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What to watch for today
Europe decides what to do… EU member states vote on a 30-day ban on non-essential travel into the Schengen zone, France’s lockdown begins, and the UK announces further financial measures to support the economy. Meanwhile, Canada closed its borders to all foreign nationals except US citizens.
…and the IOC does, too. Olympics organizers will meet via teleconference to discuss arrangements for qualifying events and the torch-lighting ceremony, amid signs that Japan is starting to change its messaging on the timing of the games. European soccer chiefs will also chat about plans for the Euro 2020 tournament, Champions League, and Europa Cup.
Ireland faces a quiet St. Patrick’s Day. Bars and restaurants will be closed nationwide during Ireland’s most famous national holiday. The Irish government has threatened to take action against businesses that ignore the rules, which took effect Sunday night.
More US Democratic primaries. Arizona, Florida, and Illinois go to the polls amid worries that the Covid-19 pandemic will affect voter turnout and staffing at polling stations. Ohio decided at the last minute to delay its primary.
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US stocks plunged again despite rate cuts. In the worst crash since 1987’s “Black Monday,” the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nearly 3,000 points, or 12.9%, while the S&P 500 fell 12%. The Cboe Volatility Index, the market’s “fear gauge,” closed at its highest level ever, surpassing a previous record set during the 2008 financial crisis.
New Zealand announced a massive stimulus package. At NZ$12.1 billion ($7.3 billion), the package amounts to about 4% of the country’s GDP, and covers wages for people who are self-isolated but cannot work from home and those caring for infected family members, and provides wage subsidies for businesses.
Northern Californians were told to “shelter in place.” Authorities in six Bay Area counties said all 7 million residents, excluding the homeless, must refrain from going out except for essentials for three weeks. More than half of the state’s Covid-19 cases are in the Bay Area.
The US-China coronavirus spat intensified. President Donald Trump doubled down and called Covid-19 the “Chinese Virus” in a tweet, despite condemnations that such rhetoric only fuels anti-Asian sentiment. It came after the State Department admonished China—which has been spreading a conspiracy theory that the coronavirus originated in the US—for attempting to shift blame for the outbreak.
More stars contracted Covid-19. British actor Idris Elba said he got tested after finding out that he was exposed to someone else who had tested positive, and called for solidarity in a “divided world.” Norwegian Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju also tested positive, and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were released from a hospital in Australia.
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Fertility is a booming business… Parents are slightly older and often more financially stable than they were 40 years ago—a biological tradeoff that’s given birth to a multibillion-dollar enterprise.
…and those well-off couples have cash to burn. When high-income people marry each other, it reinforces already stratified societies.
Quartz daily obsession
APGAR is a baby’s first test. The score, developed by Dr. Virginia Apgar in 1953, gives physicians a quick way to measure a newborn baby’s wellbeing. Today, an updated version is used in nearly every hospital in the world, and has been credited with saving millions of babies’ lives. Hear its birth story from the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Political debates should be audience-free. With no viewers in the studio, Sunday’s televised contest between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders was much more substantive and less performative.
Behave like you have coronavirus. Two-thirds of Covid-19 infections could be spread by people whose own infections are undetected.
Markets should stay closed through the outbreak. Some traders say trying to price stocks now is a fool’s errand.
Surprising discoveries
Norway’s prime minister held a press conference just for kids. Erna Solberg took questions from children about coronavirus to reassure them.
Nepal is making yoga mandatory in schools. Some fear, however, that it could fuel the rise of Hindu nationalism.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is not dying. A new study argues that contrary to speculation, the planet’s famous storm is holding steady.
China is angry at Mario Vargas Llosa. Its embassy in Lima blasted the Nobel-winning author for writing in a column that the novel coronavirus originated in China.
College students can study social media influencing. The University of Southern California aims to prepare students for a career in the multibillion-dollar industry.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, advice for kids, and useful college degrees 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Amanat Khullar.