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Here’s what you need to know
The WHO’s chief said new covid variants could be vaccine-resistant. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s warning comes as the US and Europe continue to break daily case records.
Apple put a Foxconn plant in India on probation. The US tech giant acted after weeks of protests over working conditions at the iPhone manufacturing facility.
Didi has plans to list shares in Hong Kong. The Chinese ride-hailing firm, which is looking to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, would reportedly use a process that bypasses raising capital.
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin scheduled a talk on Ukraine. The US and Russian presidents will speak today by phone about escalating tensions at the Ukrainian border.
Deutsche Bank was fined $10 million. Germany’s finance regulator said the bank hadn’t done enough to clean up its act after a previous rate rigging investigation that resulted in a $3.5 billion fine.
What to watch for
It’s been two years since covid-19 entered our lives, with Chinese officials informing the WHO of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan on Dec. 31, 2019. But as we enter the third year coping with the pandemic, much is still unknown.
🦠 Will new variants be less virulent, or more? How will vaccines fare against them?
🔬 Will more treatments become available, particularly ones making covid-19 easy to treat at home?
💉 Will rich countries continue hoarding vaccines, creating more opportunities for variants to emerge, or will they finally work to vaccinate the world?
😷 Will masks, isolation, tests, and proof of vaccines continue to be a staple of our daily life, or will we get to a point where we treat covid-19 like any other disease, and stop trying to contain it?
👨👩👧👦👩👩👧👦👨👨👧👦 Will we even remember normal, when we can get back to it?
Understanding public health guidance on quarantining
One more covid-19 question you might have right now: How long should I quarantine after being exposed to someone who has tested positive? On Dec. 27, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance, reducing the time from 10 days to five days. Last week, the UK said seven days was long enough, so long as you test negative on days six and seven of isolation.
With such conflicting guidelines, it can be hard to know what to do in your individual circumstances. That’s why we made a chatbot to help you parse through the public health advice and get to the steps you need to take to keep yourself, your loved ones, and vulnerable strangers safe. Try it now.
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💉 How well do China’s vaccines work against omicron?
⛽️ The natural gas industry’s risky bet on hydrogen
Surprising discoveries
A New York City doughnut shop has a 10,000-person waitlist. People can’t resist Kora’s Filipino purple ube and flan-stuffed treats.
Seventy-seven species were found under an Antarctica ice shelf. Researchers were surprised by the richness of life in the extreme conditions.
Bacardi sued the US patent authority over a “Havana Club” trademark. The rum maker isn’t happy that the Cuban government can use it again.
Tumblr made it hard for a “bald,” “single dad” to post a “selfie.” The descriptors are among the search terms the website is limiting to comply with new Apple safety standards.
The US is seeing fewer food recalls but experts don’t know why. We really hope this means food is safer, not that risks are being overlooked.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, boxes of coveted doughnuts, and rum (we don’t care what it’s called) 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 Annalisa Merelli, Alexandra Ossola, David Yanofsky, Morgan Haefner, and Liz Webber.