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Here’s what you need to know
Six US states saw record numbers of deaths related to Covid-19. Arkansas, California, Florida, Montana, Oregon, and Texas all reported spikes, with Latinos the worst-affected group. President Trump continued to attack (paywall) Anthony Fauci, and again pushed a drug that doesn’t work.
Tech CEOs testify. Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook (combined worth: $265.8 billion) appear before Congress to defend their business practices. Meanwhile, prosecutors in California are seeking 27 months in jail for former Uber executive Anthony Levandowski.
Boeing reveals the impact of Covid-19. All companies linked to travel are taking a beating at the moment (see below), with London’s Heathrow Airport today reporting a $1.4 billion loss, so we can expect terrible numbers from the US aerospace giant.
An exceptionally small Hajj begins. Usually about 2 million Muslim pilgrims visit the cities of Mecca and Medina, but this year Saudi Arabia barred all foreign arrivals and is allowing just 1,000 people between the ages of 20 and 50 to worship at Islam’s holiest sites.
A massive transfer of wealth to women is under way in the US. They are taking control of an additional $20 trillion in assets this decade as male baby boomers die, leaving assets to spouses, and as more women become breadwinners.
The new American economy
Covid-19 is a global challenge, but the sluggish-yet-expensive US response to the pandemic is posing tough questions without easy answers:
🎓 What’s a learning pod? With school plans unclear, affluent US parents are pursuing other options.
💰 Why won’t the rich spend? Spending is back to normal for poor Americans—but not the affluent.
đź’‰ Who gets the vaccine first? The US has already pre-ordered up to 1 billion potential vaccine doses.
đź’Ľ When will the office return? Who knows. But in the meantime, emoji use between coworkers is skyrocketing.
Charting Emmy nomination domination
After years of stalemates, Netflix has opened up a dominant lead over rival HBO in Emmy nominations. The streaming service earned 160 total nominations to HBO’s 107 this year. Over the previous three years, the two companies were never separated by more than 19 nominations. But now that Game of Thrones is over, Netflix has built a lead that looks as though it will stick for a while.
✦ For members: Extreme strategies to save nursing homes
Pub nights and farm-to-table cuisine used to be the selling points at senior homes. Now the focus has shifted to health and safety. Here are some of the changes helping protect residents during the pandemic:
- Stockpiles of PPE
- Upgrades to ventilation systems
- Antimicrobial surface materials
- Negative pressure rooms
- Robotic technology to clean high-traffic areas
- Plexiglass “clean rooms”
- Outdoor space geared for socializing
- Facilities for live-in staff
- Green-screen studios for programming and family calls
✦ Here’s an idea: call an elderly person you love to check on them, then keep tabs on how elder care is changing by becoming a Quartz member, now at 40% off.
You Asked about tourism
Will tourism be as robust as before?— A reader with a (cabin) fever
Never say never, but it’s looking to be a ways off. Yesterday, the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization said that the global tourism sector lost $320 billion in revenue between January and May of this year. The same day, the International Air Transportation Association pushed back its guess for when air traffic would return to pre-crisis levels by one year, to 2024.
So far, however, it does appear that there will continue to be an airline industry to rely upon for travel and tourism needs. A majority of the US House of Representatives just backed a plan to extend a $32 billion relief program to US airlines. And if that doesn’t put you at ease, Dubai-based Emirates now says it will pay for your funeral should you catch the coronavirus while flying on it. If that doesn’t make you want to get on a plane…
Surprising discoveries
China hacked the Vatican. A condolence letter to a Hong Kong chaplain on Vatican stationery was used to insert malware.
New York’s dogs are coming for New York’s rats. Owners of dogs with a knack for nabbing rodents are starting to team up.
Costco shoppers want sheet cake. The stores stopped selling the healthy snacks because of the supposed lack of parties, but there’s a petition to bring them back.
A postcard helped solve a Van Gogh mystery. The location depicted in the artist’s final work, Tree Roots, is now thought to be in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise.
Scientist revived 100 million-year-old microbes. They found them at the bottom of the ocean.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, sheet cake, and a catering-size jar of coffee to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Susan Howson, and Max Lockie.