weak thermal radiation of mammalian prey.
Leap Day helps couples stay forever young. Feb. 29 fell on a Saturday this year, and engaged couples took advantage by getting married in droves.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, fancy writers, fancy columnists, and fancy drivers to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah and Luiz Romero.