Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Donald Trump rebooted his campaign. At a live TV event inside Lincoln Memorial, the US president urged Americans to look ahead and called for an end to the lockdown. He said up to 100,000 Americans could die from Covid-19, and that a vaccine is coming by year’s end.
Warren Buffett dumped all his US airline stocks. During Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, the billionaire investor said that the “world has changed” for the aviation industry due to the pandemic.
Outbreaks eased up in Western Europe, but worsened elsewhere. The number of new cases continued to fall in Spain, Italy, and Belgium, but Russia reported a record 10,600 new ones on Sunday. India also began easing its lockdown, even as its infection rate accelerated.
The Wuhan lab is back in focus. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo claimed there’s evidence—an “enormous” amount—that the coronavirus came from a virology lab in the Chinese city. China mocked that theory and the US coronavirus response with an animated video.
J. Crew filed for bankruptcy. The preppy staple became the first major US retailer to file for Chapter 11 amid the the pandemic, and others are also at risk. The company will be handed over to creditors, and is converting $1.6 billion of debt into equity.
North Korea and South Korea exchanged gunfire. Bullets from the North hit a guard post in the South, where soldiers returned warning shots. The unusual incident followed Trump hailing the return and apparent good health of Kim Jong Un.
What to watch for this week
- On Monday, the US Senate reconvenes for the first time since March. But the House will remain closed, after legislators from both parties protested a scheduled return.
- Also on Monday, the US Supreme Court reconvenes, and proceedings will be broadcast live via radio and TV for the first time. On the docket are Trump’s taxes, Booking.com, and contraception coverage.
- On Tuesday, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern joins Australia’s cabinet meeting to discuss responses to Covid-19, including a “travel bubble.”
- Also on Tuesday, Germany’s top civil court begins hearings in the VW “dieselgate” compensation case.
- On Thursday, Nintendo reports earnings, as investors look at just how much Animal Crossing will give it a profit bump. Beyond Meat, Uber, Disney, Activision Blizzard, and GM also report this week.
Charting the descent of big planes
It used to be that wide-body jets like the Boeing 747 were just about the only option for long-haul flights. In recent years, however, airlines have favored narrow-body competitors with vastly improved range and fuel efficiency. With demand for planes and air travel plummeting due to the pandemic, Boeing and Airbus have announced plans to slash manufacturing of the bigger jets even more.
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- Just about the entire planet is grappling with the biggest disruption in trade since the Great Depression. Policymakers have fought back with trillions of dollars of spending. The result is the largest experiment in economic policy outside of a world war.
- Rich and poor countries aren’t borrowing in the same ways. You can visualize how the explosion in global government debt is playing out in five charts.
- The wave of government spending may benefit big corporations the most—and give them the cash they need to buy up and crowd out smaller competitors. Watchdogs worry monopolies are on the rise in the US.
We’re obsessed with bingo
Once associated with old ladies in church basements, bingo has experienced a bit of a comeback lately. The centuries-old game provides a little jolt of opportunity for a relatively low-stakes investment—and your odds of winning can be quite good. Grab your lucky dauber, it’s the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Surprising discoveries
A man quarantined himself on a shuttered Disney World island. He’s since been arrested for trespassing on the private property in Florida.
World-class pole vaulters competed in their gardens. They raced to clear a 5 m (16 ft) bar as many times as possible in 30 minutes, in a live-streamed event with an audience of 20,000.
The US has its first coronavirus-themed TV series episode. CBS’s legal drama All Rise produced its entire season finale remotely.
A piece of the moon is selling for $2.5 million. Christie’s is offloading a 13 kg (30 lbs) meteorite found in the Sahara desert.
“Murder hornets” are invading the US. The bellicose bugs, native to Asia, have a sting that can kill a human and jaws that can decapitate 30,000 honey bees in a few hours.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, bingo cards, and the last episode of All Rise 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 Luiz Romero.