Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Mike Pence meets with travel industry executives. As global tourism faces its biggest setback since the aftermath of 9/11, the US vice president, who oversees Covid-19 containment, meets with airline chiefs on Wednesday and cruise line executives on Saturday. Tomorrow he visits 3M, which makes face masks.
The US Supreme Court hears arguments on a pivotal abortion case. If enacted, a law would reduce the number of abortion clinics in Louisiana. Similar legislation was struck down in 2016, but new conservative judges may unravel the precedent.
There could be more Covid-19 aid packages. South Korea is investing $9.8 billion in companies, while Hong Kong is giving a one-time $1,280 handout to every adult citizen, among other measures. The Fed made a surprise rate cut Tuesday. It remains to be seen who will follow suit today.
While you were sleeping
Subscribe to Quartz’s free newsletter on Covid-19. Need to Know: Coronavirus examines how the epidemic is affecting the health of the global economy. Sign up here.
Joe Biden won eight states, including Texas, but Bernie Sanders got California. The two men are on track to end Super Tuesday as the unquestioned contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, as Elizabeth Warren came third in her home state of Massachusetts, and Mike Bloomberg, who spent $500 million in ads, only won in American Samoa.
Global financial institutions responded to Covid-19. The World Bank pledged $12 billion to support poor countries’ epidemic control efforts. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund said they will hold their April gathering in Washington virtually.
South Korea struggled to contain Covid-19. Cases continue to surge there, and there aren’t enough hospital beds in Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest city, to cope with the sheer volume of infections. Many international companies have forbidden their employees from traveling to South Korea.
Lego published good results for 2019, after a couple years of slow growth. New chief Niels Christiansen is bringing the Danish firm a little closer to its early-2010s double-digit growth, with a sales increase of 6%, double the previous year, in part by prioritizing classics (think model fire stations) instead of Hogwarts models or Ultron figures.
India’s supreme court lifted a ban on banks that facilitate cryptocurrency trade. It quashed an order by India’s central bank that barred lenders from dealing with crypto exchanges. But businesses have been hit hard, and most exchanges, like Zebpay, once India’s largest, have left the country.
Quartz membership
Should you enroll in a coding bootcamp? They’re becoming more and more common, but the risks for students are significant. Find out if they’re worth the investment in this week’s field guide for Quartz members.
Quartz daily obsession
Hear one of the world’s weirdest musical instruments: the theremin. A musician playing the invention of Soviet scientist Léon Theremin will never actually touch the instrument, as hand movements create different audible frequencies. Tune in with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Runners are overwhelmingly choosing Nike’s controversial Vaporfly shoes. They are seen on most feet at the Olympic marathon trials in Atlanta.
Anger over corporate hypocrisy will boil up the 2020s. In particular, Big Oil will face a backlash as lawyers and activists frame its contribution to climate change as a human-rights violation.
Should schools close when Covid-19 cases are still rare? Across a variety of countries and viruses, the results of closures are mixed.
Surprising discoveries
Spotify already has more than 65 songs with “coronavirus” in the title. Quartz’s data reporter Dan Kopf counted, and the most popular is “La Cumbia Del Coronavirus.”
New Zealand birds can make predictions. Researchers found that keas are capable of “true statistical inference.”
Climate change will make some foods toxic. Both dryer and wetter weather can change the level of toxins in foods like cassava, lychee, barley, and apples.
Dark mode is coming to WhatsApp. The feature that lessens the strain on users’ eyes is expected in the coming days.
It took him six decades, but Mickey finally got his own Disney ride. It opens today at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, model fire stations, and coronavirus-themed playlists 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 Luiz Romero and Hasit Shah.