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Beijing passed the national security law for Hong Kong. Fast-tracked under a shroud of secrecy, it’s only now that Hong Kong will find out what’s in the law, which will severely curtail civil liberties. In anticipation, the US began rolling back Hong Kong’s special trade status by halting exports of sensitive technologies to the city. The city’s leader wouldn’t take questions on the law today, but will address a UN rights forum.
TikTok was removed from India’s Google and Apple app stores. It comes after the Indian government announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps yesterday over their perceived threats to India’s sovereignty and security. TikTok said it will meet with government officials about the ban.
Boris Johnson unveils plans for the economy. In a speech in the Midlands, the prime minister will promise to spend £5 billion ($6.16 billion) on infrastructure projects and set up a new task force to deliver key projects faster.
The EU finalizes its “safe” travel list. Citizens of 14 countries including Australia, Japan, and Canada will be allowed to enter the bloc starting tomorrow, but the US, China, and Brazil are excluded. Chinese citizens will be allowed entry if Beijing reciprocates with access for Europeans.
Venezuela ordered the EU ambassador to leave. President Nicolás Maduro made the announcement after the bloc imposed sanctions on 11 Venezuelan officials.
Governments pledge billions in aid to Syrian refugees. The UN hopes to raise $10 billion from governments and NGOs worldwide at a virtual donor meeting today for the millions of Syrians enduring their country’s ninth year of conflict.
Brands are cracking down on hate speech
Twitch vs. the US president. The streaming service banned Donald Trump’s account for videos of rallies featuring racist language, as part of its commitment to weed out hate speech.
Reddit banned more than 2,000 subreddits, including one that supported Trump. CEO Steve Huffman, known for his dedication to free speech, enforced new policies banning hate speech after backlash from users.
YouTube gave white supremacists the axe. Stefan Molyneux, David Duke, and Richard Spencer have all been found to be in violation of the video platform’s newly updated policies.
Charting supply chain leaders in China
It’s been a tumultuous few years for corporate supply chain managers. As if the US-China trade war wasn’t enough, along came Covid-19, which upended industries from tech to fashion and laid bare how much global corporations rely on China for manufacturing and components.
China’s rising costs already had companies looking to broaden their sourcing, but recent events are stepping up the urgency (✦ Quartz member exclusive). While expenses from trade-war tariffs are at the top of the list of reasons, the pandemic has caused companies to seek supply chains that are generally more resilient to disruptions.
For members: Getting the picture about commuting’s future
The coronavirus pandemic is transforming the way the world moves through its cities. As they often do, emojis provide a pretty decent picture of the challenges facing different places across the globe. Test how much you know about the world’s shifting commuting practices by identifying specific issues below.
Answers: 1. It’ll take more than a pandemic to break down Delhi’s beloved Metro system 2. San Francisco is leading the charge to dethrone cars 3. Social-distancing is wrecking the economics of South Africa’s most dysfunctional—and vital—public transport
Need to brush up? You can read all of these and more in our field guide about the commuting revolution.
✦ We ❤️ our members—find out just how much with a seven-day free trial! We promise that we almost always use actual words in the award-winning stories, presentations, and field guides available to members. ✦
You asked about startup investing
What will be the impact of the pandemic on the rather risk-taking angel investors and their rampant funding of tech startups? Do we expect the dynamics to change for good?
An excellent question. Funding difficulties have been reported in outlets like the Houston Chronicle and Crunchbase due to the large number of industries that have been affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Angel (early stage) and venture capital investors are writing fewer checks due to the challenging operating environment and uncertain future. This has resulted in startups seeking government contracts, grants, establishing partnerships with big companies, depleting personal savings, and even going into debt to finance their companies.
However, there are definitely still opportunities that are focused on providing goods and services that are especially in demand right now, such as remote-access IT services, critical infrastructure, and enterprise software. Globally, though, VC investors have already tightened purse strings, and where funds will be directed in the future has yet to be determined based on fluctuating predictions for an economic recovery worldwide.
Surprising discoveries
Disney is revamping its Splash Mountain rides. The log flume ride is inspired by the racist live-action and animated musical film Song of the South.
A ready-made pizza had a pepperoni swastika on it. It was a rude shock for an Ohio couple’s family dinner.
Flying snakes soar by squirming. Scientists gave the reptilian aviators miniature motion-capture suits to unlock the secret of how they glide.
“Wild swimming” is on the rise. With pools closed, bathers in the UK are diving into natural bodies of water to get their aquatic fix.
An STD-like fungus could turn millions of cicadas into zombies. Insects invaded by a lethal fungus are consumed by a singular drive to mate until they meet their unappealing end.
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