Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
India begins its foreign tourist ban… India’s ban on foreign tourists will begin today and extend into April 15, only allowing diplomatic or employment visas into the country.
…And the US halts travel from Europe. US president Donald Trump’s newly announced travel ban will suspend all flights into the US from Europe for the next 30 days. Travelers from the UK, at time of writing, may still enter the US
Greece gets a new president amid an intensifying refugee crisis. Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou will become the country’s first female president Sunday as Greece works out how to securely and financially address an influx of migrants arriving from Turkey on the border. Her presidential handover ceremony has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
Markets had a rough day. Investors dumped stocks so quickly that Wall Street’s 15-minute circuit breaker was again triggered, and major indexes fell into official bear territory. The 10% drop was the worst since 1987, though it briefly perked up when the Federal Reserve promised to throw in $1.5 trillion.
Several industries continued to get hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Broadway theaters went dark. US national baseball, hockey, basketball, and soccer sports leagues have suspended their seasons or canceled major tournaments, March Madness included. Carnival Cruises and Viking Cruises have docked after several passengers tested positive. Disneyland in California announced the park will close—but other parks remain open. The May release of F9, the new Fast and Furious flick, is being pushed for another year.
US senators proposed banning TikTok for federal employees. The legislation, brought forward by two Republican senators, cited concerns about the security of the Chinese-based app, though TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have denied any obligatory data-sharing with the Chinese government.
The EU ramped up its offer to pay migrants to leave Greek islands. For one month, the EU will give €2,000 ($2,230) to “economic migrants” in an attempt to relieve the strain on camps, where refugees who cannot return home have taken shelter.
Quartz membership
Can you memorize the number 16180339? How long do you think you can remember it? Quartz’s new augmented reality game (available for iPhones 6s or newer and exclusively to Quartz members) teaches you the “memory palace” technique popularized by BBC’s Sherlock, and will help you to teach yourself how to memorize like a pro.
Quartz daily obsession
B Corporations are like companies, but woke-r. In recent years, many have begun to feel that capitalism has gone awry. Enter the B Corps: companies that volunteer for a regular audit of their practices, and make a legal change to be accountable to a broader group of stakeholders, rather than just shareholders. Is this the way forward? Make an impact with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Sporting events are disappearing. There haven’t been this many cancellations since the second world war.
Don’t ask your employees if they have Covid-19. This numbers among other tips from HR professionals as the workplace changes.
The prepping industry should have been prepared for an actual global emergency. Supplies like two-way radios and knives are flying off the shelves.
Surprising discoveries
Scientists have discovered “the smallest dinosaur.” The fossil is trapped in amber, of course.
Robots are disinfecting Hong Kong subway trains. They don’t come cheap, though.
Swipe to buy a new face. Chinese cosmetic surgery apps are becoming popular.
Volkswagen’s aiming for zero accidents by 2050. A new operating system for its electric cars will use an algorithm that gets smarter every day.
Bidet sales have gone from a trickle to a flood. As consumers hoard toilet paper, the toilet sprayer industry is cleaning up.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, teeny tiny dinosaurs, and robot janitors 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 Susan Howson and Patrick deHahn.