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Here’s what you need to know
Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus. The US president, who’s 74, overweight, and therefore in a high-risk category, announced that he and wife Melania both have the virus and are isolating; his doctors say he’s doing well, and other world leaders have recovered from Covid-19 in the last few months.
Markets around the world fell. Traders typically sell riskier assets at times of uncertainty, often rotating into safer assets like Treasury bonds and the Japanese yen until they have more information. The VIX Index, a measure of expected price swings in the US stock market, also known as the fear gauge, rose about 8%.
Can the election be postponed? Yes, but with great difficulty. The president does not have the power to delay or postpone. Only Congress can do that by a change in federal law, which must be passed by both houses—this has never happened before. Regardless, Trump’s term as president would end on Jan. 20, 2020, unless he’s already left office.
What happens if Trump can’t continue as president? After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Congress ratified the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the orderly transfer of power when the president dies, resigns, or is incapacitated. In most scenarios, vice-president Mike Pence takes over.
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.
The US considered fighting the Japanese with radioactive foxes in WWII. It was called Operation Fantasia.
Even coal companies are divesting from coal. And at least one is using the cash to invest in electric vehicles.
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 Hasit Shah, Jane Li, Tripti Lahiri, and Max Lockie.