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US courts halted Trump’s attempt to limit the census. Judges ruled that a presidential order to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the census count, which is used to allocate seats in Congress, was unlawful. Meanwhile, Microsoft suspects Russian state-backed hackers targeted advisory firms for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign.
Europe emerged as a coronavirus hotspot. Western Europe has pulled ahead of the US in daily infections of Covid-19, as France recorded almost 10,000 new cases in 24 hours, a record. Infections have also surged in the UK, where pub and restaurant re-openings have contributed to tentative signs of economic recovery.
The Taliban and the Afghan government hold peace talks. US-brokered peace negotiations start tomorrow in Qatar after months of delays, as both sides completed a prisoner exchange. India and China are also giving peace a chance; the Earth’s two most-populous nations signaled their intent to resolve recent deadly border disputes through diplomatic channels.
Disney’s Mulan could flop in China. The movie has generated less than $1 million in advance opening day ticket sales, signaling another blow for a film that has drawn heavy criticism for using its film credits to show appreciation for authorities facilitating the mass incarceration of Muslims in Xinjiang.
The CEO of Rio Tinto is resigning. Jean-Sébastien Jacques and two other senior executives will step down after the mining giant destroyed two sacred ancient Aboriginal caves in Western Australia in May. The firm has also been accused of misleading a federal inquiry into the incident.
Who built this Citi?
Among Wall Street insiders and spectators, Citigroup’s announcement that Jane Fraser will succeed CEO Michael Corbat was met with a mixture of excitement (a glass ceiling finally shattered) and impatience (it’s about damn time). Fellow US mega bank JPMorgan, after all, has positioned several women executives as potential contenders for the CEO title, but chief Jamie Dimon, 64, said in April 2019 that he expected to stay with the bank for another four or five years.
Citigroup has struggled to bring its stock prices closer to its biggest competitors’, but is teaching a diversity lesson to the other three of the top four US banks. Fraser’s appointment shows there’s a point at which companies simply need to trust that women who’ve spent years demonstrating their competence and capability are ready to take the lead—and in order to make space, some white men have to be willing to step aside.
Charting forest fire jobs
In the wake of the wildfires devastating the US west coast, at least one profession stands to benefit: forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently estimated the number of people working in the occupation, which offers a median wage of about $53,000 per year, is set to increase by 24% from 2019 to 2029.
Only five years ago, the US government estimated the profession would grow by 13% between 2014 and 2024. By last year, employment was already higher than predicted for 2024, and even the most recent forecasts may be too low. Read more about the latest surefire career path.
Living in a wildfire-affected area? Quartz reporter Michael J. Coren is, too, and he did some research on how to get your lungs through it.
COULD YOU BE A SUPERFORECASTER?
Maybe! Do any of these sound like you?
- Smart, analytical, open-minded, and highly numerate
- Open to considering the “outside view”
- A fan of balancing competing theories and evidence that contradicts your views
If so, your future is looking bright, which you know already because you probably predicted it long ago. Superforecasters are individuals who have proved themselves over several years of geopolitical forecasting tournaments by scoring in the top 5% for forecasting accuracy. Their combined wisdom has proven more accurate than that of professional intelligence analysts in several research projects. Our latest field guide explores what we can learn from these modern-day oracles in order to become better decision-makers.
✦ We can forecast with great accuracy that you’d enjoy a Quartz membership—that’s a pretty easy prediction though, because you’d get a perk-heavy, paywall-free experience while supporting quality journalism. What’s not to enjoy? Sign up today!
You asked about carpooling
I’m returning to work soon but my carpool is not. Is it possible for anyone to safely carpool to work anymore if we can’t social distance within the car?
Carpooling actually appears poised to make a modest comeback due to Covid-19. Dani Simons, head of public sector partnerships at Google’s Waze says that she’s already seeing an increase in carpooling in Brazil and Mexico and is also expecting a major rebound in carpool usage as more schools and businesses reopen in the US.
Continue reading to learn more about safe carpool recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health officials.
Obsession interlude: Beyond Silicon Valley
To help you keep tabs on the tech scene beyond Silicon Valley, here are five start-up hubs you can’t see from California.
🇧🇾 Minsk is the outsourcing capital of Europe. The Belarusian city has built a $3.1 billion tech sector making software for global firms and developing games like mega-hit “World of Tanks”—though ongoing political repression threatens to squash the budding startup scene.
🇺🇸 North Carolina’s Research Triangle combines Big Tech, Big Pharma, and a big startup scene. Planted between three Tier 1 research universities, the district hosts tech giants like IBM, Lenovo, and Cisco alongside medical research firms Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline.
🇨🇳 In this southern Chinese city, you can build a smartphone from scratch. Shenzhen, home to Tencent and Huawei, among other tech giants, has the country’s largest consumer electronics market—Huaqiangbei—and is home base for China’s aspiring entrepreneurs and hackers.
🇮🇳 India’s ‘80s IT capital is now the “Silicon Valley of India.” Bengaluru houses the third-highest number of tech startups globally and has secured 57% of India’s startup funding. The Garden City in the southern state of Karnataka is also India’s millennial billionaire capital, having produced 10 out of 17 self-made entrepreneurs under the age of 40.
🇳🇬 This Lagos neighborhood is ground-zero for Nigeria’s $2 billion tech ecosystem. Several startups, including the Chan Zuckerberg-backed Andela, first set up shop in the Lagos suburb of Yaba, which is best known for being home to tech founders and colonial-era architecture.
Keep up with the larger tech world with our Beyond Silicon Valley obsession.
Surprising discoveries
A python laid seven eggs without male help. The 62-year-old snake at a US zoo had not been near a male python for at least two decades.
Pringles is redesigning its tube. The distinctive cylinder is almost impossible to recycle because it contains a dizzying mix of materials.
Scientists captured the highest-resolution image ever. They used the world’s largest digital camera to take a photo of… Romanesco broccoli.
Wind-powered cargo boats plan to set sail. A Swedish consortium announced plans to build a ship, using sails 100 meters (330 feet) high, capable of carrying 6,000 cars across the Atlantic.
Russian grave diggers held their first tournament. The winner took only 52 minutes to produce someone’s eternal resting place.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, recyclable Pringles tubes, and tickets for wind-powered boating 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 Amanda Shendruk, John Detrixhe, Mary Hui, Isabella Steger, Susan Howson, and Max Lockie.
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