Moderna tests children, North Korea tests weapons, Quartz tests fashion’s diversity

Good morning, Quartz readers!

Here’s what you need to know

Moderna began testing its vaccine on young children. The company will study the effects of various dose concentrations on kids aged 6 months to less than 12 years.

US intelligence said Russia meddled in the 2020 presidential election. Moscow wasn’t the only world government to attempt to sway the vote one way or another.

North Korea is reportedly prepping for a weapons test. It would be the first since March 2020. Separately, Kim Jong-un’s sister warned the US against “causing a stink” on the Korean peninsula.

Japan and the US agreed to “push back” against China’s “coercion.” The US secretary of state and defense secretary met with Japan’s foreign minister and defense minister in Tokyo to discuss regional cooperation.

India’s gas and diesel sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, demand for jet fuel is still lagging.

Huawei plans to start charging for access to its 5G patents. Smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung will have to pay royalties for using the tech.

What to watch for

When the US Federal Reserve updates its economic projections today, policy makers are expected to be more upbeat than they were in December. Since then, vaccine rollout has quickened, and Congress has passed president Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan. As the economy revs up, investors are on the outlook for inflation that could reach, or exceed, the Fed’s 2% goal faster than expected.

Even so, most experts think the Fed, seeking to enable a sustained recovery and keep interest rates low, will continue to step firmly on the gas pedal. Or, as Sebastien Galy, strategist at Nordea Asset Management, puts it: “The Federal Reserve is widely expected to stay on hold and to fight against the perception that it would tighten early monetary policy.”

Mapping China’s vaccine diplomacy in Africa

China is donating thousands of its vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, including in Africa, in what is viewed as a soft-power push to bolster its global influence.

The number of vaccine doses that China has donated is relatively low—the most doses given freely to an African country are 300,000 to Egypt. Still, as Eric Olander, co-founder and managing editor of the China Africa Project, said to Quartz, China is owning the narrative of vaccine diplomacy by getting headlines “on the cheap.” Photos of African leaders receiving China’s vaccine make a powerful accompaniment to those headlines, too.

Checking in on fashion’s diversity efforts

At the end of May last year, as protests exploded over police killings of Black Americans, numerous fashion and beauty companies went online to post their messages of support for the Black community and the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as to pledge their own commitments to change.

In an eye-opening interactive piece, Quartz’s Amanda Shendruk and Marc Bain analyzed 27,000 images from the feeds of 34 fashion and beauty brands to see if they’d made any progress besides that initial Blackout Tuesday posting. Their findings, we’re sorry to say, were disappointing.

✦ Read more about why so many diversity initiatives fail as part of our field guide on how to be an anti-racist company. You’ll need a membership, but we’ve got you covered. Try one out for a week, free.

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Surprising discoveries

Thousands of bitcoin ATMs have been installed in the US in recent months. They’re popping up at gas stations, vape shops, and delis.

The artist behind the record-breaking NFT auction plans to donate funds from his next sale. Beeple’s money will go towards blockchain and climate change research.

A Japanese soba shop has a new robot chef. It can make 150 servings in an hour.

Scientists discovered why hummingbirds hum. Pressure changes resulting from the birds’ wing movements are the primary source of the distinctive sound.

Zoom Escaper fills your meetings with annoying noises. No one will want you on the call when they hear your echo and nonstop construction sounds—you’re welcome.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Zoom escape strategies, and Beeple art 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 Carlos Mureithi, John Detrixhe, Liz Webber, Amanda Shendruk, Marc Bain, and Susan Howson.