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Here’s what you need to know
A coordinated global sting operation produced hundreds of arrests. Law enforcement in the US and Australia used an FBI app to spy on alleged organized criminals, officials said, with 224 people arrested in 18 countries.
The US Congress released a detailed report on the Jan. 6 violence. The 127-page document, produced by two bipartisan Senate committees, criticizes security before and during the incident.
Colonial Pipeline is getting some of its ransom money back. The FBI tracked down the hackers’ crypto wallet in an unusual case of recovered ransomware funds.
The US approved the first new Alzheimer’s drug in nearly 20 years. But trial results for Biogen’s Aducanumab, which aims to slow early-stage progression, remain uncertain.
Apple doubled down on security. The tech giant announced new privacy features (that are not available everywhere), offline Siri functionality, and a new FaceTime that’s betting on hybrid friendship.
“Do not come.” US vice president Kamala Harris delivered a blunt message on a visit to Guatemala, and also promised economic support as the US tries to deal with thousands of arrivals at its southern border.
Japan’s economy suffered less than expected. GDP for the first three months of the year contracted by an annualized 3.9% from the preceding quarter, showing resilience despite renewed Covid-19 restrictions.
Brothers in space. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is heading up in a Blue Origin rocket with his brother Mark this summer; they’ve got an extra spot for the highest bidder.
What to watch for
Today marks the start of Instagram’s first-ever Creator Week, a three-day (🤷♂️) series of events designed to teach 5,000 US influencers how to grow their followings and make money on the platform. The Facebook-owned social network said it will also host global events, although these will mainly be focused in Europe.
Instagram is the latest platform to recognize the imperative of investing in its creators. Younger competitors like TikTok and Clubhouse have used accelerator programs and creator funds to woo influencers onto their nascent networks. These newcomers hope that crafting a reputation as creator-friendly platforms can help them unseat incumbents like Facebook, which still dominates the social media market.
Charting who produces rare earth magnets
As with other aspects of the rare earth industry, China dominates the production of rare earth magnets, which are crucial to the manufacturing of high-tech products like electric vehicles and wind turbines.
A shortage of rare earth magnets—caused by, say, a short-term export ban or a months-long shutdown of a major rare earths mine and processing facility due to financial constraints—would risk throwing the climate economy into disarray. The industry is closely following the global semiconductor chip shortage, Mary Hui writes, to make sure that doesn’t happen.
What ever happened to Sheryl Sandberg?
For more than a decade, Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg has been the most powerful woman in Silicon Valley, and perhaps in all of business. Take a look at her resume, and it’s easy to understand how she got there:
1991-1993: Sandberg works for Larry Summers during his tenure as chief economist at the World Bank.
1995: Sandberg graduates from Harvard Business School with her MBA.
1996-2001: Sandberg serves as Summers’s chief of staff in his roles as deputy Treasury secretary and Treasury secretary under US president Bill Clinton.
2001-2008: Sandberg joins Google, where she eventually becomes vice president of global sales and online operations.
2008: Sandberg joins Facebook as COO.
2010: Sandberg delivers her TED talk, “Why we have too few women leaders.”
2013: Lean In is published and stays on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year.
2017: Sandberg publishes Option B, her book with organizational psychologist Adam Grant on coping with the loss of her husband.
But for the past few years, as Facebook has been rocked by a string of scandals and crises, Sandberg’s reputation has taken a hit, and she’s been less frequently in the spotlight. Sarah Todd explores what Sandberg’s new, lower profile says about the changing dynamics of Facebook’s leadership and her role in some of the company’s gravest missteps—as well as the dark truths about what it can mean to be a powerful woman in business.
✦ We’ve also got our eye on how Facebook’s missteps may have been a factor in the recent proliferation of new social media platforms. Get access to all of our analysis of Silicon Valley and beyond with a Quartz membership—try it for free.
Handpicked Quartz
😱 A Chinese fashion site’s TGIF post went terribly wrong in the eyes of Beijing
🇮🇪 The G7 deal will force tax havens like Ireland to rethink their economy
🍼 China’s propaganda journey from “only one child is good” to the three-child policy
🚫 Nigeria’s Twitter ban could have a long-term economic cost
🎧 How a young Indian brand is beating its Chinese rivals at their own game
🔥 China’s firewall is spreading globally
(Psst.☝️ We took the last story out from behind our paywall to make sure you don’t miss it.)
Surprising discoveries
Ukraine’s new soccer jersey features a map that includes Crimea. Russia is not happy.
A lot of us need new jeans. About 25% of customers, says Levi’s CEO, are sizing up or down.
Starbucks is feeling the supply chain squeeze. Chai tea bags (we know, but that’s what they call it) and hazelnut syrup are among the 25 items being eighty-sixed from the menu, for now.
Japan’s got a new jellyfish. The tiny, newly discovered species is named “Wataboshi Kurage” after the wataboshi bridal headdress.
Tiny animals called bdelloid rotifers came out of 24,000 years of permafrost, unscathed. Who will explain iPhones to these organisms?
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, alternative Starbucks orders, and rare earth magnets 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, Sumnima Lama, Tripti Lahiri, Nicolás Rivero, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.