Trump’s reluctant concession, Alibaba censorship, Leave

Plus: Is there a difference between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines? [Quartz]( Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Donald Trump finally gave an actual concession speech… In [a video message]( posted a day after his [near-concession]( the president reluctantly accepted that the election result was certified and that his term will end on Jan. 20. He has also reportedly talked about [pardoning himself]( before he leaves the White House. …but Democrats (and not just them) want him gone, stat. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded the [president be removed]( by his cabinet. Else, she said, Democrats have impeachment papers ready. Meanwhile, two cabinet members and seven administration officials [have resigned]( to express opposition to the insurrection. A few other Republicans have jumped ship and joined the calls for removal. The Capitol Police is in trouble. The death count from Wednesday’s storming of Congress is up to five, including one officer, and [scrutiny is sharpening on]( law enforcement failures. Lawmakers are [promising an investigation]( pointing to instances of officers’ lenient behavior toward members of the pro-Trump mob. French goods won’t get hit by US tariffs for now. [The 25% levies]( on imports like cosmetics and handbags, due to take effect on Jan. 6 in retaliation against a French digital services tax, have been suspended indefinitely. China is censoring media coverage of Alibaba. Authorities have ordered outlets to [“strictly invoke” the party line]( in any reporting on the antitrust probe into the tech giant, highlighting the issue’s political sensitivity. Boeing agreed to pay a $2.5 billion fine. The US Justice Department’s criminal division [accused the airplane manufacturer]( of covering up the 737 Max’s failures and choosing “the path of profit over candor.” What to watch for Financial markets are looking ahead to Joe Biden’s presidency. While violence unfolded at the US Capitol on Wednesday, it seemed like investors didn’t get the message: Yields on US Treasury bonds, which are typically in demand at times of turmoil, barely registered in the mayhem. A day later, the US stock market [hit record highs](. Markets appear to be betting that the disturbing episode in Washington [won’t affect corporate earnings]( or the ability of the world’s largest economy to tax and spend. With Democrats now in control of the US Senate, president-elect Biden will probably be able to pass more ambitious economic support than he would have otherwise been able to. Could traders and investors be wrong? Of course. But they [seem to have decided]( that voters and US institutions, not Donald Trump, would determine the next American president, and that is what has happened. Decoding the pro-Trump insurrectionists’ flags [A sampling of flags seen at the Capitol insurrection] Quartz Many in the rabid mob who stormed the US Capitol Wednesday came armed with a portable and potent weapon: a flag. The most incendiary was a battle pennant from the Confederate army (middle row, center), widely appropriated by white supremacists as a hate symbol. There were also large election banners, neo-Nazi flare, Christian symbols, and a smattering of national and state flags. Anne Quito and Amanda Shendruk [explain the meanings behind]( of the flags they spotted. Déjà vu? As the world watched the chaos in Washington, some drew comparisons to events in their own countries. [Indians were reminded]( of the five militants who attempted to make their way into India’s parliament in New Delhi on Dec. 13, 2001, as well as violent riots in response to peaceful protests in the capital city last year. In contrast, while images of Hong Kong protesters taking over the local legislature in July 2019 [looked similar]( to recent scenes from the US, the motivations of the two groups were [pretty much diametrically opposed](. Where one moment symbolized hunger for the right to a full and free vote, the other was a willful denial of a fair election won in part thanks to grassroots efforts at expanding voter rights. ✦ For a globally minded view of the news, try a Quartz membership [free for seven days](. You asked about Pfizer vs. Moderna vaccines Is there any actual difference between the Moderna and Pfizer versions? I know they are built on the same principle, but what about efficacy, side effects, etc.? At this point, we can only go on the data that has been presented by Moderna and Pfizer to the health regulators that have granted emergency authorization for their vaccines, both of which are based on a [novel application of mRNA](. There are likely [slight differences]( in the shots’ code for the viral spike protein, or the [lipid nanoparticle globs]( that ferry that code into your cells, but those differences are pretty small (and proprietary!). The most important news: These two shots are as close to identical in terms of efficacy as you could imagine. Accounting for some statistical wiggle room, Moderna’s 94.1% efficacy and Pfizer’s 95% are functionally identical. The side effect profiles for both vaccines are also very similar. A majority of people receiving either vaccine experienced pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headache—but those disappear quickly. For people receiving the vaccine, the biggest difference may be the space between doses: Pfizer’s two shots are spaced 3 weeks apart, while Moderna’s are delivered a month apart. Quartz announcement The remote-work revolution is here. The companies leading the future of work are reimagining workspaces that go beyond physical offices, and Quartz is launching a new global ranking program to find out what companies are driving the charge. [Enter your organization]( to be recognized in Quartz’s Best Companies for Remote Workers 2021 list. Surprising discoveries Leave.EU leaves Britain. The campaign group critical of the European Union ultimately decided to [keep its domain name](. A new origin story for dogs? According to researchers, humans hunted plenty of meat, but couldn’t eat it all, [so wolves stuck around](. Elon Musk is now the world’s richest person. Tesla’s Thursday gains [pushed his net worth]( to $185 billion. Identical twins don’t have identical genes. New research found an average of [5.2 genetic mutations]( per set. His last name means “Penis Man.” John Dillermand is a Danish cartoon made for four- to eight-year-olds about a [man with an extraordinary penis](. SHARE THE DAILY BRIEF Loving the Daily Brief surprising discoveries? Spread the joy with friends, family, and co-workers by [sharing the Quartz Daily Brief.]( You’ll finally have someone you can ponder wooden satellites, bitcoin salaries, and Pompeii street food with, plus some new Quartz swag. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, scraps for friendly wolves, and non-identical identical twins 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, Mary Hui, Tripti Lahiri, Jordan LeBeau, and Liz Webber. [facebook]( [twitter]( [external-link]( Enjoying Quartz Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here]( to sign up. 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