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Here’s what you need to know
Donald Trump denied “years of tax avoidance.” The New York Times said it finally got hold of the US president’s tax records, and reported that he frequently paid no federal income tax at all because of “chronic losses;” according to the newspaper, he paid only $750 the year he became president.
Uber can operate in London again, despite “historic failings.” The company won a legal battle in the British capital, whose transportation authority had issued a ban because of a “pattern of failures.” But the length of its license remains uncertain and under review.
TikTok remains in US app stores—for now. A federal judge issued an injunction temporarily blocking Trump’s order to bar downloads of the video app. However, a broader ban is still set to take effect on Nov. 12 that would render the app effectively unusable.
A Huawei executive’s extradition hearing resumes in Canada. Meng Wanzhou, the Chinese telco’s chief financial officer and the daughter of its founder, faces charges of fraud linked to the alleged violation of US sanctions against Iran, which she denies. The case could drag on for years.
Armenia and Azerbaijan continue their violent border dispute. An old conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians, erupted yesterday, with dozens killed as both countries declared martial law.
What to watch for
Monday: China allows foreign workers to return, and the UK starts issuing £10,000 ($12,800) fines for breaking self-isolation rules.
Tuesday: Trump debates Democratic challenger Joe Biden, and NASA launches a new $23 million space toilet.
Wednesday: Palantir’s IPO is expected, and Google holds its Pixel 5 smartphone launch event.
Thursday: Hong Kongers plan to protest on China’s national day, but police have banned a scheduled march.
Friday: US nonfarm payrolls are released.
Charting transitions of US presidential power
Modern US history suggests that contested elections, resignations, and even assassinations of presidents aren’t systemic risks. But that history doesn’t include a sitting US president refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
If Donald Trump loses in November and denies the result, will global investors lose confidence in the rule of law underpinning the entire US financial system?
The virtual, borderless team
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted countries to shut down their borders and turn inwards. But it has also shown the value and potential of a phenomenon borne out of globalization: the borderless team.
As we work out of our living rooms, connected to teammates by Zoom and Google Meet, we are being asked to leapfrog distances, across cultural contexts and geographies. In order to work productively, we’ve had to understand the lives of colleagues across the globe in ways we didn’t before.
The ability to work productively across these distances was already an asset before the pandemic. Now it’s a necessity. What can we learn from teams that are built to overcome—and even harness—massive geographic spans and cultural differences to do their work? Learn more in our latest field guide.
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Obsession interlude: Borders
🚧 Borders are arbitrary lines on a map, but they have real impact on where we live and work, and the ways we trade and transact. How porous or rigid they are is determined mainly by policy, sometimes geography, and occasionally by sheer human will. Tax havens, visas, human migration—they all are evidence of a global economy that operates across states and in the spaces between them.
What does it mean to be obsessed with borders? We asked deputy finance and economics editor Ana Campoy to explain how she defines it, starting with the word itself:
“Border” is a squishy word. Its definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is pretty simple: an outer part or edge. Yet its meaning quickly gets complicated as you go through its lengthy list of synonyms. A boundary is a limit, the end of something. A frontier, meanwhile, is what’s in front, beyond the limit. A demarcation is a line to mark or divide, while a threshold is an opening. Borders can be all of these things, sometimes at once.
For a framework of how to make sense of this jumble, look to Chicana theorist, poet, and border dweller Gloria Anzaldua. Read her 1987 Borderlands for a sophisticated, nuanced, and illuminating take on borders that still resonates today:
“We are faced with the fear that if we open up our hearts and embrace our visitors, they will take over our house. Not only that, but that they are going to be disrespectful to us in our own house. How can we say that this is our house, but it is also their house, without inviting a takeover? How much do you make accessible to the other and how often do you say ‘Stop right there.’?”
In other words, borders are a constant negotiation. Through our coverage, we’re exploring how countries, people, and companies are constantly figuring out where to draw the line.
Follow our Borders obsession here.
Surprising discoveries
Traveling back in time is theoretically possible. Researchers addressed the so-called “grandfather paradox” by arguing that even if you change the past, the timeline can self-correct.
Three New York transit workers created a den under Grand Central. They had a TV, beers, a couch, a microwave—and they’ve been suspended.
A bus refused to start after mistaking disinfectant spray for a drunk driver. He was totally sober, and a soccer team almost missed its game.
108 whales were freed in Australia. Five days of rescue efforts ended successfully after a mass stranding killed 350 other pilot whales.
Wildfires have been smoldering underground in Siberia for five years. “Zombie fires” can outlast harsh winters and are a growing problem in Arctic areas of Russia.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, a DeLorean, and a sensible bus 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, Karen K. Ho, Heather Landy.