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The EU rules on Apple’s tax appeal. Europe’s second-highest court will decide whether the iPhone maker must pay €13 billion ($15 billion) in Irish back taxes, which European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager had ordered as part of her crackdown on sweetheart tax deals. Whichever way the judges rule, the decision will likely be appealed to Europe’s top court. Separately, a EU-India summit will focus on strengthening trade ties.
North Macedonia heads to the polls. In the first general election since the country added the qualifier “North” to its name last year, which helped resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece but has enraged many voters, the front-runner (and former prime minister) Zoran Zaev faces off with his biggest rival, right-wing nationalist Hristijan Mickoski.
US president Donald Trump signed new China sanctions… The law punishes Chinese officials responsible for cracking down on Hong Kong, and prompted Beijing to vow retaliatory sanctions. Trump also signed an order ending the city’s special status with the US, revoking preferential treatment on trade and travel. Meanwhile, the New York Times will move part of its Hong Kong office to Seoul because of the territory’s new national security law.
…and rescinded rules on online-only foreign students. The administration walked back a policy that would have forced overseas students to transfer to a school with in-person teaching or be deported, just as a court began a hearing for a lawsuit against the rule that was filed by Harvard and MIT.
An economic health check-up
Economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic requires an unprecedented effort from all levels of industry and government. Here’s what we’re tracking now:
- 🏦 Paycheck protection. The US gave employers over half a trillion dollars and has no idea how many jobs it saved (✦). Plus, the data is a mess, and rife with confidentiality breaches.
- 💵 Unemployment benefits. An extra $600 a week that has provided a lifeline to tens of millions of laid-off workers is scheduled to expire at the end of the month.
- 💼 Getting back to work. These three steps can help prevent returning workers from getting sick. Plus, here’s some advice for working remotely for the long haul.
The Trump Book Club
The US president’s niece, Mary Trump, who also has a PhD in psychology, is the author of the latest Trump tell-all. Published yesterday, Too Much and Never Enough focuses on the family that Mary Trump says turned her uncle into a narcissist who is “lost in his own delusional spin.”
The Trump tell-all has become a genre in and of itself, with a growing list of books that examine the president from various angles. Perhaps your book club needs a little light reading to get it in the mood for what’s sure to be another tumultuous US election?
- The Room Where It Happened, by former national security advisor John Bolton, 2020
- The Threat, by former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, 2019
- A Higher Loyalty, by former FBI director James Comey, 2018
- Fire and Fury, by journalist Michael Wolff, who interviewed many Trump staffers, 2018
- Unhinged, by former director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison Omarosa Manigault Newman, 2018
Charting TikTok influencers
When the Indian government banned TikTok on June 29, hundreds of thousands of Indian content creators had the rug pulled out from under their feet. The number of Indian TikTok influencers—those with more than a thousand followers on the short-form video platform—was only second to those from the US (✦), according to a July 11 report by social media analytics firm HypeAuditor.
✦ For members: When diversity initiatives hurt diversity
Mandatory diversity training, grievance procedures, and job tests—three of the most common diversity and inclusion initiatives employed by companies—produce results contrary to their stated goal.
That’s according to a series of studies by academics Alexandra Kalev and Frank Dobbin who analyzed the effect of such programs on manager diversity at 829 US companies over three decades.
How did we get here? Read more about why some common diversity initiatives actually decrease diversity and why diversity initiatives fail in our field guide on how to create an anti-racist company.
(Not yet a member and want to try it out? Be our guest for seven days.)
You asked about hugs
Why can’t you hug someone if you both agree to hold your breath for the duration of the hug (say, three seconds) and then separate to six feet or more? —Amy
Great question, and it makes us wonder why we’re not always asking about hugs. Last month, aerosol scientist Dr. Linsey Marr told the New York Times, “If you don’t talk or cough while hugging, the risk should be very low.” Of course, low risk and no risk are very different. And if you know someone is infected or is at risk it’s best to avoid hugs altogether. If you must hug, be sure to point your faces in opposite directions, and as you suggested—keep it brief and then back off. And if you really want to go the extra mile, check out this family’s makeshift plastic “hug glove” for inspiration.
Surprising discoveries
Kenya’s getting its internet from balloons. Alphabet’s Loon project, which launched in Puerto Rico and Nevada, made an extremely long journey to East Africa.
A Colorado squirrel tested positive for the bubonic plague. Luckily, the disease is nowadays effectively treated with antibiotics.
The world’s heaviest soaring bird almost never flaps its wings. The Andean condor seeks out rising air and glides 99% of the time.
Oprah Winfrey and Jay-Z are betting on oat milk. Swedish alternative-milk brand Oatly raised $200 million from a group of high-profile investors, in a deal that values the company at $2 billion.
Italy returned a stolen Banksy to France. Authorities found the missing work by the British artist in a country home attic last month.
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