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Here’s what you need to know
China taunted the US on multiple fronts. During a virtual conference, China’s World Trade Organization ambassador endorsed the body’s recent ruling that US president Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports are illegal. At a separate meeting, a senior Chinese diplomat pledged global availability of the country’s vaccines while making thinly-veiled criticisms of the US. Also on Monday, China launched five military exercises in four seas across the country’s coast.
Apple’s suppliers are pouring money into India. Major iPhone component makers Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron are committing $900 million to India’s new production incentive scheme, Reuters reports. The investments come with the promise of cash incentives if sales of locally-made devices increase.
Alibaba’s 3-day investor event is underway. Analysts liked what they heard as multiple firms issued positive ratings on the Chinese ecommerce giant’s stock, which gained nearly 2% on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. Meanwhile, its global competitor, Amazon, announced its delayed Prime Day sales events will take place on Oct. 13-14 this year.
Google goes easy on Epic. Next year’s Android will make it easier to install apps from third-party app stores, Google announced. The decision is in stark contrast to Apple’s refusal to budge on its App Store policies despite a lawsuit from Fortnite-maker Epic and others. In other gaming news, the military shooter game “Call of Duty” will reportedly finally receive approval in China.
Japan’s new prime minister e-meets Russian president Vladimir Putin. Yoshihide Suga is expected to discuss a long-standing territorial dispute over Islands near Hokkaido during his first call with Putin since assuming office.
You’re Audited!
In the mid-2000s, Donald Trump was drowning financially. That’s when NBC and The Apprentice threw him a life raft. According to a New York Times report on the US president’s taxes, Trump made $427 million off his 50% stake in the show and its subsequent licensing deals. Here’s a brief timeline of how the highly-rated program saved his finances:
2004: The Apprentice debuts on NBC.
2004–2015: Trump dumps proceeds from the show into purchasing 13 golf courses.
June 2015: Trump is fired from The Apprentice over racist comments made while announcing his presidential run.
September 2015: Arnold Schwarzenneger is announced as Trump’s replacement on The New Celebrity Apprentice.
November 2016: Trump wins the electoral college vote and becomes president-elect.
January 2017: The New Celebrity Apprentice debuts on NBC with Trump as executive producer.
August 2017: The show is canceled after one season.
2018: Trump pays just $750 of federal income tax for the prior year.
Adam Epstein reports on how The Apprentice may have (temporarily) saved Trump from financial ruin.
Charting the US trade balance
You’re not the only one hooked on delivery. During the pandemic, the US economy has shrunk faster than during the Great Recession and seen the unemployment rate more than doubled since this time last year. So why are American imports outpacing exports at a higher rate than 2019? Tim Fernholz and Dan Kopf unbox why the weird pandemic recession is delivering a trade surprise.
Strengthening global teams
Building trust between global teams is the final frontier. Emily Nelson has worked for more than 20 years on International Space Station operations. When on duty at Mission Control in Houston, Texas, Nelson is in constant contact with her peers in Munich, Tokyo, and Moscow.
Nelson explains that in space exploration, math is a common language, as are scientific principles. But the way those principles are interpreted is different across countries. “Just because their [design] is different from ours doesn’t mean it’s not as good,” she says. “It just means it can take us a while to understand why they want to do something because their engineering practice guides them to go in a different path than ours would.”
As we navigate the shift to remote work, what can we learn from teams that are built to overcome—and even harness—massive geographic spans and cultural differences to do their work? Read more in our latest field guide.
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Obsession interlude: Borders
Coronavirus, climate change, migration: Increasingly global challenges face an increasingly isolated world as nationalistic political movements demonize international cooperation and immigration. But how will countries with weakened multilateral relations manage a disease that doesn’t respect any boundaries, or keep their neighbors’ carbon emissions at bay?
This backlash also raises urgent questions for the economy. How should the global workforce and international supply chains adapt to a less welcoming world?
We’re obsessed with these questions about Borders. Here’s how to read more:
- 💻 The next wave of globalization will be made possible by remote work
- 🛂 Covid-19 is shaking up the citizenship by investment industry
- 🏝 The climate change solutions for the world’s tiniest, most vulnerable nations
- 👋 These are the countries Americans can travel to right now without a visa
Let’s discuss company culture
How can your company maintain a good vibe? Join us on Thurs. Oct. 1 from 11am-12pm EDT for our free virtual workshop on how to build and maintain company culture remotely. In this workshop, experts will share practical advice and actions your company can take to maintain a thriving company culture in the age of distributed work.
Surprising discoveries
The bible of randomness was disproved by one man. Quarantine boredom led him to discover a critical error in the 1955 reference go-to for random numbers.
Tea and a goth lifestyle aren’t mutually exclusive. One tea company is trying to change the beverage’s reputation in the West.
A good AI is undetectable. Technically, it’s possible that artificially intelligent entities are all around us, but neither we—nor they—know it.
A Thai resort is suing for negative reviews. The American guest didn’t just post one critical comment on TripAdvisor, claims the resort—he launched a whole defamatory campaign.
France’s most-tattooed man teaches kindergarten. At least he did until one child started having nightmares.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Throbbing Earl Gristle, and Cocteau Teas 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 Susan Howson, Adam Epstein, Jackie Bischof, Tim Fernholz, Dan Kopf, Annalisa Merelli, and Max Lockie