Trump in Florida, what US votes cost, tear-gas hot sauce

Plus: What comes next for office districts? [Quartz]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail. The US president is [holding a rally in Florida]( just a week after his release from hospital. Yesterday, Trump claimed he is fully recovered from Covid-19 and no longer infectious, but did not say whether he’d tested negative again. British Airways fired its CEO. [Alex Cruz suddenly left his role]( in the middle of the industry’s worst-ever crisis, with Aer Lingus boss Sean Doyle taking over. During Cruz’s tenure, he oversaw a pilots’ strike and major IT problems that cost millions. But now, with 13,000 job losses and [nobody flying]( BA owner IAG finally wielded the ax. The Bank of England is checking who’s prepared for negative interest rates. After announcing last month that it was considering it for the first time, the [UK’s central bank wrote to financial institutions]( this morning to ask about their “readiness” for the drastic measure. Meanwhile, parts of England are set to go [back into lockdown](. A huge power cut left millions without electricity in Mumbai. Suburban trains in India’s biggest city and main commercial hub ground to a halt, while homes and businesses had to navigate a busy Monday morning with no power. Officials called it an “[unprecedented failure]( The LA Lakers won the NBA championship. In the longest season ever, with a major detour in Disney World, [the Lakers won the title for the first time in a decade](. LeBron James got his fourth ring, while Anthony Davis paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant: “All we wanted to do was do it for him.” Sponsor content by RBC Capital Markets What’s at stake for the 2020 election? Decode the issues that will play out ahead of the presidential election. [Watch RBC’s Beyond the Ballot series]( for balanced insights with renowned domestic and foreign policy experts to help you gain the perspectives you need to lead today and define tomorrow. What to watch for Monday: The International Monetary Fund and World Bank kick start their [week-long annual meetings]( the Trump administration [submits a report]( on potential Hong Kong sanctions; and US Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett begins her [confirmation hearings](. Tuesday: Apple unveils the [5G iPhone]( and the World Trade Organization picks a new director-general, its [first woman leader](. Wednesday: Chinese leader Xi Jinping [delivers a speech]( in Shenzhen to mark the 40th anniversary of the country’s first special economic zone. Thursday: [Boris Johnson’s deadline]( for a EU-UK trade deal looms over a European summit. Friday: It’s [World Food Day](. Saturday: New Zealand holds its [general election](. Sunday: Bolivia holds its [presidential election](. Charting the cost of US votes American votes don’t come cheap. US presidential elections are often some of the most expensive in the world, and the candidate who raises the most money nearly always wins. One way of understanding what it costs to become president is by comparing [how much winning candidates spend per vote acquired](. [A bar chart showing the cost per winning vote in US presidential elections since 1992. Bill Clinton spent $4.40 per vote in 1992 and $4.30 in 1996. George Bush spent $5.50 in 2000 and $8 in 2004. Barack Obama spent $13 in 2008 and $12.80 in 2012. Donald Trump spent $5.80 in 2016.] Of course, a candidate who simply spends more won’t necessarily get more votes. And presidential candidate spending is also only a fraction of the total cost of the US election: One study estimates that a record $10.8 billion will be spent on this year’s vote. The omnipresent consultant Consulting may be the biggest industry that nobody really sees. The world’s biggest companies use outside consultants to help them decide how to direct their resources, while Deloitte and Accenture are among the US government’s largest outside contractors of any kind, paying them billions of dollars for services like management consulting and assistance in modernizing technology. The coronavirus pandemic is adding to existing threats facing the industry. But consultants are themselves benefiting from advising businesses and governments on [how to cope with Covid-19](. McKinsey has contracts with the US Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Personnel Management for Covid-related services, federal procurement records show. Deloitte’s website says the firm’s consulting practice “provides insights to help your organization respond, recover, and thrive from Covid-19.” Read more about how consultants are trying to navigate the pandemic in our guide to [consulting’s new challenges](. ✦ Looking for a consultant of your own? Get access to our field guides and presentations across a wide range of industries with a [Quartz membership]( now 20% off the first year. Quartz announcement Be the influencer we know you are, Quartz member. Members can now unlock exclusive Quartz stories for their friends. Simply click on any one of the share icons beneath your favorite story and send. Obsession interlude: Rethinking cities Thanks to Covid-19, the million-dollar question for Quartz’s [Rethinking Cities]( obsession is: What comes next for office districts? As employees embrace remote working—and continue to be wary of mass transit—some companies have already decided to [ditch their offices]( and allow most people to [work from home forever](. A corporate retreat or exodus from urban centers appears likely, but what will that bring? City budgets need revenue from knowledge-sector companies. And what of the many restaurants, dry cleaners, and pharmacies that [rely on office workers]( to stay in business? Urban planners predict cities will survive, but change shape. Some fraction of office buildings could be repurposed as condos, hotels, [even affordable housing]( in city cores. Satellite hubs of the urban economy could pop up in far-flung neighborhoods making it easier for people of various income levels to live near the places they work. Or perhaps cities will simply dangle subsidies and tax breaks before the largest corporate tenants, begging them to stay. Our [Rethinking Cities]( obsession will be watching the corporate, governmental, and grassroots interests competing to control the office zone’s future, and rooting for any experiments to disrupt the [race and class segregation]( so entrenched in cities today. How to read more: - [Can cities survive without office workers?]( - [Work from home is burning out Indians, but they still don’t want to go back to the office]( - [What it takes for cities to jump into the knowledge economy]( - [Without an office, what defines a workplace?]( Know someone who might enjoy the Quartz Daily Brief? Sign up for our [new referral program]( and earn rewards for sharing our morning rundown with friends and coworkers. (You’ll also get our eternal gratitude.) Surprising discoveries Indigenous peoples once bred and sheared dogs for wool. In America’s Pacific Northwest, a [wooly-haired breed of dog]( was once a source of fibers for blankets. Humans are evolving an extra blood vessel in their arms. Anatomical studies show the vessel is now [three times as common]( as it was among people born in the mid-1880s. Mexico asked the Pope for a loan of ancient books. It wants a temporary return of [several ancient manuscripts]( held in the Vatican library, ahead of the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest. A Portland protester is making tear-gas flavored hot sauce. Using serranos, jalapeños, and tomatillos, [the condiment is an expression]( of frustration. Scientists calculated the final speed limit for sound. Solid atomic hydrogen allows sound waves to travel 36 km per second, about [twice as fast]( through even ultra-dense diamond. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dog-hair blankets, and ancient books 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, and Liz Webber. 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