Good morning, Quartz readers!
Until the end of the year, every Quartz story in the Daily Brief will be paywall-free. It’s our gift to you, along with 40% off a year of Quartz membership. (Use code QZLOVE at checkout.)
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here. Forward to a friend who loves french fries.
Here’s what you need to know
Omicron could double the risk of catching covid on a plane, the airlines’ medical adviser warns. David Powell, the International Air Transport Association’s head physician, told passengers to be extra careful in coach.
A US jury convicted a Harvard professor over his ties to China. Scientist Charles Lieber was involved in China’s “Thousand Talents Plan”, with which the US has major security concerns, and was also found guilty of tax evasion and hiding a Chinese bank account.
The Kellogg strike is over. Unionized workers in the US agreed a five-year contract with the food company, ending a two-and-a-half-month standoff.
OnlyFans has a new CEO. Amrapali Gan takes over from founder Tim Stokely, and she also joins the growing ranks of Indian-origin corporate leaders.
A new Indian entertainment behemoth is forming. Sony’s India division and local giant Zee Entertainment are merging to create what may be the second biggest network in the country.
The NHL won’t send its players to the Beijing Olympics. But it’s not about politics—the hockey league is taking no chances with omicron, and wants to complete its season without additional disruption.
What to watch for
El Gordo (the Big One), one of the world’s largest and oldest lotteries, takes place today. The 209-year-old Christmas draw in Madrid has survived war, a dictatorship, and now two global pandemics.
Sales for the Christmas collection are expected to be a cheery 15% higher than last year, which saw an 11% slump. With Spain’s economy sinking 10.8% in 2020, many players are hoping for more than a little financial relief.
€20 ($22.50): Cost to participate
24 million: People expected to play
€3.1 billion ($3.5 billion): Total prizes
18%: Tax rate collected on winnings
Omicron vs. the vaccines
In the month since the omicron variant was first detected, preliminary lab research suggests that its mutations do appear to boost the variant’s ability to infect even fully vaccinated people, as well as those who have previously had covid.
Omicron has raised big questions around the efficacy of the major vaccines distributed worldwide: AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Sinovac. While data are still preliminary and not peer-reviewed, some trends are emerging:
🦠 Mutations in omicron’s spike proteins make it much better at evading vaccine-induced immunity.
💉 Boosters make a big difference. Pfizer said a booster takes protection against omicron back to the levels two doses were providing against the original strain. Researchers say Sinovac recipients could also benefit from a booster.
🏥 Though it’s possible that omicron causes milder symptoms than delta, any highly contagious strain could still overwhelm hospitals.
Handpicked Quartz
🏈 Why the NFL is only testing players who have covid symptoms
💥 Cathie Wood says there’s a stock bubble but it’s not in tech
💉 How big a problem are counterfeit vaccine passes?
👑 China’s livestream queen is being erased from the internet over tax evasion
🌱 Climate tech investment is booming, but not in the right sectors
🍟 McDonald’s Japan is only selling small fries now
Surprising discoveries
The first text message in history was sold as an NFT. Vodafone is donating proceeds from the festive SMS to the UN’s refugee agency.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” made Billboard history… again. Mariah Carey’s holiday anthem nabbed the top spot for the third time in as many years.
Quidditch is getting a new name in the US. Multiple leagues are trying to distance themselves from Harry Potter author JK Rowling (but there are also some trademark concerns).
5G could disrupt air traffic. Aviation officials are warning of delays caused by equipment interference.
The precursor to the fish stick was the fishbrick. That’s the kind of thing you’ll learn from season two of the Quartz Obsession podcast, coming in February. Subscribe on your favorite podcast provider, and catch up on season one while you wait.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Stitcher
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, favorite holiday tunes, and holiday tunes you love to hate 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, Susan Howson, and Morgan Haefner.