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Here’s what you need to know
Joe Biden outlines his plans for rebuilding the US economy. The president-elect is making a speech in Delaware today, while his scientific advisers are meeting with pharmaceutical companies this week to prepare a vaccination strategy. Outgoing president Donald Trump still hasn’t conceded.
Barack Obama said it’ll take a huge effort to kill off “crazy conspiracy theories.” The former US president argued for “regulation and standards within industries” to fight against “truth decay.” Almost as if to illustrate the point, the New York Times reports on Trump attempting for several years to undermine elections.
Asia-Pacific countries formed a historic trade pact. The deal is the first to include China, Japan, and South Korea together, and covers nearly a third of the global economy—it could add up to $200 billion to the world’s economic output over the next decade. Meanwhile Japan’s economy grew 5% in the third quarter, after shrinking 8.2% in the previous quarter.
The UK will ban new gasoline-powered vehicles from 2030. Prime minister Boris Johnson is set to make the announcement (paywall) this week. Meanwhile, he’s isolating after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive for Covid-19, and sacked two key advisers over the weekend, including one of the architects of Brexit.
Peru’s interim president lasted just five days. Manuel Merino and half his cabinet resigned following a week of protests that have left two people dead and dozens injured. Protests erupted after Peru’s popular leader, Martin Vizcarra, was ousted last Monday.
What to watch for this week
Monday: United Airlines debuts free transatlantic coronavirus testing. Vodafone posts earnings.
Tuesday: The prime ministers of Australia and Japan meet in Tokyo. Later, the heads of Twitter and Facebook testify in the US Senate over restrictions placed on New York Post articles. Earnings: Walmart and Home Depot.
Wednesday: The National Basketball Association draft takes place. Nvidia and Target report earnings.
Thursday: EU leaders hold a summit seen as the deadline to a draft Brexit deal. Macy’s posts earnings.
Friday: Malaysia hosts a virtual APEC summit, and an economic delegation from Taiwan visits Washington DC.
Saturday: The virtual G20 summit begins.
Sunday: Singapore and Hong Kong begin their travel bubble.
Charting global air pollution
Just after Diwali, the air in India’s cities is full of smoke from celebratory firecrackers—contributing to already-high levels of air pollution. According to real-time measures of air quality assembled by IQAir, a Swiss air technology company, Delhi had the world’s worst air quality on Nov. 15. The city hit a record-high on the air quality index on Nov. 10.
Delhi isn’t the only place suffering: Based on a 2019 average, 14 of the 20 cities with the world’s worst air were in India. Looking for an escape? The world’s best air on Nov. 15 was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Traveling without moving
Covid-19 is surging around the globe, including many places on the brink of holiday travel season. In the US, health departments are issuing guidance around traveling and eating together. But these extra precautions aren’t accessible to all—the time required to isolate before and after makes it especially difficult for low-paid workers. It’s just one more way that Covid-19 has disproportionately harmed people of color.
🚘 Would you risk traveling to see family?
Yes, I’m following all the guidance.
I would, but I’m unable to adhere to the guidance.
Yes, everyone is overreacting.
How cool companies stay cool
Very few brands manage to navigate coolness alongside an extreme rise in popularity, but two have done it more successfully than anyone else: Nike and Apple. Both maintain their credibility by preserving some of the ingredients that earned them acolytes, while constantly tinkering with new ideas to stay relevant. Read how these two titans have kept their edge for decades, and what other companies might learn from them, in our latest field guide on the new meaning of cool.
✦ You know what’s actually the coolest? A seven-day free trial of Quartz membership. (This offer does not apply to Quartz Japan memberships.)
Surprising discoveries
A racing pigeon set a new world record. But not for speed: the two-year-old Belgian pigeon, named New Kim, sold for a record $1.89 million at auction.
Avoiding crowds of tourists is supposed to be easier than ever. But not in New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, possibly the only place in the world experiencing over-tourism right now.
Justice for papal blood. Italian police identified the man they believe stole a vial of blood of Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005.
Man’s best friend is memorialized in gold. Turkmenistan’s president erected a 19-foot (six meter) statue of his favorite breed, the Central Asian shepherd, in the middle of a traffic circle.
Archaeologists uncovered a trove of 2,500-year-old sarcophagi. The discovery in Egypt included at least 100 coffins—some with mummies inside—and 40 gilded statues.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, a sarcophagus, and a quiet vacation 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, Adam Epstein, and Katie Palmer.