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The US inched toward an election winner. With Wisconsin and Michigan in his column, Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s projected 264 electoral college votes bring him much closer to the 270 ballots needed to be the next president, while president Donald Trump’s tally stands at 214. It could still be a day or more till final results come in for crucial states like Georgia and Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the Biden camp has predicted victory, while team Trump requested a recount in Wisconsin and launched a string of legal challenges.
All eyes are on American media. Despite the popularity of social media, traditional news outlets—and their magic walls—remain the definitive source for election coverage in the US. So far, the world is taking its time to react to the uncertainty. European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer told the press that the body “will not comment on the results until they have been announced, and on the process unless it is entirely disrupted, which is not at all what we’re seeing at the moment.” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, when asked what he made of the lack of a result, said merely that China had noticed there wasn’t one yet.
Members of the Indian diaspora are also heavily invested in the results. Motivated in part by Biden running mate senator Kamala Harris’s Tamil heritage, Indian-Americans have contributed more money to the 2020 campaigns than any previous US election with at least two dozen members of the community raising over $100,000 each for the effort. And some are praying for a Democratic win.
There doesn’t seem to be any outcome the market can’t spin. Though traders had to let go of their earlier hopes of a quick, clear decision, the uncertainty didn’t dampen them for long. Major US stock indexes rose on Wednesday with the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing nearly 4%. Bitcoin also added to recent gains, rallying above $14,000 to its highest level since early 2018. Safe haven assets showed a more mixed picture with precious metal prices edging downwards and US treasury yields declining. Asian markets also gained this morning, with Japan’s benchmark stock index rising to a nine-month high.
In other news…
The UK is set to announce more wage support, and more economic stimulus.
Ethiopia is on the brink of a civil war, due to a spiraling conflict between the government and forces of an autonomous northern region.
Belarus’s exiled opposition leader will meet Austria’s chancellor.
Alibaba’s earnings update today will be overshadowed by Beijing’s decision to delay the dual IPOs of its fintech affiliate Ant Group.
Politics in the workplace
No matter how this or any other major election plays out, some people will experience grief, joy, fatigue, exhilaration, anxiety, skepticism, or flat-out terror. Even among colleagues who share political affiliations, there’s no “right” reaction to an election.
One way through the awkwardness is to lean on the pillars of non-violent communication, a process for interacting with people that emphasizes mutual respect and navigates the tone of workplace discussions away from potential boiling points. Quartz at Work reporter Lila MacLellan outlines the four basic steps.
And if you don’t want to talk to anyone and just power through the workday instead, that’s fine too. Here are five ways to find focus.
For more dispatches from the front line of the modern workplace, sign up for The Memo newsletter from Quartz at Work.
Charting Wall Street’s reaction
Wall Street is betting on a skinny stimulus and no new taxes. Even if Joe Biden wins the US presidency, Democrats are unlikely to flip the Senate, putting a damper on the chances of a blockbuster aid package or any major tax changes.
Still, there are signs that traders are taking cover in large tech firms—the so-called “stay-at-home stocks” that are able to grow revenues during a pandemic that otherwise threatens spending and mobility. The Nasdaq 100 index of big technology stocks outperformed both large industrial firms and smaller public firms on Wednesday.
Praying to the visa gods
Devotees believe a visit to a 500-year-old temple in India could be their ticket to America.
On any given day, hundreds of tech workers crowd into the Chilkur Balaji Temple in Hyderabad, one of India’s biggest IT hubs, to pray to the “Visa God.” Their wish? The coveted US H-1B visa, which goes to just 30% of applicants each year. Located an hour’s drive away from Hyderabad’s US consulate, hopefuls seek divine intervention for a visa after bagging a job in the US.
The ritual to pray for an H-1B includes pradakshina, the practice of circling around an image, relic, shrine, or other sacred objects. Discover how a 500-year-old Indian temple became a destination for H-1B visa hopefuls in our latest field guide.
✦ Want to learn more about the H-1B visa? You’ll need a Quartz membership, but lucky you, it’s 20% off the first year, with code QZTWENTY.
We’re obsessed with houseplants
Why doomscroll when you can talk to your plant? Across cultures and millennia, houseplants have added a little green to our indoor spaces, while telling our friends we have a little green to throw around. Over the last decade, they’ve grown from a subtle wealth marker—the more plants you have, the more time and money you’ve invested in nurturing them—to a symbol of a different kind of currency: social media status. Hit pause on the news and get to the root of it with the Quartz Weekly Obsession.
Surprising discoveries
A Mexican town named the “world’s best mourner.” The annual competition, which coincides with the Day of the Dead, took on new significance during the pandemic.
A five-eyed shrimp-like fossil was found in China. Dating to 520 million years ago, kylinxia zhangi could provide a missing link in arthropod evolution.
Dead men tell no tales… but can still win office. A man who died from coronavirus last month was elected to North Dakota’s state legislature.
A massive iceberg is headed for South Georgia. The 150-km (93 mile) long chunk of Antarctica could upend the island’s ecosystem and cut off shipping routes.
Not all ancient hunters were men. A new discovery has researchers taking a closer look at other women’s graves—and their own sexist assumptions.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, champion criers, and multiple-eyed ancient creatures 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 Jane Li, Tripti Lahiri, Liz Webber, and Max Lockie.