Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
It’s election day in the US of A. Partly due to the nearly 100 million Americans who have already voted early, including by mail in this year’s presidential election, the winner will very likely not be known on election night. Social media platforms say they will—for better or worse—be on the hunt for misinformation, while physical retailers are bracing for the worst.
A Islamist terror attack killed at least two in Vienna. The shooting attack by armed gunmen unfolded in the center of the Austrian capital, near the city’s main synagogue. At least a dozen were injured, and one of the gunmen is dead, while police are still searching for other attackers. The incident follows a knife attack at a French church last week.
Britain will try out mass Covid-19 testing. The effort will begin in Liverpool on Friday, and aims to offer everyone a test whether they have symptoms or not, as well as repeat tests. The World Health Organization chief, meanwhile, is isolating without testing for the moment, after exposure to a Covid-19 case.
Chinese regulators sent Jack Ma a message ahead of Ant’s IPO. The fintech giant’s controlling shareholder attended the surprisingly public meeting with four regulatory bodies and other Ant executives to discuss the importance of financial stability, prompting China’s internet to coin a new “proverb” hinting at regulatory hurdles ahead. Thursday’s IPO is expected to raise over $30 billion, valuing the firm at over $300 billion.
What’s at stake?
There are several ways today’s presidential election could go, but behind the vote lie policies that will shape the country and the world for the next four years and beyond. Here’s what we want to know:
📞 Are all these polls worth the effort? The experience of American elections has arguably become more stressful thanks to the proliferation of polls, but the alternative would be much worse.
👩⚖️ What’s going on with Obamacare? The Affordable Care Act’s constitutionality is set to be argued before the Supreme Court in two weeks. If the high court strikes it down, a future president Biden would have a few options.
💰 What’s the smaller picture? The US economy grew a lot in the third quarter, but personal income dropped, highlighting the challenging financial situation for millions of Americans ahead of the election.
Charting stimulus plans
If a stimulus check isn’t spent, is it still a stimulus check? There is no doubt a second round of stimulus checks would be incredibly helpful for millions of struggling and unemployed Americans. But how much would it boost overall consumer spending, the key driver of the US economy? New research from the New York Federal Reserve shows more than 70% of a potential $1,500 second payment would be saved or put towards debt payments rather than on buying goods. Karen K. Ho took a look at the data.
STILL CHARMED
The Donald Trump administration has been extremely hard on the H-1B visa, which allows highly skilled professionals to live and work in the US for up to six years.
But data show that despite the clampdown, the H-1B’s charms remain. Approximately 275,000 H-1B applications were filed for the 2021 fiscal year—the highest number in 15 years—despite only 85,000 visas being available.
To understand why the visa is still so appealing to workers across the world, read our latest field guide on the status of the H-1B.
✦ Celebrate our 100th field guide by diving into the archive. You’ll need a Quartz membership, but lucky you, it’s 20% off the first year, with code QZTWENTY.
We’re obsessed with flying cars
Where we’re going we don’t need roads. For as long as there have been planes and automobiles, people have been hoping to hitch a ride to the future in a flying car. But the idea has always run up against technological struggles, regulatory issues, and money problems. Now, inventors are trying to get cars in the sky once again, this time with the hope of reducing traffic on the ground and making transportation greener in the process. The Quartz Weekly Obsession wants what we were promised.
Surprising discoveries
The power of spinach. Researchers have converted the leafy green into carbon nanosheets to catalyze key reactions in fuel cells and metal-air batteries.
A whale tail bailed out a train fail. The polyester sculpture of whale flukes stopped a Rotterdam metro train from crashing into the water below.
A clever prank can be enjoyed hundreds of years later… Like the medieval stone selfie a 12th-century mason carved into a Galician cathedral.
…but there’s a time and place for them. Two women trying to pull off a mildly funny jape for their YouTube channel ended up delaying their flight by three hours.
A rising tide floats all burgers. Fast-food chain Burger King encouraged customers to eat at McDonald’s for the good of the restaurant industry.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, fishy failsafes, and sarcastic sandwiches 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 Tripti Lahiri, Mary Hui, Jackie Bischof, and Max Lockie.