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US civil rights groups are calling for advertisers to boycott Facebook. The Anti-Defamation League, NAACP, and others told the tech giant (paywall): “Your profits will never be worth promoting hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence.” Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg defended the company in an op-ed.
US retail sales had nowhere to go except up after March and April. So we should be cautious about the recovery, and the numbers are still far from pre-pandemic levels. Beyond that, there’s still a high degree of uncertainty about how the months ahead will play out in the US.
A steroid could be a major breakthrough for coronavirus treatment. Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug that is used for diseases like arthritis, substantially reduced death rates in Covid-19 patients.“It is one of the best pieces of news we’ve had through this whole crisis,” said the UK’s health secretary Matt Hancock.
Beijing is once again under lockdown. After a spike in new Covid-19 cases, people in medium or high-risk areas cannot leave the city, schools are closed, and sport is suspended. Meanwhile, China is still not saying much about the border clash that left 20 Indian soldiers confirmed dead.
Charting UK workers’ recovery
The UK government has tried to cushion the economy from a deep recession, with extra assistance for companies and the unemployed. But a look just below the surface shows a massive shock, with the largest drop on record for the number of weekly hours worked.
Leveling the playing field
The English Premier League—the world’s wealthiest and most popular national club competition—is getting back in the game today. But the world has changed while it was on hiatus.
“Soccer may be the closest thing there is to a meritocracy in England,” writes Quartz’s Hasit Shah. “Nowhere else is there such a clear pathway for young Black men like Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford (25 and 22, respectively) to become multimillionaires and national heroes. It is, of course, predicated on supernatural talent and a ferocious work ethic, in addition to luck—every player is one bad injury away from disaster—and, most importantly, changing attitudes.”
While team owners, TV companies, and sponsors complain about the temporary loss of revenue, Sterling and Rashford have stood out for their contributions to battles against poverty and racism in extraordinarily challenging times, and made a further case for the inclusion of Black talent in the game’s boardrooms.
For Members: What companies need to understand about Gen Z
What’s driving Gen Z? Quartz’s latest presentation looks at the age group’s progressive priorities—from the environment to body positivity—and what this means for companies hoping to connect with young people.
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to strengthen Gen Z’s existing tendencies to save money, value security, and prize thriftiness and conscious consumption. And with the generation’s estimated $150 billion in spending power in the US alone, companies can no longer depend on traditional gatekeepers to reach them. It’s time to meet Gen Z on its own terms.
✦ All of the slides and our field guide on What Gen Z wants are now available to Quartz members. Prize your own thriftiness by checking out a seven-day free trial. ✦
You asked about the future of the workplace
Do you think Covid-19 will permanently change the workplace? – Sallie
We think that’s a safe bet. Writing for Quartz, Jason Wingard, dean and professor of human capital management at the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, says that our suddenly new ways of working are here to stay. He breaks down the principle changes into four pillars:
- Flexible hours: Employees will be forced to set—and communicate—their own availability, based upon their personal schedules and productivity levels.
- New employee metrics: To measure individual success at the fully-remote tech firm Automattic, CEO Matt Mullenweg asks employees: “What do you actually produce?”
- Social impact: The difference between a PR grab and making a real difference can hinge on building long-term relationships with nonprofits instead of one-time actions.
- Authentic relationships: With the last semblances of formality now stripped away, it’s more important than ever to avoid a culture wherein every interaction becomes casually transactional.
Surprising discoveries
Queen bees quack when they’re ready to roam. They also fight to the death with other queen bees.
Adopt a Boston Dynamics robot dog. Finally, consumers with $74,500 to burn can give a somewhat scary Spot a new home.
Or if you’re in India, get a long-distance pet. For just $40 a month, you can beat lockdown blues and adopt a dog that’s miles away.
Mars has a green glow. The phenomenon is caused by an interaction of oxygen atoms and sunlight.
You could win a pair of Bose headphones for doing almost nothing. You just need to refer a friend to the Quartz Daily Brief.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, a Manchester City defeat, and a long-distance dog 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 Hasit Shah, Susan Howson, and Max Lockie.