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Here’s what you need to know
US athletes should still go to the Olympics, Japanese officials insist. That’s despite a warning from the US Centers for Disease Control, which advised against traveling to Japan, where Covid-19 infections are rising and vaccination rates are low.
Amazon is reportedly set to buy MGM. The deal could be worth up to $9 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports, and would give the tech giant access to a wealth of popular content.
Peloton is opening a factory in the US. The new facility in Ohio will create 2,000 jobs, the company claims, and could ease supply issues for its popular at-home fitness products.
Apple and Epic await a judge’s decision. Lawyers for the tech giant and gaming company closed out their arguments in the final day of a courtroom battle over in-app payments.
The EU will impose further sanctions on Belarus. Belarusian airlines are already banned from European airspace following the forced diversion of a commercial flight and subsequent arrest of dissident Roman Protasevich.
US secretary of state Anthony Blinken begins his Middle East tour. He landed in Israel this morning, and aims to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza.
What to watch for
One of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most frequently repeated quotes is: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Over time, we’ve learned the arc doesn’t bend on its own; it bends under the collective weight of millions of humans who replace the inertia of our past with the vibrancy of our brighter future. —Robert F. Smith, CEO, Vista Equity Partners
Today is the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer set off an international antiracism movement. Instead of the sweeping police reform bill Joe Biden had promised by today, the US president will host Floyd’s family at the White House.
Legislators aren’t the only ones behind in their equality goals. Robert F. Smith, quoted above, says companies who are directing funds towards these initiatives are on the right track, but lasting impact will depend on how they also build infrastructure and donate brainpower to solving some of society’s deepest problems.
We asked a number of business leaders what progress has been made in the past year, and what we need to do to keep striving towards equality. Quartz will be publishing a series of their responses over the coming week.
Charting the stock that created the world’s richest person
Bernard Arnault, CEO and majority owner of French luxury group LVMH, has surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest person, Marc Bain reports.
Whereas Bezos built his fortune as the proprietor of the internet’s “everything store,” Arnault made his name and money from a collection of companies specializing in finely made leather goods, couture fashion, and high-end spirits. Over the past several months, LVMH, the parent of brands like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany, has seen its sales come roaring back from the pandemic, particularly among Chinese and US shoppers.
India’s “black fungus” problem
Mucormycosis, colloquially known as black fungus, is a serious fungal infection that was seen in small numbers in India before Covid-19. But it is now affecting post-Covid patients in larger numbers.
Thus far, this surge has been attributed to the improper use of steroids to treat Covid-19 patients, coupled with poorly managed diabetes. But steroids are not the true villains—the problem lies in how they’re prescribed. Manavi Kapur talks to pulmonologist Lancelot Pinto about what’s causing the unprecedented rise, and how such an infection can best be avoided.
✦ Gain access to all of Quartz’s coverage of India’s Covid crisis by trying out a Quartz membership for free.
Handpicked Quartz
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🚫 Japan’s best-known tech investor thinks holding the Olympics is a terrible idea
🔨 Why Facebook, Google, and Amazon want to build online payments platforms for India
đź‘ŤÂ ESG remains a relevant pathway to a good society
👟 South Africans are upset Adidas isn’t selling this one shoe to them
🍆 Tinder is using AI to monitor DMs and tame the creeps
🏝 Airbnb’s newest features are a response to the work-from-anywhere trend
Surprising discoveries
The Gates Foundation sold all its Apple and Twitter stock. Its trust invested in South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang instead.
A Japanese baby food maker spent ÂĄ2.7 million ($25,000) on two melons. Hokkaido Products plans to give pieces of the auctioned fruit to 10 families with children.
Nine South Korean cities and towns have claimed Samsung’s ex-chairman as a native son. They all want to host his art collection, which is valued at about $2.2 billion.
Thieves made off with ÂŁ1 million ($1.4 million) of treasures from a UK castle. Among the stolen items are rosary beads belonging to Mary Queen of Scots.
Police identified a drug dealer from his picture of a block of cheese. The photo showed enough of his palm and fingerprints to make a match.
Correction: Yesterday’s email erroneously included China as one of the eight nations bordering the Arctic. Those are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the US (via Alaska), Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), and Iceland. China does not border the Arctic but is investing in projects there. We regret the error.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stock tips from the Gates Foundation, and why your town deserves Lee Kun-hee’s art collection 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, Jane Li, Mary Hui, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.