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Here’s what you need to know
ByteDance still needs government approvals for its TikTok-Oracle deal. It’s waiting for a green light from both the US and China. But US president Donald Trump is not happy with the idea of ByteDance having a majority stake in a newly formed US company, and the administration is reportedly pushing for US control (paywall).
Snowflake’s IPO is a bet on companies using AI for everything. It delivered the biggest software IPO ever yesterday, with an opening valuation of $67.9 billion. Snowflake is taking on Amazon and Microsoft by enabling clients to inexpensively expand their reliance on artificial intelligence, Quartz’s Nicolás Rivero reports.
Alexei Navalny’s aides said they found traces of Novichok on a water bottle. The Russian opposition leader fell seriously ill on a flight from Siberia, and eventually ended up in Germany, where doctors confirmed he’d been attacked with the nerve agent. Russia denies any involvement, and says there’s no evidence he was even poisoned.
Hurricane Sally left more than half a million people without power. The storm killed one person and left hundreds stranded in flooded areas on the US Gulf coast, with Alabama and Florida bearing the brunt.
The US is investigating allegations of forced hysterectomies on migrant women. The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog is looking into a nurse’s claim (paywall) that “high rates” of the procedure were performed, unnecessarily and without consent, in a Georgia detention center. ICE denies the allegations.
A name game
Another day, another streaming video announcement. Today, it’s the folks at ViacomCBS who are engaging in a rebranding effort around their direct-to-consumer offering. But what’s in a name? According to the streaming companies, the answer is: Lots of plus signs and action words like GO, NOW, and MAX.
So based on your industry knowledge, can you tell which one of these streaming services doesn’t actually exist?
Find the answer at the bottom of this email. And if you had any trouble figuring it out, let Quartz’s extensive library of field guides on the subject get you sorted.
Charting a special correlation
Job markets in the US and Europe are surprisingly similar. Though the US unemployment rate of 8.4% is running higher than that of the EU, which typically runs several percentage points higher than the US, the actual states of the labor markets have parallels.
The change in total hours worked in the US and Britain are roughly even, which shows that a good chunk of people in the UK counted as employed are actually on government support. Economists expect the number of unemployed Brits to jump higher when the furlough scheme ends next month. Read more.
Limited attention span
If you did well on our streaming platform name quiz, it could be because you’re watching a lot of TV. But we’re willing to bet you’re watching a lot of other things, too. These days, viewers’ time is being claimed by a lot of different types of media.
The last 20 years has also seen the rise of entirely new vehicles for advertising—web search and social media—that attract billions of eyeballs. Consumers are everywhere and advertisers are struggling to figure out how best to reach them. Read more in our field guide on the TV ad of the future.
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Build a sustainable productivity routine
How to build a more efficient, sustainable productivity routine: Register to join us on Sept. 17 from 11am-12pm US eastern time for our free virtual workshop, where we’ll bring together experts to explore the psychology of procrastination, why hitting a productivity wall is normal, and advice on how set yourself up for efficiency.
Obsession interlude: How we spend
The coronavirus pandemic is having a big impact on the global economy, and a noticeable effect on lots of smaller industries as well. Here’s how what we buy is changing:
⬆️ Tie dye: Online sales of Rit Dye increased 800%.
⬆️ Gardening supplies: Sales of Scotts Miracle-Gro rose 16%.
⬇️ Movie theaters: Estimated global losses of $5 billion.
⬇️ Luxury goods: Estimated global losses of $43.4 billion.
⬆️ Comfy shoes: First quarter sales of Crocs rose 14%.
⬆️ Home workouts: Views of YouTube workout videos increased 200%.
⬆️ Streaming: Netflix doubled its estimated new subscribers in the first quarter.
⬇️ Men’s suits: Sales estimated to fall 24% this year.
Keep up with our How We Spend obsession.
We’re obsessed with closed captioning
It’s black and white and read all over. Hundreds of millions around the world rely on closed captioning to be able to understand what they’re watching on TV. While the idea seems simple—just add words to relay the dialogue and describe any sounds—it took decades to mandate processes for making entertainment accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community, as well as the elderly. Now, video viewership has exploded on social media, and new forms of technology are trying to improve often-imperfect live transcription (but still failing to reach 100% accuracy). Flip on the CC setting, and let’s get to reading the Quartz Weekly Obsession.
Surprising discoveries
Reindeer herders found an Ice Age bear in the Russian Arctic. “It is completely preserved, with all internal organs in place, even including its nose,” one scientist said.
Travis Scott is giving McDonald’s supply chain headaches. The popularity of the rapper’s eponymous meal has caused some restaurants to sell out of its ingredients.
Migratory birds are dying in midair in the US. The side effects of climate change are probably a factor.
Kosher certification has gone virtual. Travel restrictions mean rabbis can’t get to food plants in places like China.
This billionaire tried hard to go broke. The co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers has successfully donated nearly all of his $8 billion fortune.
The answer to our quiz about streaming service names: YouTube Plus
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Brewster’s Millions, and a rap-inspired meal 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 Hasit Shah, Max Lockie, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.