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Here’s what you need to know
New US sanctions loom on the horizon. The US State Department warned international banks over doing business with the people responsible for curtailing freedoms in Hong Kong—including chief executive Carrie Lam—and has reportedly proposed adding Ant Group to a trade blacklist. Meanwhile, Huawei may sell off parts of its smartphone business as it reconfigures in light of US sanctions.
The G20 agreed on a framework for addressing debt. Finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies said they have found common ground for assisting indebted low-income countries. Poor countries are expected to face disproportionately severe economic setbacks due to the pandemic.
Europe faces new coronavirus restrictions. France will impose a nightly curfew on nine major cities for four weeks starting Saturday, while the Netherlands closed all bars, restaurants, and cafes on Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, Italy broke its March record for new daily infections, reporting 7,332 new cases.
Shares of BTS’s management company begin trading. After a near-record $50 billion of interest was recorded from investors last week, Big Hit Entertainment is set to debut on the South Korean stock exchange today. Hopefully, a member of the boy band’s recent Korean War comments, which drew criticism from China, won’t put a damper on trading.
Warming seas have devastated the Great Barrier Reef. New research found half the reef’s corals have disappeared since 1995 as a result of climate change. Here are five things individuals can do to help solve the global problem.
Charting China’s shaky global status
To the dismay of human rights activists, China was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council this week. Left unsaid was a slightly more uncomfortable truth: support for China at the election was actually its weakest since the council’s founding in 2006.
It’s the latest in a series of indications that Beijing’s global reputation is taking a beating as governments grow increasingly disturbed by its actions at home and abroad. But even small changes in China can have huge effects worldwide, which is why we’re obsessed with everything that happens Because China.
Words of wisdom
If you look at the history of exclusions to overtime provisions—agricultural worker, domestic workers, until recently home healthcare workers—they’re jobs primarily held by people of color. It is a law that works in a systematically racist fashion, and if we don’t recognize that, we have failed.—Judy Conti, government affairs director, National Employment Law Project
To learn more, read Quartz editor Oliver Staley’s latest piece on the racist origins of US overtime laws. And for regular updates from Quartz at Work, sign up for The Memo newsletter below.
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Consulting jobs cool down
The pandemic has frozen the US consulting industry. A deeply uncertain economy and global travel restrictions have put the industry’s hiring on pause, making it an incredibly difficult time to break into a firm. The jobs listings site Indeed says that as of mid-September, postings for US-based consultant jobs were down 56%, compared to just 18% for jobs overall. Glassdoor, another jobs site, also shows consulting job listings down 45% in September compared to last year, compared to 14% overall.
Limited layoffs, low turnover, and a drop in business travel are all likely contributors to the lack of new jobs. Find out more in our guide to consulting’s new challenges.
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Obsession interlude: Rethinking Cities
Here’s a fun way to speak up for your city: Mobile app Earth Speakr allows users to overlay their faces on any object in their surroundings using AR technology, then record messages in real time. Imagine making buildings talk, a plastic bottle scream, or an overflowing trash bin weep. Anyone can download the app for free, but Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, who came up with Earth Speakr, says it’s meant to get children involved in urban design and climate change conversations at an early age. Adults are encouraged to listen for a change.
Augment your own understanding of the urban landscape by keeping tabs on our Rethinking Cities obsession.
Reclaim your focus and your time. Join us today from 11am-12pm US eastern time for our free workshop on how to be indistractable while working from home. Our experts will share advice and practical tips on locking in and managing your workload.
We’re obsessed with lungs
The thing about lungs is that when they’re working well, we barely notice them. It’s only when they’re threatened by something like a global respiratory pandemic that we start to pay attention to just how talented these organs actually are. Although they can temporarily be replaced with ventilators, nothing on Earth quite measures up to the lungs’ ability to fill our cells with what they need and toss what they don’t. Take a deep breath with the Quartz Weekly Obsession.
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Surprising discoveries
We’re back! The We Company is officially going back to the name WeWork.
Diamonds are shining again. Last month, DeBeers saw its best sales since January.
Thai skaters are no slackers during anti-monarchy protests. Skateboarders, graffiti artists, and musicians are changing the face of the country’s democratic movement.
Does this sound funny to you? New tech analyzes subtle changes in sound to determine when factory machines are prone to failure.
You’ll have to cook this $275 chicken dinner yourself. Pretend you’re a three-Michelin-starred chef with this meal kit from New York’s Eleven Madison Park.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, pricey poultry, and gilded greens 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 Liz Webber, Dan Kopf, Michael Coren, Mary Hui, and Max Lockie.