Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Travel restrictions get tighter. The United Arab Emirates is cracking down, putting into effect a prohibition on visas-on-arrival to add to Wednesday’s ban on travel outside the country. Meanwhile, Japan is closing borders to foreign travelers from Iceland and parts of Spain, Switzerland, and Italy.
Central banks are making moves. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is putting together a group that includes the Bank of Japan governor to brainstorm a stimulus package. The central banks of Australia, Taiwan, and South Africa will be making their announcements, with rate cuts expected, as world nations attempt to keep their economies afloat.
Narendra Modi addresses India. The prime minister will fill the country in on the effect of the pandemic within India, as well as his government’s plan to fight it.
Remote working gets less remote. Quartz is hosting a series of remote workshops to help ease the transition from office to home office. Today, at 11am EDT (11pm HKT), we’ll be featuring curated tips, advice, and inspiration from both remote-work veterans and newbies, and a solid slate of speakers from Quartz and elsewhere—and it’s open to the public. Learn more and sign up here, then take a deep breath.
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.
The NYSE closed the trading floor… The New York Stock Exchange’s temporary move to online trading will begin Monday, and observe normal market hours.
… and the UK closed schools, starting Friday. Vulnerable kids and the children of key workers will be allowed to remain. Summer exams are also postponed in England and Wales.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was canceled. It’s the first time since the competition’s inception in 1956 that it’s been called off—but you can still listen to the songs.
WHO warned against using the term “Chinese virus.” A World Health Organization official called out Donald Trump for continuing to use the phrase, warning it could lead to racial profiling. The US president claimed he wasn’t being racist—but the US has a history of using disease as an excuse to be just that. Meanwhile, why won’t WHO call it SARS-CoV-2?
Facebook pushed Covid-19 news. The social network announced it will put a “coronavirus information center” at the top of its news feed as part of efforts to combat disinformation on its platform.
Automakers halted production. Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler said they would temporarily close US factories, while Honda paused North American operations and Audi announced a suspension of its production in Mexico. Meanwhile, BMW started closing dealerships and factories in Europe.
Quartz membership
IVF extras. PGT is a controversial add-on to fertility care that screens embryos for potential abnormalities. Some clinicians think it is indicative of a larger trend of expensive IVF add-on procedures that are ineffective at best. Learn more in this week’s deep dive into the business of fertility.
Reading this from bed? It’s better than being all hunched over at your kitchen table.
Quartz daily obsession
Trolls are as old as the internet. For most of the web’s history, we’ve written off their online provocations and abuse as harmless pranks—despite a mounting toll of suicides and intense trauma. But after the US presidential election in 2016, when state-sponsored armies of agitators began wielding anonymous comments as political weapons, their tactics stopped being so funny. Ignore the bait and read the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
For many people, true isolation is impossible. If you live with a vulnerable person, you have to figure out a way to safely co-exist.
Marketers, the economy is counting on you. Risk-taking advertising after 9/11 helped keep the economy alive.
China’s coming out ahead in the coronavirus propaganda race. Loudly and repeatedly touting revisionist history—especially while the rest of the world is struggling—is a winning strategy.
Surprising discoveries
Coronavirus created the world’s longest passenger flight. The service from Tahiti to Paris normally stops in LA, but airport health checks take too long.
Sporting events, concerts, gaming, and… funerals. Yet another experience may soon be livestreamed.
Only one stock on the FTSE 100 is up for the year. It’s online grocery company Ocado Group.
What’s the over-under on it being 79°F in Dallas tomorrow? With all major sports canceled, online casinos are taking bets on the weather.
Big Entertainment can sometimes be generous. Streaming services are offering discounts and free trials to keep those under quarantine entertained.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Zoom invites, and streaming discount codes 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 Liz Webber.