Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
The US election is still too close to call. Thousands of votes are still being counted in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all closely fought states. Joe Biden won Arizona, the only state so far that’s flipped. But Donald Trump took Florida, which is not only electorally vital, but also became the most conservative state yet to approve a $15 minimum wage.
Stock traders got the US election wrong again. They were in a buoyant mood earlier this week, seemingly positioning for a clear US election outcome. But futures linked to US stocks are now in negative territory, with oil markets retracing early losses.
If there’s an electoral college tie, it goes to the House. At that point, according to the 12th amendment, the newly elected House chooses the president among the three leading candidates. The new Senate, meanwhile, gets to pick the vice-president from the same three candidates.
What should the rest of us do today? Keep an eye on the numbers that do trickle in. The New York Times’ much-maligned election needle is still a decent indicator of which way things are going, but to truly feel like part of the action, may we recommend watching live ballot-counting? But we also realize you have other stuff going on, so here are five ways to find focus.
Ant’s IPO is turning out to be no picnic
Ant Group’s blockbuster debut is on hold. The Shanghai Stock Exchange announced that its listing of Ant had been suspended, citing “material changes” in the regulatory stance on financial services, which could result in Ant failing to meet the conditions for listing. Ant later said it would suspend its Hong Kong offering as well.
The surprising reversal comes after Jack Ma, Ant’s billionaire controlling shareholder, and two other top executives were summoned by regulators Monday for a supervisory meeting, prompting China’s internet to coin a new “proverb.” Hong Kong and US shares of Alibaba, also founded by Ma, plunged following the Ant news, trimming billions from Ma’s net worth.
More trouble may lie ahead for Ant, as Beijing appears to be embarking upon a broader crackdown on the firm.
The power of young Nigerian women
Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the #EndSARS protests is the prominence of young women in steering and sustaining the movement, Shayera Dark writes. The Feminist Coalition—a group of 14 women from activist and non-political backgrounds—has raised funds to provide medical support, legal assistance, and security for demonstrators, while others have focused on documenting police violence and offering counseling to victims.
“Nigerian women have been primed for fighting [because] we spend so much time fighting,” said Saratu Abiola, a writer and development professional based in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “So when [the EndSARS protest] happened it was easy to mobilize. It’s become an instinct.”
Meanwhile, protesters are bracing for another government attempt to regulate social media, as key officials have made recent, high-profile calls to do so in order to stop the spread of “fake news” reports that the government says may “destabilize” the country.
Charting the green card backlog for H-1B workers
Hundreds of thousands of H-1B workers from India are stuck in a decades-long green card queue. An estimated 200,000 will likely die of old age before they reach the front of the line. The backlog is the result of a mismatch between the annual number of H-1Bs, which are issued irrespective of nationality via a lottery, and green cards, which are capped by country.
Lawmakers have let the green card crunch fester for years to avoid getting into gnarly immigration discussions. The problem has only gotten worse in the Trump era.
If nothing changes, the current 195-year timeline for Indian green card hopefuls could stretch to a crazy 450 years within a decade—prompting some workers to keep a backpack with their immigration documents handy in case they have to suddenly be on the move. Read more in our new field guide on the status of the H-1B visa.
✦ 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.
Surprising discoveries
Swab your ears to see how stressed you are. Researchers say cortisol hormone levels in earwax can transform diagnostics for people with depression.
A pint for 99 pence ($1.20). Britain’s largest pub chain, Wetherspoon’s, is trying to clear its stock of ales before the new lockdown.
Astronaut mice reveal a way to potentially slow aging. Experiments on the rodents aboard the International Space Station showed one protein that could help.
Boaty McBoatface sets sail. The internet-named research ship is headed out to sea for tests before trips to the Arctic and Antarctic in 2021.
Chinese property developers are offering butler services. Hit by the pandemic, indebted homebuilders hope well-trained butlers can bring in extra revenue.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, a butler, and and a pint of beer 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, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.