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Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from the WHO. The US president accused the global health body of bungling the response to Covid-19 and being “very China-centric,” in what looks like an attempt to deflect the very criticisms that have been directed at his administration. Trump also removed Glenn Fine, the inspector general who was to oversee the government’s $2.3 trillion coronavirus response.
Boris Johnson spent a second night in intensive care. The UK prime minister is receiving oxygen support but isn’t on a ventilator, and remains in “stable” condition and in “good spirits,” Downing Street said. Outside the hospital, interim minister Dominic Raab suggested the UK may have to extend its precautionary measures.
Germany tightens its rules on foreign takeovers. Ministers plan to approve a new law that would allow the government to block acquisitions of domestic companies by entities outside the EU if it poses “potential interference” to national interests.
Euro zone finance ministers continue their meeting… Their marathon teleconference yesterday is set to continue this morning as they try to agree on a massive economic rescue package. Italy has so far refused to back down on its demand for coronabonds, shared debt that all EU nations help pay off.
…and the top EU science official resigned. Mauro Ferrari, who became president of the European Research Council on Jan. 1, said he was “extremely disappointed by the European response” to the Covid-19 pandemic and that he had “lost faith in the system itself.” Meanwhile, the European Commission will debate how to ease the bloc out of lockdowns.
The acting US Navy chief stepped down. Thomas Modly created a controversy last week when he fired and insulted Brett Crozier, a captain who sent a widely distributed email calling for urgent help for sailors aboard his ship. Modly will be replaced by James McPherson as acting Navy secretary.
Wuhan emerged from its months-long lockdown. For the first time since late January, its 11 million residents can now travel in and out of the city if they have an all-clear on a government-sanctioned health app. The city’s schools remain closed, and citizens are still advised to stay home as much as they can.
We heard you
What’s up with that one drug? Many of you wrote in asking for clarification about hydroxychloroquine. As with all potential coronavirus drugs, only a small number of studies have been done on the drug’s efficacy, some showing an effect, some not. It’s hard to do good research this quickly: A French study with positive-seeming results was last week—that’s the one US president Donald Trump has been referring to—was undercut by the society whose journal published it, saying the study failed to meet its “expected standard.”
Until there are more reliable studies, it’s hard for doctors to make a responsible call between the good the drug could do and its potential side effects—which hydroxychloroquine does have.
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Quartz daily obsession
A record with an out-of-this-world following. The Golden Record was a message in a bottle—if that bottle was an 815-kg (1,797-lb) hunk of metal hurtling through space away from our solar system. Humanity’s letter to the universe explaining who we are and where we come from left Earth in 1977, accompanying the Voyager spacecraft on their mission to the outer planets and beyond. The Quartz Daily Obsession is ready to drop the needle.
Matter of debate
It’s risky to rely on billionaires to save us. The likes of Jack Dorsey and Bill Gates have pledged massive donations to help with the pandemic response effort. But tech elites’ mega philanthropy also highlights their power, and the real possibility that we will emerge from this pandemic more unequal than ever.
Surprising discoveries
Two hawks made rare hybrid chicks. If the offspring are fertile, the crossbreeding between the common black hawk and the red-shouldered hawk could lead to DNA flow between the two species.
Microsoft bought corp.com. It’s an attempt to keep the domain name from hackers.
Belgium is digitizing 100,000 historic texts. The Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library and the Plantin-Moretus Museum, both in Antwerp, have partnered with Google Books for the initiative.
Astronomers captured an image of a black hole spitting fire. It’s the first time scientists have seen a jet of plasma powered by a distant quasar.
Archaeologists discovered ancient artworks in a mummy’s coffin. Two well-preserved paintings of a goddess were found lining the base of the coffin in a Scottish museum.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, hybrid chicks, and plasma jets 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 edited by Isabella Steger.