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Hong Kongers rallied despite a police ban. To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the million-person demonstration against an extradition law, protesters took to the streets to air their sweeping concerns about the Communist Party. They’re not the only ones—a new fund created by capital fund manager Kyle Bass lets investors bet against the success of Hong Kong’s currency.
India’s supreme court protected migrants from lockdown prosecution. The nation’s high court ruled that migrant workers who had left their villages to find work or escape from starvation and disease were exempt from laws meant to keep people in their homes. Meanwhile, Indian students abroad are also on the move—from the US to Canada.
Burundi’s president died unexpectedly. Pierre Nkurunziza, 56, died of a heart attack on June 8, according to a statement released through the government’s Twitter account—just two weeks after his successor, Evariste Ndayishimiye, was elected.
Thailand will tax foreign internet providers. Now that the legislature has passed a bill to charge a value-added tax on digital service providers, Thailand is the latest Southeast Asian country to augment its tax revenue by tapping into the deep pockets of international tech companies.
The US is having trouble regulating China. The Food and Drug Administration had to correct testimony that was intended to show strong pharmaceutical oversight, but mischaracterized exactly how reliant the US is on China’s supply of active ingredients. Likewise, a Senate review showed that US regulation of Chinese telecommunication companies has been inconsistent at best.
Marie Kondo for startups
Last week we asked which lessons from behavioral science (Quartz member exclusive ✦) are most effective for maintaining social distancing. The results are in: 39% of you said positive reinforcement works best, 37% went with clear messaging and planning, while 24% opted for “piggybacking” social distancing measures on top of pre-existing daily habits.
Now we’re switching from surviving to thriving. Anand Mahindra, the chairman of India’s $20.7 billion Mahindra Group, took to Twitter this week to share some tips (✦) on how companies can beat the “Corona-induced coma” by thinking and acting like startups.
Which of his three steps do you think are the most important for organizational growth during the pandemic?
✂️ Go lean and cut anything that doesn’t earn.
📊 Rethink everything, even your business model.
📖 Be transparent. Share everything instantly.
Charting the 2020 summer movie release schedule
Cinemas in the United States and other countries are cautiously beginning to reopen—South Korea’s box office numbers more than doubled within one week—but the release dates of most Hollywood feature films are still delayed. Now that the dust is settling, Quartz compared what the 2020 summer blockbuster calendar should have looked like to what it is now.
Is your long-awaited action flick not represented below? Here’s the amended 2020 summer movie schedule.
For members: Turning over a new brief
We made the coronavirus living briefing to track how Covid-19 is affecting the global economy. Check in every business day for the newest updates, or become a Quartz member to get access to the full briefing. Here’s what we’re watching now:
🇮🇳 Airlines: In the first several weeks after India’s reopening, flights were filled to about 70% of capacity—much higher than the expected 25%.
🇨🇳 China’s economy: The economic slowdown gave China a record trade surplus in May after imports dropped faster than exports.
🇺🇸 The US job market: Americans’ expectations for a pay raise expanded last month, and just 38.9% of people think the unemployment rate will be higher in 12 months.
✦ To gain access to all of our stories, plus presentations, field guides, workshops, and more available exclusively to Quartz members, you can start with a seven-day free trial. ✦
You Asked about asymptomatic carriers
What’s the latest with asymptomatic carriers? I read that they are thought to be 40% of total infected, and probably the main spreaders of the disease. —Roger
On Monday a WHO official told the press that people who have Covid-19 but never develop symptoms like fever, coughing, or gastrointestinal distress very rarely gave it to others. The very next day, the organization took it back.
Some might have taken the original statement to mean that “stealth transmission” of Covid-19 is unlikely—that if a person isn’t actively coughing and sneezing, you don’t need to worry about getting infected. But that’s not necessarily the case. The WHO clarified that while most transmission seems to come from people who are showing symptoms, it’s too soon to know exactly how the virus spreads. Want to know more? Quartz’s Katherine Ellen Foley has you covered.
✉️ Do you have a burning question about how coronavirus is changing the world?
Surprising discoveries
The view from above just got a lot clearer. Remote-sensing firm Planet just flew some of its satellites 50 km closer to the Earth and will add more to change the game of satellite imaging.
Olof Palme’s murder: solved? The results of an investigation into the 1986 assassination of a Swedish prime minister will be released today.
A decade of pizza pranks. Someone’s sunk a lot of time into delivering a steady stream of unpaid-for pizzas to a 65-year-old Belgian.
Hit that hi-hat, kill some germs. Iconic drum-maker Pearl started manufacturing a hand sanitizer dispenser that uses a hi-hat pedal to deliver the good stuff.
The Dalai Lama is going to drop an album. The record includes chants and teachings, and commemorates the spiritual leader’s 85th birthday.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, chant tracks, and paid-for pizzas 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 Max Lockie.