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Boris Johnson is in intensive care. The British prime minister tapped foreign secretary Dominic Raab to step in for him, but the UK has no clear succession plan and there are concerns about what Johnson’s absence could mean for the UK’s coronavirus response.
The US death toll topped 10,000. It took just six weeks from the first recorded death for the country to reach this grisly milestone. Health officials expect New York, New Jersey, and Detroit to see hospitalizations peak this week, with other major cities to follow.
The Mormon church plans to open its first temple in mainland China. The modest facility, slated to be built in Shanghai, will harbor the Chinese faithful while a Hong Kong temple remains closed for renovation.
Luckin Coffee received a nationalist boost.| Days after seeing its share price drop by 80% due to an accounting scandal, the Starbucks rival is still getting support from customers, in part fueled by acrimony towards the US due to the trade war and the coronavirus crisis.
Uber partnered with Flipkart to deliver supplies in India. Drivers will keep 100% of the profits while bringing essentials to customers’ doorsteps in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi.
An Australian court will decide a convicted cardinal’s fate. A ruling is expected today on an appeal from George Pell, the highest-ranking Catholic official to be found guilty of child sexual abuse. He is serving a six-year sentence for abusing two 13-year-old choir boys.
A quantum computing startup raised $215 million to take on Google. PsiQuantum is years away from building a machine, but the company claims its technology will leap past rivals like Google and IBM to unlock the secrets of the universe. Outside experts are skeptical.
Asia braces for a second wave of infections
Governments tightened coronavirus controls across the region… Singapore sent students home, closed most workplaces, and put dormitories housing 20,000 foreign workers on lockdown. Thailand extended its ban on passenger flights for 12 more days. And China beefed-up border security as asymptomatic Covid-19 cases climb.
…while international organizations highlighted hopeful signs. The International Monetary Fund cautiously cited signs of recovery in China but warned the virus could resurge. Meanwhile, South Korea reported just 47 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, earning plaudits for its response from the WHO.
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Gen Z is the first generation to bypass traditional cultural gatekeepers, defining their own tastes, trends, and values. Our latest field guide explores the implications for the way this generation shops and spends, even as the coronavirus pandemic shifts the stakes.
Quartz daily obsession
Everyone sneezes, but we don’t all sneeze the same way. English speakers tend to say “Achoo!” Those who speak Japanese favor “Hakashun!” But the deaf say nothing at all. The explosive reflex can be ignited by sunshine or sex, and can spray droplets of saliva and mucus as far as 200 feet—that is, if the sneeze wasn’t caught in one’s elbow or hand. Cover your nose, wash your hands, and join us for the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matter of debate
To quib or not to quib? The original pitch for Quibi, a new video app that launched on Monday, was that young people would pay a few bucks per month for premium original content designed to be watched on their phones in “quick bites” (hence its name). But to succeed, Quibi should lean into its unscripted comedy content instead of mimicking prestige television. Think of it as a fancy YouTube.
Surprising discoveries
An orangutan became a hygiene influencer. A video posted by the Center for Great Apes shows our evolutionary cousin scrubbing its hands for more than 20 seconds.
Google may win its war against mosquitos. The health-focused Alphabet portfolio company Verily is seeing promising results at its California test sites.
Black holes eat their siblings. It might explain how they got so large in the first place.
Professional card stackers are a thing. Bryan Berg builds towering skyscrapers that can even withstand concrete bricks.
The NBA is readying a televised H-O-R-S-E competition. It’s one way to keep fans tuned in while still complying with physical distancing guidelines.
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