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Here’s what you need to know
The world mourned George Floyd. At a packed funeral service in a Texas church, Rev. Al Sharpton said “God took an ordinary brother” and turned him into the cornerstone of a global movement against police brutality. The New York Stock Exchange was silent for 8 minutes and 46 seconds—the amount of time a police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck during his fatal arrest.
Investors turn to the Fed’s policy meeting. US markets have recovered their losses from coronavirus panic selling in March—especially after an unexpectedly cheering jobs report last week. But that buoyancy appeared to ebb ahead of Fed chief Jerome Powell’s remarks today, which will offer guidance on how long the US central bank will continue its supportive economic policies.
Britain will lay out the next steps of its reopening… Prime minister Boris Johnson will tell people what else they can resume doing next week. Non-essential retailers and high schools are expected to open, as are zoos and drive-in cinemas, with social-distancing rules in place.
…and crossed a major energy milestone. The country has gone more than two months without coal as of midnight—beating a previous record of about 18 days. It did so by taking coal plants offline in response to the drop in demand for electricity due to coronavirus, which means use of the fossil fuel could tick up as the economy reopens.
Sweden could find out who murdered its prime minister in 1986. The country is set to make public the findings of investigations into the killing of Olof Palme, who was gunned down on a Stockholm street while walking home from a movie. Some believe it was the act of a lone gunman—others believe it was linked to the statesman’s support for the end of apartheid in South Africa.
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, 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 flew some of its satellites 50 km (31 miles) closer to the Earth—which could change the game for satellite imaging.
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 Japanese 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.
One of Yellowstone’s oldest bears is still going. Number 399, aged 24, appeared in the US park with a set of cubs, prompting a nature photographer to text Jane Goodall, “She still lives!”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, chant tracks, and grizzled grizzlies 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, Max Lockie, Tripti Lahiri, and Isabella Steger.