Good morning, Quartz readers!
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here. Already a subscriber? You’d really make us feel like a winner if you pass along this email.
Here’s what you need to know
NATO made a strong statement about China. At its summit in Brussels, the alliance warned of China’s increasing military power and ties with Russia.
Roman Protasevich said he was doing fine. Flanked by officials, the Belarusian blogger detained by the government made a public statement that sparked serious doubts as to its authenticity.
Novavax finished its US and Mexico trials. The results for the American-made vaccine were on par with Pfizer and Moderna, but might arrive too late to contribute to US vaccine efforts (though could be useful as a booster later on).
Benjamin Netanyahu handed off power. Palestine’s prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the new government, headed by Naftali Bennett, is no better, though other world leaders sent their congratulations.
The Delta coronavirus variant is spreading. It’s been detected in 74 countries, but Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines show high efficacy against it.
EV pickup truck chiefs resigned after misleading investors. An investigation showed that Lordstown Motors’ CEO and CFO misreported its preorders. Its stock tumbled on the news.
What to watch for
As of today, Facebook will begin accepting requests from employees who want to work remotely on a permanent basis. Go for it, the company is saying, the remote future is here! But if you move to a cheaper area, we may adjust your salary accordingly. Oh, and we expect you to be in the office about 50% of the time, as a general guideline. (So, I guess you won’t want to resettle too far away, unless you can afford two homes?)
As other business leaders mull how to organize the post-pandemic workplace, they might want to be mindful of a few facts:
- Apple employees revolted against strict hybrid rules. Their detailed complaint letter explained why asking people to show up on prescribed days was insulting.
- Adjusting pay scales downward could backfire. Those who stretch their city salaries by moving to a cheaper place may end up being more productive because they can pay for things like childcare.
- Women with children are worried that men and childless colleagues will rush back to the hybrid office. And working mothers will miss out on promotions and higher wages.
- Hybrid work schedules are the clear winner with employees. One recent study found that 83% of workers think that dividing their time between working from home and the office would be ideal.
Charting India’s workplace gender diversity
The rise of remote work during the pandemic has helped improve gender diversity at Indian companies. In 2020, there was a huge surge in hiring women at the mid-management to senior level, with 43% of companies doing so, as compared to 18% in 2019, according to career platform JobsForHer.
Many companies have also revamped their hiring practices to remove gender bias while others have offered longer maternity leave. However, Ananya Bhattacharya writes, the pandemic did undo some of the progress working women had made.
The coming US green job boom
To address global warming, the White House has stated that president Joe Biden’s green energy plan aims to set the US on a course toward achieving “net-zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Experts agree offshore wind turbines are likely to be a big part of reaching that goal.
Pop quiz: Which of these is one of the jobs needed to build offshore wind farms?
- Underwater welder
- Painter
- Land surveyor
- Financial analyst
Trick question—the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms requires all of those jobs. From planning to manufacturing to installation to operation, a boom in development has the potential to rejuvenate working waterfronts and ports. Clarisa Diaz and John Upton break down which states are likely to benefit the most.
✦ Everyone can benefit from reading Quartz’s climate economy coverage, but you’ll have to be a member to dive into field guides like climate tech’s second shot. Try it free for a week.
Handpicked Quartz
(Psst. 👇 We took the first story out from behind our paywall because we think everyone should read it.)
🦠 The origins of Covid-19’s racial disparities lie in America’s prisons
💸 Delhi families have lost their loved ones—and their life’s savings—to Covid-19
💉 South Africa’s vaccine rollout has hit yet another roadblock
🐩 How to think like a winner (at the Westminster Dog Show)
Surprising discoveries
Host a hive. A Boston company will, for a fee, give you a beehive, harvest the honey for you, and use the data it collects to help the plight of bees everywhere.
Xbox is making a mini-fridge. After winning a Twitter poll against Skittles, Microsoft will capitalize on the jokes people made about the boxy appearance of its latest console.
Melon pan masks do offer some protection. The masks are made out of a popular bread-based confection, smell incredible, and look completely absurd.
Birds aren’t fooled by your magic tricks. Excuse us, illusions.
The “wandering meatloaf” features bizarrely hard teeth. In addition to a fantastic name, the gumboot chiton has a bite made of a material usually found in rocks.
In yesterday’s email, we said that across the UK, an average of one person dies every day, within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test. That number last week was only 60 people across the country, within 28 days of a positive test. We apologize for the error.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, bee data, and magic tricks that can outsmart birds 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 Ananya Bhattacharya, Clarisa Diaz, John Upton, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.