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Here’s what you need to know
A WHO team is headed to China. The World Health Organization said it’s in talks to send scientists to figure out the source of Covid-19. So far, tests on various animals have not been able to pinpoint the “intermediate host” that spread it from bats to humans.
China just had its worst corporate earnings season in 10 years. Profits at more than 3,000 companies listed on mainland exchanges dropped 42% on average versus a year ago. But next quarter looks much brighter.
US companies may be allowed to work with Huawei on 5G standards. Reuters reports a draft rule would make it OK to participate in standards bodies where Huawei is also a member. An earlier ruling limiting the sale of US technology to the Chinese company made such collaboration uncertain.
China ratcheted up its Hong Kong rhetoric. As coronavirus restrictions loosen, a new statement from China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office referred to pro-democracy protesters as “poisonous” and a “political virus.”
Lockdowns could lead to millions more tuberculosis cases. If social distancing derails testing and treatment, research indicates there could be an extra 6 million infections and 1.4 million deaths by 2025. In somewhat better news, this is a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to curb STIs.
Baseball without fans
If you build it, they won’t come. South Korea’s baseball season belatedly kicked off this week, complete with cheerleaders and major TV contracts from networks like ESPN who are anxious to fill the globe’s sporting void. The only things missing were the in-person fans. The Korean Baseball Organization attempted to create the illusion of filled stadium seats anyway with images of spectators—wearing masks, of course.
Charting alcohol sales
In the US, consumers are buying more alcohol through retailers, and spirits purchases have seen the biggest bump, with a 33% increase. Canned cocktails—an increasingly trendy and rapidly expanding category—are up by triple digits.
But the key word here is “retail.” Americans aren’t necessarily imbibing more during their lockdowns. What’s changed is where they’re drinking it—the alcohol they’re buying for home enjoyment is simply taking the place of what they’d be putting on their tabs at bars or restaurants.
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Worker support. From furlough schemes to supporting the self-employed, the world has some solid emergency plans for supporting workers and industries reeling from Covid-19.
Take Germany, for example. Financially distressed employers can drastically reduce worker hours, and the government will pay most of their lost wages. The program, called Kurzarbeit, preserves jobs and makes it easier for both the company and the economy to recover later on.
But what’s Disney’s plan? Owning massive parks and a massive sports network seemed like a good way to diversify, until it wasn’t. The Mouse has furloughed 100,000 employees so far, without pay.
We’re obsessed with black swans
We don’t know what we don’t know. Every once in a while, an event we consider outside the realm of possibility pops up and upends everything we thought we knew about a subject. But experts debate whether some calamities—like the current pandemic—were really unforeseeable, or if we just ignored the warnings. Suspend your disbelief with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Surprising discoveries
India readies the world’s first safe zone for sea cucumbers. The endangered marine animal is in high demand in some parts of Asia for food and traditional medicine.
Americans’ pandemic shopping list: canned tuna, rice, and weed gummies. Cannabis sales have soared in the US, fueled by an edibles boom.
Elon Musk’s baby’s name might be illegal. Sorry, X Æ A-12—California only allows the 26 letters of the English alphabet on birth certificates.
Ancient horned frogs once hopped all the way across Antarctica. They lived in a time when the continents were one massive landmass called Gondwana.
The remains of a Bronze Age chieftain were found beneath a skate park in England. His was one of two skeletons excavated at the site.
You asked about vacations
Will people still go on vacations now that we’re in a Covid-19 world?
Easton, you’re not the only one with this question. Weeks into the US’s nationwide lockdown, Google searches for “when can I travel again” continue to rise. International travel is all but impossible, big cities that used to be tourism hubs have become areas of concern, and money is tight.
What travel looks like in the short-term will depend a lot on what’s allowed and the depth of the economic crisis. If past recessions serve as any guide, cash-strapped vacationers will instead load up their cars and go to places they can reach on their own steam. Think national parks, campgrounds, places that can be reached in a day. Quartz reporter Natasha Frost has more information on what travel will—and won’t—look like in our near future.
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Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, legal weed gummies, and illegal baby names 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 Natasha Frost, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.