Vaccine patent waivers, UK elections, fanged frogs

Plus: Americans are spending big on footwear. [Quartz]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know The US backs patent waivers on Covid-19 vaccines. President Joe Biden said [the proposal]( at the World Trade Organization would allow more shots to be produced worldwide. The World Health Organization called it a “[monumental moment](” in the battle against Covid-19. Canada authorized Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for those aged between 12 to 15. It’s [the first country]( to do so, and the US is expected to follow suit very soon. [New studies]( say the Pfizer vaccine offers very effective protection from two particularly dangerous variants. It’s “Super Thursday” in the UK. Millions of people are [heading to the polls]( to vote in elections for the Scottish parliament, the Welsh Senedd, 143 English councils, and 13 mayors. The UK-France fishing row escalated. The UK [sent two Royal Navy ships]( to the Channel island of Jersey after France threatened to cut off electricity to the British crown dependency over the post-Brexit fishing rights dispute. Facebook’s oversight board has decided to keep Donald Trump off the platform. For now, at least. The board [gave Facebook]( six months to clarify whether, and why, Trump should be permanently banned. Joshua Wong was jailed over a banned Tiananmen massacre vigil. He and three other Hong Kong activists were sentenced to [four to 10 months]( in jail for participating in the assembly last year, which the police banned citing pandemic fears. Peloton announced a recall of all its treadmills. The child safety hazard the product poses is just another bump in the [at-home fitness company’s wild ride](. Sponsor content by Fidelity Investments Fidelity is committed to getting you the best price on every trade. Last year, we saved investors over $1.5 billion on trades. [Learn more]( about the Fidelity price improvement difference. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC What to watch for The vaccine money is in—and it’s pretty good. On Monday, Pfizer reported a revenue of $3.5 billion from its vaccine in the first trimester of 2021. [Moderna reports]( before the New York market opens today, and analysts expect the company to have made about $2 billion in revenue from the shot. AstraZeneca and [Johnson & Johnson](, which have provided vaccines on a not-for-profit basis, have reported $275 million and $100 million in revenue from them, respectively. Though we tend to refer to the vaccines by their manufacturer, most of them do have their own names. Which of the following is not a real Covid-19 vaccine name? - Comirnaty - Sputnik V - Vaxzevria - Kovimerna - Covishield - Hayat-Vax - They’re all real All shall be revealed at the end of this email. Charting how Americans get their kicks Consumer confidence has been rising in the US, and many shoppers are ready to burst from their homes—and they’ll need to put something on their feet before they do. At the same time, Americans are flush with cash from government stimulus or tax returns, giving them the means to spend. [A line chart showing American shoe spending rising evenly between 2011 and early 2020, where it has a huge dip, then recovers, making up ground and then some by 2021.] There could be [other factors at play too](. Strong, recognizable brands are doing well, while nondescript wholesalers that import a lot of shoes and sell them to retailers at low costs are struggling. What do you want from your career? Initially there’s a real wish to demonstrate that you are competent, that you have legitimacy in the world, and you want to demonstrate that through your work, also as a way of establishing your own independence. Then I think later on, if you’ve managed to find your foothold and you’ve found success, there’s a way in which we start to think, “Well, is this really all there is, and is it what I hoped it would be?”—Lee Shapiro, clinical psychologist In our April 29 workshop, part of the Quartz at Work (from home) event series, we spoke with a trio of experts who regularly help others sort out their professional goals. They offered advice to audience members with questions about when it’s time to change careers, whether it’s worth going back to school, how much emphasis to put on money, and where to find mentorship in the absence of a formal program. ✦ [Read about our favorite moments]( or watch the whole workshop for the full experience. You’ll need a membership to do the latter, but that’s a career no-brainer—[try it for free]( and enjoy access to all [Quartz at Work (from home) workshops](. Handpicked Quartz 🤠[The global semiconductor shortage can be explained by the bullwhip effect]( ⭐️ [The pandemic is giving Netflix its long-awaited chance to be in movie theaters]( 👴 [Berkshire investors are ready for a future after Buffett]( 🐘 [Zimbabwe is selling the right to shoot as many as 500 elephants]( 🎤 [China’s latest weapon against Covid-19 is a pop girl band in Shanghai]( ⌚️ [India’s Covid-19 vaccination program is alarmingly behind schedule]( 👀 [Where is the foreign Covid-19 aid that has landed in Delhi going?]( [🚧 A real estate project has become a symbol of the Indian government’s apathy amid]([the Covid crisis]( Quartz announcement Your pocket-guide to the global economy awaits. From the latest news, analysis, field guides, and daily market haikus—the Quartz iOS app has it all. [Download now]( and your brain will thank you. Surprising discoveries US authorities want a statue bound for Kim Kardashian. The reality television star never knew the statue, suspected to have been looted in Italy, existed, [according to her representatives.]( Identifiable flying objects were spotted in Washington state. SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites were to blame for the would-be [paranormal sightings this week](. Some frogs have fangs. Limnonectes beloncioi, commonly called the Mindoro Fanged Frog, went undiscovered in a 100-year [case of mistaken identity](. New clues to early human burials were unearthed in Africa. Researchers uncovered the [78,000-year-old burial sight]( of a toddler boy in Kenya. A Wall-E scarecrow is keeping ducks safe. The looming-eyes buoy was piloted in Estonia, where researchers [found it kept birds away]( from fishery nets. SHARE TO EARN SWAG Coffee cups, tote bags, free membership, and more. Refer the Quartz Daily Brief to friends, family, and coworkers to earn all of these premium prizes. [Share the Daily Brief today]( and start reaping the rewards. Answers to the vaccine name quiz: Kovimerna was a proposed name for Pfizer’s vaccine, which ended up being officially named Comirnaty. Sputnik V was developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, Vaxzevria is the name of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, Covishield is India’s Serum Insitute’s jab, and Hayat-Vax is the result of a partnership between China’s Sinopharm and the G42, a tech company in the UAE. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, vaccine name suggestions, and Disney scarecrows 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 Jane Li, Mary Hui, Annalisa Merelli, Susan Howson, Jordan Lebeau, and Samanth Subramanian. [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](. 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