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What to watch for today and over the weekend
Markets brace for another rough day. Shares in Asia crashed this morning and investors remain rattled by president Trump’s decision to shut the US border to European travellers. Major indices fell into official bear territory yesterday, after the worst decline since 1987.
England’s soccer’s Premier League is set to be suspended. At an emergency meeting, executives are deciding what to do, after two high-profile figures in the game tested positive for coronavirus. All major sports leagues in the US have already shut down.
Saudi Aramco reports. The world’s most valuable company is expected to show a drop in earnings today when it posts its first annual results since going public. But execs won’t disclose the impact of coronavirus or the oil price war on the company, which worries investors.
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Sophie Grégoire Trudeau contracted coronavirus. Both she and her partner, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, are under quarantine for 14 days. Down south, Donald Trump and his deputy Mike Pence declined testing despite contact with an infected man.
South Koreans woke up to good coronavirus news. For the first time, the number of new cases fell behind the number of patients who recovered. It could be a sign that the outbreak in Asia’s second most-affected country might be slowing.
Chelsea Manning was released from prison. A US judge ruled that the whistleblower no longer needs to testify in court. Manning, who was detained in May after refusing to answer further questions about WikiLeaks (she testified in 2013), attempted suicide a day earlier.
Disney’s magic couldn’t protect its theme parks. Locations in Florida, California, and Paris will be shut until March to combat the spread of coronavirus. The company’s theme parks are responsible for more than a third of the entertainment giant’s annual revenue.
Nepal cut off access to Mount Everest. The Himalayan country has closed all its peaks for this climbing season to mitigate the risk of coronavirus spreading.
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Matters of debate
Coronavirus could fuel loneliness. Particularly for senior citizens, who are at higher risk from the illness.
Job automation is changing the way we vote. A new study found a link between job insecurity and voting “leave” in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
The prepping industry was caught unprepared by coronavirus. Some businesses are having inventory problems.
Surprising discoveries
Bidet sales have gone from a trickle to a flood… As consumers hoard toilet paper, the toilet sprayer industry is cleaning up.
… and Japanese stores are putting curses on toilet roles. Theft is a problem as stocks dwindle amid panic buying.
The rich are avoiding the New York subway. At least more than poorer Americans—and coronavirus is probably why.
Chinese dating apps are exploiting lonely Indian men. L’Amour has a lot of fake profiles.
London’s trees are worth billions. The summer shade they provide saved Britain’s largest city $6.5 billion in air conditioning between 2014-2018.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, curse-free toilet paper, and free shade 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 Adam Rasmi and Hasit Shah.