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Here’s what you need to know
“Our patience is wearing thin.” US president Joe Biden criticized many unvaccinated Americans as he unveiled sweeping mandates for around two-thirds of the total workforce.
Biden called China’s Xi Jinping. The two leaders spoke for only the second time since Biden became president, and apparently “had a broad, strategic discussion” for 90 minutes.
Amazon will pay college tuition for its workers. The new scheme applies to only some schools, though the company didn’t say which ones, and is for staff on hourly wages who have been with Amazon for at least 90 days.
The US Department of Justice is suing Texas over the state’s restrictive new abortion law. Attorney general Merrick Garland described the lack of access for women as “unconstitutional.“
Ford will no longer build cars in India. Shutting down the automaker’s two plants will cost $2 billion, the company says, and thousands of jobs.
Two teenage tennis stars will compete in the women’s final at the US Open. The UK’s Emma Raducanu, 18, and Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 19, have suddenly taken over the sport.
What to watch for
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, a day that changed the US irrevocably. In 2021, humans across the planet are experiencing another devastating, world-changing event, only the pandemic has unfolded much more slowly, making sure it touches every corner of the globe.
Here’s a reading list as you reflect:
- Now, as then, Milton Glaser’s iconic 9/11 poster is helping New Yorkers emerge from the pandemic.
- The US Sikh population fought back against post-9/11 racism by educating Americans about their culture and faith.
- The pre-9/11 air travel process feels like a remnant of a bygone, innocent age.
Twitter’s answer to subreddits and Facebook Groups
On Wednesday, Twitter announced Communities, a new invite-only feature letting users congregate around specific interests by joining semi-private groups. Communities will have moderators who determine rules and social norms within the groups.
Twitter hopes this could provide more permanent homes for Twitter’s niche communities. The new tools Twitter is testing will give niche groups more control over who sees (and doesn’t see) their conversations, and give users an easier way to check in and see what these communities are saying.
Reddit has always been organized by interest-based subreddits and Facebook has long had Groups, and Twitter doesn’t have a great track record with new features that mimic ones long-ago embraced by other platforms (RIP Fleets). Since many of these lowercase-c communities already exist on Twitter, though, uppercase-C Communities might have a chance.
Are you part of a niche fitness community?
So is Quartz’s Michelle Cheng, who, among tens of thousands of others, swears by ClassPass, an app that offers a monthly subscription fee to attend classes at a wide variety of local gyms and studios. In this week’s Company email, she breaks down how ClassPass not only survived the pandemic but came back strong. CEO Fritz Lanman says that 90% of the app’s pre-pandemic user base is back to having an active subscription.
Read more about ClassPass’s grandiose ambitions, love/hate relationship with Netflix, and most unique offerings—perhaps there will be a Twitter Community for saltwater cycling?—in the Company. ✦ Get the Company, and other great emails, in your inbox each week by becoming a member. Nab 40% off using code QZEMAIL40.
What we’re reading
🎮 China’s crackdown on video games is getting more serious. And it doesn’t care if that costs tech giants.
🤑 El Salvador’s bitcoin fixation is just like a Reddit meme-stock craze. Down to the vocabulary and emoji.
🚦 European cities are slowing down their street traffic. New speed limits are designed to reduce pedestrian deaths and greenhouse gas emissions.
🤝 Peer-to-peer trades are sustaining Nigeria’s crypto activity. Seven months after banks were banned from enabling transactions, platforms like Paxful are thriving.
🏖 The best vacation has no itinerary. Release yourself from the burdens of planning and productivity.
💉 US labor unions are backing mandatory vaccinations. Workers at Tyson and Disney will have to show proof they received a jab.
Surprising discoveries
The half-shredded Banksy painting will be resold for more than its original price. So much for the artist’s intention to prove a point about the cost of art.
Paleontologists found one of the largest predators of the Cambrian era. It was only 19 inches long, but that was really big 500 million years ago, OK?
One brave soul will earn $1,300 for watching 13 scary movies. FinanceBuzz wants to know if high-budget horror films or low-budget flicks make hearts race faster.
Milkweed butterflies eat milkweed caterpillars. Scientists had to come up with a new word for the unique behavior: kleptopharmacophagy.
Three bearded Boris Vishnevskys are running for St. Petersburg’s legislative assembly. An opposition candidate says his rivals changed their names and appearance to confuse voters.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, the scariest movies, and politicians named Boris Vishnevsky 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, Scott Nover, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.