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What to watch for today
The UK escalates its coronavirus response. Following an emergency Cobra committee meeting, prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a shift in tactics to focus on delaying the spread of Covid-19, rather than containing or mitigating it.
The Olympic flame is lit in Greece. Due to coronavirus precautions, only about 100 members of the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee will be allowed to watch. It comes a day after the chairman of the Tokyo organizing committee walked back a colleague’s suggestion that the games could be postponed.
The European Central Bank responds to the coronavirus outbreak. On day two of the ECB’s meetings, the bank is under pressure to follow the Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve’s lead and cut interest rates by as much as 10 basis points.
Russia takes the BBC to court. Moscow’s communications regulator accused the British broadcaster of failing to put the correct age labels on violent or upsetting content, and not sending copies of its content to authorities on time.
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Donald Trump suspended all travel from Europe. In his first nationwide address on the coronavirus epidemic, the US president announced a 30-day travel ban on arrivals from Europe, except the UK, starting at 11:59 pm tomorrow (Mar. 13). Global shares and oil prices plummeted on news of the ban, which does not include cargo. Separately, the NBA suspended its season after a league player tested positive, while actor Tom Hanks said he and his wife Rita said they both tested positive.
One British and two American soldiers were killed in a rocket attack in Iraq. Their base north of Baghdad was hit by 18 rockets, injuring at least 12, according to a statement from the US-led coalition. It comes amid weeks of heightened tensions following a US drone strike in January that killed senior Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
Tokyo’s governor said WHO’s pandemic label will impact Olympics discussions. Yuriko Koike said the World Health Organization’s decision to classify the global Covid-19 outbreak as a pandemic will weigh on contingency plans for the games, but that for now cancellation is off the table.
Chelsea Manning attempted suicide in prison. The former US intelligence analyst is now recovering in a hospital, according to her lawyers. She has been imprisoned since last May for refusing to testify in a WikiLeaks investigation, and was scheduled to appear in court for a hearing tomorrow.
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AI ethicists are in high demand. But are they making any difference? Quartz contributor Helen Edwards talks to the people trying to de-bias AI—and their critics.
Quartz daily obsession
Hand sanitizer is all the rage today. There was a 1,400% increase in demand for hand sanitizer from December 2019 to January 2020, due to the current global coronavirus pandemic. But it’s been around since the early 1800s, despite the argument that soap and water is better. Grab a dollop and get the nitty gritty details in the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Twitter’s “manipulated media” label is problematic. It’s too subtle and easy to miss.
Woody Allen’s book deal cancellation signals a new era in publishing. The successful protest by Hachette employees is a rebuke against the notoriously hierarchical industry.
Subscription services should be a shared commodity. Sharing Netflix and Spotify passwords with friends is just like passing around a magazine you bought.
Surprising discoveries
Saudi Aramco used a migrant worker as a human hand sanitizer… The oil giant was immediately criticized for being racist and exploitative.
…and Hong Kong’s subway is using robots to disinfect trains of coronavirus. The small automated machines spray disinfectant and cost HK$1 million ($129,000) apiece.
A tiny dinosaur’s skull was found entombed in amber… At 14 millimeters long (0.55 inches), the creature has been trapped in fossil tree resin for 100 million years.
…and stegosaurus footprints were found on Isle of Skye. The tracks are the first evidence that dinosaurs roamed Scotland once upon a time.
When it rains on this distant planet, it rains iron. That’s what astronomers have observed on Wasp-76b, whose days are hot enough to vaporize metals.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, metal rain, and robo-disinfectors 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 written by Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.