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Here’s what you need to know
Donald Trump has the coronavirus. And so does Melania Trump. The US president announced on Twitter they had tested positive shortly after saying they would go into quarantine after adviser Hope Hicks contracted the virus. Trump traveled with Hicks on Air Force One on Wednesday, and was also in a room with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday. Dow futures plunged more than 400 points on the news. Trump has often downplayed the risks of the coronavirus, and frequently eschewed masks and social distancing himself.
Nearly 20,000 workers at Amazon have also had the coronavirus. The company said the cases, both presumed and confirmed infections, account for 1.4% of its 1.37 million front-line Amazon and Whole Foods employees in the US, lower than the general US average.
The EU finally managed to impose sanctions on Belarus… Cyprus, which had held up the process, agreed to stand down after European leaders said they would also punish Turkey if it continues energy drilling in contested areas of the Mediterranean. The EU’s delay in penalizing Belarus over its disputed August presidential election has dented its standing.
…but didn’t really solve its Turkey problem. There’s a limit to how tough Europe can be on Turkey as it tries to get the country to sit down with Greece on the drilling issue, a major source of tension. Ankara continues to bedevil the bloc, including by dismissing joint calls from the US, France, and Russia for a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, where Azerbaijan forces are fighting with ethnic Armenians.
Kyrgyzstan will elect a new parliament. Smaller parties are worried that Sunday’s vote for 120 seats could be compromised by ballot fraud by more established parties.
Charting Americans’ dwindling savings
America’s poor are reaching deep to make ends meet. A new survey finds that 44% of lower-income Americans say they have dipped into their retirement or other savings since the start of the coronavirus crisis, while only 16% of upper-income people say they have done so.
This is not a drill
When the pandemic caused Nasdaq to shutter its offices earlier this year, its staff was ready. That’s because they had practiced how to deal with a crisis—in their case the scenario was an undetonated bomb discovered in the center of Vilnius, where the group’s European operations has one of its biggest offices.
The Lithuanian capital, like many European cities, has occasionally had to contend with construction work surfacing undetonated bombs left over from World War II. Running a simulation like this is part of the exchange’s “business continuity planning.” Getting used to these kinds of situations helped prepare the company for the pandemic, says Gunilla Hellqvist, head of Nasdaq’s European market operations.
Our latest field guide provides lessons from virtual, borderless teams like Nasdaq on how to navigate the cultural and structural challenges that are part and parcel of remote work. Read more here.
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Obsession interlude: Borders
Globalization is built on crossing borders, but its cultural aftershocks aren’t anything new. Consider mole poblano—a gorgeous sauce of ground and stewed chilis, tomatoes, nuts, fruit, and, iconically, chocolate.
Today, it’s arguably Mexico’s national dish, but mole emerged from a remezcla—remix—of indigenous heritage, colonial influence, and Muslim history. The likely apocryphal tale of the sauce’s origin involves a 17th-century bishop’s visit to a convent outside Mexico City, often with a cameo from an indigenous cook. The name mole is traced to a native Mexican word for sauce, mulli.
But the origins go even deeper. Food historian Rachel Laudan makes the case that mole begins with Islamic cuisine in the Persian empire, which popularized stews thickened with nuts, fruits, and bread. When Islamic empires conquered modern Spain, they brought their food, too. And when Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, those culinary traditions melded with indigenous techniques and local ingredients.
If you want to try to make it yourself over the weekend—it’s a big lift but well worth it—check out this recipe.
Learn more about how trade carves new routes by checking out our Borders obsession.
You asked about ventilation
How do I know if my indoor spaces are well enough ventilated to thwart the spread of Covid-19?
There is a growing consensus that one of the primary ways the novel coronavirus spreads is through the air. That makes it risky to put a lot of people in a poorly ventilated space. As schools, offices, and businesses reopen, facilities managers are looking at one particular metric to gauge whether there’s an elevated risk of coronavirus transmission: air changes per hour (ACH).
For a breakdown of how an ACH works and benchmarks to be aware of when optimizing for ventilation, breeze on over to the website.
We’re… still obsessed with Indian weddings
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Surprising discoveries
Pantone named a color after menstruation. The company said Period red is an “energizing” shade.
Even coal companies are divesting from coal. And at least one is using the cash to invest in electric vehicles.
So many places in the US are testing poop for Covid-19, equipment is running out. Scanning sewage is one way to prevent the spread of the virus.
Maybe there is such a thing as being too rich. The new CEO of Norway’s wealth fund is finding it hard to store the cash from selling off his personal investments.
A long-lost live Ella Fitzgerald album is out today. Ella: The Lost Berlin Tapes documents a performance from the singer’s third visit to the German city.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, wedding photos, and medieval fusion food 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 Jane Li, Tripti Lahiri, Tim Fernholz, Dan Kopf, and Max Lockie.