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Here’s what you need to know
The World Bank is no longer funding projects in Afghanistan. It cites concerns about women since the Taliban’s takeover. Meanwhile, evacuations continue ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.
The US House passed the blueprint for a $3.5 trillion social plan. Moderate Democrats had threatened to withhold their votes; the scene is set for a fall showdown over the ambitious bill.
The Supreme Court ruled that asylum seekers can’t await processing in the US. The justices confirmed a Trump-era policy.
China will teach Xi Jinping Thought to schoolchildren. A political doctrine that lays out Xi’s vision to strengthen the Communist Party’s control must be taught from primary school to universities.
Huawei is reportedly back in business with the US. According to Reuters, the blacklisted Chinese company can buy chips from the US for its auto component enterprise.
The legendary Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died. A galaxy of rock stars has been paying tribute to the Londoner, who was 80.
What to watch for
Today, US president Joe Biden, senior officials, and corporate executives will meet to discuss how to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity. Factoring in lost business and regulatory fines, the cost of a data breach hit a record-breaking $4.24 million this March. Most organizations don’t patch up their IT vulnerabilities until there’s a serious attack or near-miss.
Here are some of the most egregious attacks in the last 12 months.
$610 million: The cryptocurrency theft of Poly Network this month is the largest publicly reported hack to date.
$361 million: A record string of smaller-scale cryptocurrency hacks in 2021 represent a nearly threefold increase over the previous year.
5: Number of US federal agencies whose weaknesses were exploited by Chinese state-sponsored hackers this April.
5,500 miles: Length of the Colonial Pipeline, which was targeted in May, leaving thousands of US gas stations without fuel.
Charting where Afghan refugees are going
As a scholar specializing in forcible displacement and refugees, Tazreena Sajjad looks at the thousands of people trying to leave Afghanistan as a scene that’s “unfolding within a broader context of Afghanistan’s long-standing displacement crisis. This includes an unequal sharing of refugees between the developed world and economically disadvantaged countries.”
The US and Europe typically host relatively few Afghan refugees, and most will likely find their way into Pakistan—already strained by its own economic and political struggles—on foot.
So you’re thinking about an employee vaccine mandate…
If your company’s thinking about issuing a vaccine mandate, you’ve most likely got a lot of questions bouncing around. Do these ring any bells?
đź”” Is it legal?
đź”” What are other companies doing?
đź”” What should I consider in this policy?
đź”” How do I communicate all of this??
We’ve rounded up 24 global companies’ policies and put together some solid answers to all of the above. You’ll need to be a member to read this one, so subscribe today to take 40% off (use code QZEMAIL40).
Handpicked Quartz
🤡 The Pfizer vaccine’s brand name, Comirnaty, is weird for a reason
🛂 The US is randomly rejecting travelers from Europe with valid visas
🚢 Maersk is betting $1.4 billion that Amazon is serious about climate change
🦿 One German company has run tech support for prosthetics at the Paralympics since 1988
🤝 Kenyans are sharing vaccine information their government won’t provide
📓 “Common prosperity”: A lexicon of the Chinese Communist Party’s tech crackdown
Surprising discoveries
Try not to kick your ball into your Belgian neighbor’s backyard. But if you do, you’ll have the legal right to retrieve it starting Sept. 1.
More than 80 cultures have a whistled version of their language. Musical communication is common in wooded and mountainous areas because the sound travels farther than shouting.
A newly discovered asteroid travels closer to the sun than Mercury. It withstands temperatures of nearly 900°F (500°C)—hot enough to melt lead.
That’s not bird poop, it’s a spider. The bird dung crab spider’s camouflage simultaneously deters predators and attracts prey.
A bunch of uranium cubes found in US laboratories probably belonged to the Nazis. No one is entirely sure where they came from or how they got there.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, errant soccer balls, and whistled missives 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, Michael Coren, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.