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Here’s what you need to know
Anthony Fauci told Congress that “the virus is not going to disappear.” The US’ top infectious disease expert testified that Covid-19 is not yet under control, and that there has been a “disturbing” surge in parts of the country.
The US suspended Air India’s repatriation flights. It accused India’s national carrier of “discriminatory practices,” and said that since the airline was selling tickets, the flights were not “true repatriations.” The Department of Transportation also said it will reconsider once US airlines are allowed to fly in and out of India.
Major League Baseball is coming back. There’s finally an agreement between the league, team owners, and players to play out a severely truncated 60-game season, starting in late July. It almost didn’t happen at all, however.
Ben and Jerry’s is the latest big brand to boycott Facebook ads. The ice cream maker joined the Stop Hate For Profit campaign, which is calling on the tech giant to take a stronger line on racist content. But Facebook’s revenues will barely take a hit.
Bubba Wallace insisted the rope found in his garage was a noose. An FBI investigation into an alleged hate crime against the only Black NASCAR driver concluded that the rope was just a door handle that had been there since last year. “Somebody tied a noose,” Wallace told CNN.
Black bookstores are overwhelmed with orders. The new demand for scholarly examinations of racism means that Boston’s Black-owned Frugal Bookshop, a small retailer, received more than 20,000 orders since May 30, mostly for the same titles.
What’s up with new US visa rules?
Monday’s decision by US president Donald Trump to stop foreign talent from entering the country for the remainder of the year puts many students and workers in a tough spot. Here’s how we’re covering the situation:
Who’s in and who’s out? Unless you’re a professor, a researcher, or already in the country, the new visa ban will likely apply. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the order.
Who does this benefit? More than 80% of experts from top universities doubt official claims that the move would free up over half a million jobs for Americans (✦ Quartz member exclusive).
Who can help? Anu Hariharan, a former software engineer who now invests in startups, has some advice for the 202,000 Indian students in the US who are looking for new options (✦).
Charting the retail trading boom
While it’s easier than ever for regular people to buy stocks, they might be surprised to find out that their trades don’t necessarily end up on a stock exchange—at least, not right away. Instead, brokerages like Charles Schwab and Robinhood typically sell their orders to high-frequency traders—also known as market makers.
Robinhood, for example, was paid about $45 million in March, more than twice what it got in January, for selling customer orders to professional trading companies like Citadel Securities.
For Members: Fossil fuels and Covid-19
Coronavirus presents an existential crisis for the oil and gas industry. In this week’s member-exclusive field guide, we look at what it will take for fossil fuel companies to survive. Here’s how it all comes together:
1️⃣ The coronavirus crisis has set off one of the most devastating downturns in the fossil fuel industry’s 150-year history.
2️⃣ It has highlighted the downside of countries staking their fortunes on the spending power of oil companies.
3️⃣ And widened a trans-Atlantic divide about where the profits of the future will be made.
4️⃣ If there is a future for the industry, it’s in accelerating the energy transition.
5️⃣ The demands of today’s young talent may leave oil companies no choice but to diversify.
✦ To enjoy all the articles, presentations, field guides, and workshops available to members, try it out with a seven-day free trial. ✦
You asked about getting coronavirus twice
After having recovered from Covid-19, can I have the symptoms again? – Héctor
Thanks for writing in, Héctor. While certain symptoms can be shared with a number of other diseases such as pneumonia or influenza, actually contracting Covid-19 twice within a matter of months is more complicated.
Earlier this year in South Korea and China, a number of patients who appeared to be cleared of Covid-19 tested positive for a second time. One explanation could simply be that people can be reinfected. But experts say it seems unlikely that this is the cause of the new positive results.
Another possibility is that the amount of virus in the patients’ bodies dipped, then spiked again. And yet another option could be that a patient is infected with a different strain of the coronavirus. It’s still hard to know what exactly is going on.
Surprising discoveries
A US intelligence committee confirmed its navy has a UFO task force. It requires a budget, and we should have listened to Mulder.
Americans are drinking less during the pandemic. There’s apparently been a shift to healthy living, despite the boredom and good weather.
Snapping shrimps have some of the fastest eyes of any animal. Using a conducting wire, scientists recorded it refreshing its eyesight 160 times a second.
Astronomers detected a black hole’s collision with… something. But after poring over the data, they’re still not sure what it was.
There’s a good buzz about US honeybees. This winter’s losses were lower than average, following a particularly bad 2018-2019 season.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, soft drinks, and Scully’s scepticism 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, Liz Webber, Jackie Bischof, John Detrixhe, Alex Ossola, and Max Lockie.