Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Covid-19 is not striking countries equally. India surpassed 7 million cases on Sunday, while Africa appears to have escaped the worst of the pandemic so far. Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump says he plans to get back on the campaign trail Monday, although doctors did not say whether Trump had tested negative yet.
Hong Kong arrested nine people for allegedly aiding anti-government activists. Officials say the accused assisted a group known as the Hong Kong 12 in their ultimately unsuccessful attempt to flee the city by boat. “I think it’s only the beginning of this kind of arrest,” said a pro-democracy politician in Hong Kong.
Virgin Orbit is reportedly fundraising at a $1 billion valuation. British billionaire Richard Branson’s other space venture, which plans to launch satellites from flying airplanes, has not put a payload into orbit after experiencing significant delays.
North Korea paraded one of the world’s largest mobile nuclear missiles. An 11-axle truck carried the weapon during a military parade on Saturday through the capital Pyongyang. Observers fear it could escalate North Korea’s threat to its neighbors and the US mainland.
Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic at the French Open. Nadal gave one of the best performances of his career winning his 13th French Open and the 20th major, tying the record held by Roger Federer.
What to watch for
Monday: China’s central bank lowers the foreign exchange risk reserve ratio to zero; the International Monetary Fund and World Bank kick off their week-long annual meetings; the Trump administration submits a report on potential Hong Kong sanctions.
Tuesday: Apple unveils the 5G iPhone; the World Trade Organization picks a new director-general, its first woman leader; JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup kick off a big week for bank earnings.
Wednesday: Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam gives her annual policy address.
Thursday: Shares of BTS’s label Big Hit Entertainment begin trading in South Korea; the UK will start prepping for a hard Brexit if an EU trade deal isn’t near.
Friday: It’s World Food Day.
Charting the cost of US votes
American votes don’t come cheap. US presidential elections are often some of the most expensive in the world, and the candidate who raises the most money nearly always wins. One way of understanding what it costs to become president is by comparing how much winning candidates spend per vote acquired.
Of course, a candidate who simply spends more won’t necessarily get more votes. And presidential candidate spending is also only a fraction of the total cost of the US election: One study estimates that a record $10.8 billion will be spent on this year’s vote.
The omnipresent consultant
Consulting may be the biggest industry that nobody really sees. The world’s biggest companies use outside consultants to help them decide how to direct their resources. Governments, too: Consultants like Deloitte and Accenture are among the US government’s largest outside contractors of any kind, with contracts totaling in the billions of dollars, for services like management consulting and assistance in modernizing technology.
The coronavirus pandemic is adding to existing threats facing the industry. But consultants are themselves benefiting from advising businesses and governments on how to cope with Covid-19. McKinsey has contracts with the US Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Personnel Management for Covid-related services, federal procurement records show. Deloitte, PwC, and other firms are promoting their Covid-consulting capabilities. Deloitte’s website says the firm’s consulting practice “provides insights to help your organization respond, recover, and thrive from Covid-19.”
Read more about how consultants are trying to navigate the pandemic in our guide to consulting’s new challenges.
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Obsession interlude: Rethinking cities
Thanks to Covid-19, the million-dollar question for Quartz’s Rethinking Cities obsession is: What comes next for office districts?
As employees embrace remote working—and continue to be wary of mass transit—some companies have already decided to ditch their offices and allow most people to work from home forever.
A corporate retreat or exodus from urban centers appears likely, but what will that bring? City budgets need revenue from knowledge-sector companies. And what of the many restaurants, dry cleaners, and pharmacies that rely on office workers to stay in business?
Urban planners predict cities will survive, but change shape. Some fraction of office buildings could be repurposed as condos, hotels, even affordable housing in city cores. Satellite hubs of the urban economy could pop up in far-flung neighborhoods making it easier for people of various income levels to live near the places they work. Or perhaps cities will simply dangle subsidies and tax breaks before the largest corporate tenants, begging them to stay.
Our Rethinking Cities obsession will be watching the corporate, governmental, and grassroots interests competing to control the office zone’s future, and rooting for any experiments to disrupt the race and class segregation so entrenched in cities today.
How to read more:
- Can cities survive without office workers?
- Work from home is burning out Indians, but they still don’t want to go back to the office
- What it takes for cities to jump into the knowledge economy
- Without an office, what defines a workplace?
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Surprising discoveries
Indigenous peoples once bred and sheared dogs for wool. In America’s Pacific Northwest, a wooly-haired breed of dog was once a source of fibers for blankets.
Humans are evolving an extra blood vessel in their arms. Anatomical studies show the vessel is now three times as common as it was among people born in the mid-1880s.
Caterpillars with poisonous “fur” are booming in the eastern US. The insects’ venomous spines can trigger vomiting and severe pain when touched.
Scientists calculated the final speed limit for sound. Solid atomic hydrogen allows sound waves to travel 36 km per second, about twice as fast as through even ultra-dense diamond.
Fake doctors signed an open letter promoting herd immunity against Covid-19. The 15,000 “scientists and medical signatories” across Europe include “Dr Johnny Bananas” and “Dr Person Fakename.”
Correction: On Friday, we bestowed the title of president on Abiy Ahmed. He remains Ethiopia’s prime minister.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dog-hair blankets, and more convincing fake doctor names 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 Amanda Shendruk, Jackie Bischof, Michael Coren, and Liz Webber.