Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Facebook blocked Donald Trump indefinitely. The platform first suspended the sitting US president’s account hours after rioters breached the Capitol. His campaign store has been removed from Shopify, he has also been banned from Twitch.
Democratic legislative leaders called for Trump’s removal. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was joined by House speaker Nancy Pelosi and even some Republicans in calling upon cabinet officials to invoke the 25th amendment against Trump. Separately, cabinet member and transportation secretary Elaine Chao resigned.
Japan declared a state of emergency. Prime minister Yoshihide Suga announced restrictions for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures. Despite its use elsewhere, Japan probably won’t approve Moderna’s vaccine until May.
China touted the success of its vaccines. China National Biotech Group said it has administered 4 million doses of its vaccines, while Sinovac’s jab is being submitted for emergency use in Brazil following successful late-stage trials there.
India’s economy contracts sharply. In the fiscal year ending March 2021, advance estimates show GDP decreasing by 7.7%, the largest drop since 1952.
Boeing agreed to pay a $2.5 billion fine. The US Justice Department’s criminal division accused the airplane manufacturer of covering up the 737 Max’s failures and choosing “the path of profit over candor.”
What to watch for
Financial markets are looking ahead to Joe Biden’s presidency. While violence unfolded at the US Capitol on Wednesday, it seemed like investors didn’t get the message: Yields on US Treasury bonds, which are typically in demand at times of turmoil, barely registered in the mayhem. A day later, the US stock market hit record highs.
Markets appear to be betting that the disturbing episode in Washington won’t affect corporate earnings or the ability of the world’s largest economy to tax and spend. With Democrats now in control of the US Senate, president-elect Biden will probably be able to pass more ambitious economic support than he would have otherwise been able to.
Could traders and investors be wrong? Of course. But they seem to have decided that voters and US institutions, not Donald Trump, would determine the next American president, and that is what has happened.
Decoding the pro-Trump insurrectionists’ flags
Many in the rabid mob who stormed the US Capitol Wednesday came armed with a portable and potent weapon: a flag. The most incendiary was a battle pennant from the Confederate army (middle row, center), widely appropriated by white supremacists as a hate symbol. There were also large election banners, neo-Nazi flare, Christian symbols, and a smattering of national and state flags. Anne Quito and Amanda Shendruk explain the meanings behind each of the flags they spotted.
Déjà vu?
As the world watched the chaos in Washington, some drew comparisons to events in their own countries. Indians were reminded of the five militants who attempted to make their way into India’s parliament in New Delhi on Dec. 13, 2001, as well as violent riots in response to peaceful protests in the capital city last year.
In contrast, while images of Hong Kong protesters taking over the local legislature in July 2019 looked similar to recent scenes from the US, the motivations of the two groups were pretty much diametrically opposed. Where one moment symbolized hunger for the right to a full and free vote, the other was a willful denial of a fair election won in part thanks to grassroots efforts at expanding voter rights.
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You asked about Pfizer vs. Moderna vaccines
Is there any actual difference between the Moderna and Pfizer versions? I know they are built on the same principle, but what about efficacy, side effects, etc.?
At this point, we can only go on the data that has been presented by Moderna and Pfizer to the health regulators that have granted emergency authorization for their vaccines, both of which are based on a novel application of mRNA. There are likely slight differences in the shots’ code for the viral spike protein, or the lipid nanoparticle globs that ferry that code into your cells, but those differences are pretty small (and proprietary!).
The most important news: These two shots are as close to identical in terms of efficacy as you could imagine. Accounting for some statistical wiggle room, Moderna’s 94.1% efficacy and Pfizer’s 95% are functionally identical.
The side effect profiles for both vaccines are also very similar. A majority of people receiving either vaccine experienced pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headache—but those disappear quickly.
For people receiving the vaccine, the biggest difference may be the space between doses: Pfizer’s two shots are spaced 3 weeks apart, while Moderna’s are delivered a month apart.
Surprising discoveries
Leave.EU leaves Britain. The campaign group critical of the European Union ultimately decided to keep its domain name.
A new origin story for dogs? According to researchers, humans hunted plenty of meat, but couldn’t eat it all, so wolves stuck around.
Elon Musk is now the world’s richest person. Tesla’s Thursday gains pushed his net worth to $185 billion.
Identical twins don’t have identical genes. New research found an average of 5.2 genetic mutations per set.
His last name means “Penis Man.”John Dillermand is a Danish cartoon made for four- to eight-year-olds about a man with an extraordinary penis.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, scraps for friendly wolves, and non-identical identical twins 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 John Detrixhe, Anne Quito, Amanda Shendruk, Manavi Kapur, Mary Hui, Tripti Lahiri, Jane Li, Jordan LeBeau, and Liz Webber.