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Ursula von der Leyen gives a state of the union speech. The European Commission president’s address will lay out priorities for the year, including the “European Green Deal,” which may push for a further emission reduction targets of 55% by 2030.
Dominic Raab makes the case for Brexit in Washington. The British foreign secretary will argue that the UK government’s newly proposed law, which would override a landmark treaty with the EU and breach international law, is a precautionary and proportionate measure.
Donald Trump attacked a WTO ruling. The US president said he will have to “do something” after the World Trade Organization ruled that US tariffs levied on more than $200 billion worth of Chinese goods breached global trade rules.
Celebrities are freezing their Instagram and Facebook accounts for the day. Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry, Michael B. Jordan, and other stars are taking part in a 24-hour boycott to protest the platforms’ failures to address hate speech and disinformation.
Checking up on global health
💉 Hoarding vaccines will extend the pandemic. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation warned rich countries that buying up all the vaccines and leaving poorer countries without is counterproductive.
📉 Covid-19 undid 25 years of global health progress in 25 weeks. Poverty, immunization rates, education, gender equality, clean water access, and more will take years to get back to pre-pandemic levels.
👀 And another potential epidemic needs serious attention. There’s a brewing mental health crisis for South Asian immigrants in the West.
Charting bitcoin in India
After a ban on cryptocurrencies was revoked in March, bitcoin accounted for 20% of the total traded volumes on WazirX, one of the popular cryptocurrency exchanges in India. Over the last six months, bitcoins worth $184 million were traded on the platform.
Not only is it the most stable, but bitcoin is one of the base currencies for buying altcoins if a user doesn’t want to use sovereign-backed money to trade. Endorsements from Wall Street veterans haven’t hurt the currency’s cachet either.
But Tether may be the other one to watch. Read more here.
Are commercial breaks coming to Netflix?
Netflix doesn’t have commercials—and it won’t any time soon. But that doesn’t mean it won’t embrace advertisers.
The streaming service had 193 million global subscribers as of June and is likely to surpass 200 million by the end of the year. For now, the only substantial way it monetizes that massive audience is from subscriptions. But many observers—including marketers who want to reach those subscribers—believe the company needs to find other means through which it can capitalize on its legions of binge-watchers in the event subscriptions stop growing.
Read more about the ways Netflix is already working with advertisers, and what this means for the future of the TV ad, in this week’s field guide. If you’re not already a member, sign up to become one today.
Build a sustainable productivity routine
Hit reset on your productivity. Join us on Sept. 17 from 11am–12pm ET (3pm GMT) for our free virtual workshop on how to build a sustainable productivity routine. For this workshop, we’ve assembled a group of experts to share practical tips and advice on how to overcome distractions and set yourself up for efficiency.
Obsession interlude: How we spend
The biggest question facing retailers of all stripes is whether the changes in global purchasing habits forced by the pandemic will result in a permanent disruption of how we shop and spend.
Almost every consumer-facing company—from luxury retailers to restaurants to entertainment venues—had to adjust to the lockdowns and quarantines. Some moved online, others reduced capacity, or just shut their doors and hoped to survive long enough for customers to return.
There’s evidence that some shoppers will, in fact, return to stores. That’s been the pattern in China, for example. But the post-pandemic world has both fewer stores, due to a wave of bankruptcies, and more opportunities to buy online. Amazon is a clear success story, and other retailers are more focused on e-commerce in anticipation of a permanent shift. Whether shoppers opt to stay online will dictate much of the future of retailing.
Keep up with our How We Spend obsession here.
Surprising discoveries
A wooden Melania Trump statue was replaced with a bronze one. The original carving of the US first lady in her hometown in Slovenia was badly damaged in an arson attack two months ago.
Singapore will pay its citizens to keep healthy. It’s partnering with Apple Watch to reward people for activities like meditation, walks, and getting immunizations.
A monkey appears to have taken selfies. A Malaysian man found the photos after retrieving his phone, which had gone missing, from the jungle behind his house.
Testy China-Taiwan relations are not for the birds. A bird conservation NGO kicked out a Taiwan group because it refused to sign a document pledging not to promote the country’s independence.
Asbestos, Quebec is changing its name. The shortlist of new monikers includes Jeffrey and Trois-Lacs.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, new town names, and healthy rewards to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Mary Hui, Isabella Steger, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.