Cov-Independence Day, firework-free zones, plot twist

Good morning, Quartz readers! We’re taking a couple of days off, so you won’t be receiving a Daily Brief on Monday or Tuesday. If you find yourself going through Quartz withdrawal, be sure to check out our new homepage. It never takes vacation da [Quartz]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! We’re taking a couple of days off, so you won’t be receiving a Daily Brief on Monday or Tuesday. If you find yourself going through Quartz withdrawal, be sure to check out our [new homepage](. It never takes vacation days. Here’s what you need to know The US had its biggest single-day increase in Covid-19 cases. More than [50,600 new cases]( were reported on Wednesday, and more states ordered indoor businesses closed. But a [positive jobs report]( for June kept [markets in the green](. The US Senate passed a Hong Kong sanctions bill. The legislation now [heads to the president’s desk](. (US imports from China [are surging]( by the way.) Meanwhile, Beijing appointed [a hardline chief enforcer]( for Hong Kong, and he’ll have to [crack some codes](. Americans celebrate Independence Day. Donald Trump is going ahead with a [fireworks display]( over the White House tomorrow, despite objections from the mayor of DC. Health officials are imploring Americans to [stay home this weekend](. US travelers still can’t go to England without enduring a 14-day quarantine. But visitors from 50 other countries are now allowed to freely visit the British country as [pubs, restaurants, cinemas, and museums reopen]( tomorrow. A prominent Englishman is not likely to go to the US, either. There has been [no official US approach]( to speak to Prince Andrew, following the arrest yesterday of Ghislaine Maxwell, who’s charged with procuring underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein. Sponsor content by Xerox What happened when a 99-year-old furniture maker went digital. Fairfield Chair used to drown in paper while the answers to customer questions lay deep within 150 file cabinets. By digitizing their system, the woodworker freed up 40% of its floor space and printing costs. [See how digital tools from Xerox can transform your business.]( Mapping fireworks deserts There are thousands of locations selling fireworks in the US. The weeks leading up to July 4 are peak sales season. This year, complaints about illegal fireworks displays are up across half a dozen major cities. Seemingly, the best you can do is get very far away from sellers. Quartz collected over 7,000 fireworks seller locations from company websites and Yelp to determine the areas in the contiguous US that are the farthest from legal fireworks sellers: [the fireworks deserts of the US](. [A map showing the locations of US fireworks sellers as described above.] We asked about the new normal Earlier this week, we asked you to tell us which of these [four predictions for the next five years]( will be the most accurate. Here are the results: 34% “The way in which we travel, and think about traveling, has changed, and I’m sure this will be long-term.” —[Yolanda Edwards]( founder, Yolo Journal 28% “This catalytic moment offers us a unique opportunity to reimagine how students learn.” —[John Goodwin]( CEO, the LEGO Foundation 21% “The next five years need to be a time of drastic reengineering of our systems and structures to eliminate health disparities.” —[Esther Choo]( Oregon Health & Science University 17% “Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have leveled the playing field for business owners.” —[Harley Finkelstein]( chief operating officer, Shopify For more expert opinions on how coronavirus will change the world in five years pay a visit to [The New Normal](. For members: A tale of a two-wheeled city While bicycle commuting is making inroads in cities across the US, its widespread acceptance is by no means a foregone conclusion. New York City is [a particularly dynamic laboratory]( to test its adoption. Safety concerns—including an outright fear of death—are a major reason that many New Yorkers won’t ride bikes on city streets. [Chart compares the number of bicyclists injured in New York City in 2019 with its sharp decline in 2019.] ✦ Read more about where these changes are happening, and why, in our [field guide to the commuting revolution](. That and a lot more are all yours with a Quartz membership—currently [on sale for 50% off]( ✦ Quartz announcement Is your watch ticking faster or slower these days? Time feels weird in quarantine but, believe it or not, we’re already halfway through the year. To mark the occasion, we’re giving you half off of Quartz membership. So no, you don’t need a new watch battery, you just need to [become a Quartz member](. You asked about inflation Are we heading towards inflation due to central bank spending? Or deflation due to reduced demand?— Boris We love this question. Inflation numbers are calculated based on how much the cost of a typical “basket” of goods and services, known as the consumer price index (CPI), changes over time. Covid-19 has radically [changed what people are buying]( food at grocery stores, less on transportation, etc.—making the measurement of inflation even more difficult than usual. A [recent study]( tried to arrive at new Covid-adjusted inflation figures that suggest more inflation is happening than officials report. But if we stick to US government statistics, [CPI has dropped]( for three straight months, meaning that a dollar bought more in May than it did in April and so on. This indicates that we’re currently experiencing some deflation. But overall, the takeaway should be that we’re in uncharted waters and [inflation numbers are nearly meaningless]( during the pandemic. Surprising discoveries Only one of Russia’s 85 regions said “no” to more Vladimir Putin. The [Nenets Autonomous District]( in the Arctic rejected rule changes that would allow the president to stay in power until 2036. There’s one more plot twist to The Da Vinci Code. Author Dan Brown’s ex-wife claims she [came up with the premise]( for the best-selling thriller. Researchers revealed the mysteries of tooth enamel’s structure. The findings could someday help [prevent or reverse]( tooth decay. Fifty-three countries supported China’s crackdown on Hong Kong at the UN. [These include]( Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of elephants have mysteriously died in Botswana. The country, which has ruled out poaching as the reason, is now conducting lab tests to find out what’s [killing the animals](. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dental-care tips, and patriotic fireworks to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by [downloading our app]( on iOS or Android and[becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Liz Webber, Dan Kopf, David Yanofsky, and Max Lockie. [facebook]( [twitter]( [external-link]( Enjoying Quartz Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here]( to sign up. If you’re looking to unsubscribe, [click here](. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States Copyright © 2020 Quartz, All rights reserved.