Escape Offices
February 26, 2020
“We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work” – Thomas A. Edison
“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” – Leo Tolstoy
Come On, We’re All Down Cause The Sickness
The World Health Organization (WHO) has made an announcement stating that the world is not yet ready for a major outbreak of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. Despite massive efforts by China’s government to keep the epidemic contained, more and more cases seem to be erupting across the globe. So far, 77,000 people have the disease and over 2,600 people have died in China. Reports have shown that new cases in China have slowly decreased, but a rising number of cases have been reported in other parts of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and even the United States.
As of Monday, the outbreak has killed at least 12 people in Iran. In Italy, authorities have locked down at least 10 towns, closed schools in major cities and canceled sporting events following an eruption of over 150 cases. South Korea has reported over 830 cases and seven deaths. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the outbreak could cause “severe disruption” to the lives of ordinary Americans, warning families to begin preparations.
The virus has crippled China for more than a month now, and threatens to become a pandemic that could touch virtually every part of the globe. In a speech on Sunday, President Xi Jinping called the epidemic the country’s most serious public health crisis, and said it was “the most difficult to prevent and control” since the founding of the People’s Republic. China has sealed off cities, shut down business and schools, and ordered people to stay indoors in an attempt to combat the virus, with estimates that 760 million people have been put under lockdown since January.
Serious economic concerns surrounding the virus have led to stock markets across the globe tumbling – with European markets recording their worst day since 2016 and the Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 900 points in the first hours of trading on Monday. China has stated interest in restarting their economic development by reopening shops, restaurants, and schools, but there are fears that this could lead to a spike in infections. (NYT, $)
- Financial markets drop again on coronavirus fears (BBC)
- What is coronavirus and what should I do if I have symptoms? (Guardian)
- San Francisco declares emergency over coronavirus (Reuters)
- Is the Coronavirus Outbreak a Pandemic Yet? (NYT, $)
- A Vaccine Won’t Stop the New Coronavirus (Atlantic, $)
- Coronavirus: Iran’s deputy health minister tests positive as outbreak worsens (BBC)
- Coronavirus could cause ‘severe disruption’ in America, CDC says (Guardian)
Fixing Venezuela With The Power Of Friendship
- President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, once lashed out at his number one critic, Lorenzo Mendoza, but as Venezuela fell into a deepening economic crisis, causing food shortages and a refugee crisis, he learned to embrace the criticisms and worked together with Mendoza to try and turn the economy back around.
- The unlikely partnership between the government and big business may save Venezuela from complete collapse. Though the economy remains largely in ruins, there is a definitive shift, with many economists optimistic about a potential turnaround. The working relationship reached by the government and big business is a startling turnaround from decades of tension.
- There is still much damage to be undone, however, as almost five million of the country’s 30 million people have fled, depriving companies of clients and workers. Under Mr. Maduro, the country has lost almost three-quarters of its gross domestic product, with almost nine of 10 Venezuelans struggling to meet basic needs, but the recent economic liberalization has created opportunities for companies. (NYT, $)
Major Minority Changes In Japan
- Japan’s sense of national identity and what it means to “be Japanese” has been deeply ingrained in native citizens through a large part of the country’s rich history, with many people still holding the view that their society is “mono-ethnic.” However, recent shifts in citizenship and immigration laws have significantly changed racial dynamics in the country.
- Japan has several minority communities, though some, such as the Ainu, have only been officially recognized in recent years by the government. Other minority communities include the Ryūkyūans or Okinawans, and the “hamlet-people,” (Burakumin) – once considered the lowest caste in Japan’s now-abolished feudal system. Japan also holds host to a large population of “zainichi” – foreigners living in Japan.
- Japan’s government signed a bill to allow hundreds of thousands of workers to come to Japan to work in specific sectors such as construction, nursing and farming due to rapidly aging populations and an acute labor shortage in 2018, which has vastly changed the landscape of the Japanese “population.”
- As more people continue moving to Japan, and as the culture continues to evolve, it seems as though Japan is slowly embracing diversity. (BBC)
Additional World News
- UN: Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis Hits ‘Horrifying New Level’ : Goats and Soda (NPR)
- Users would tell Facebook their bank balance for $8.44 a month (Guardian) & ‘Facebook: The Inside Story’ Reveals A Company Made In Its Founder’s Image (NPR)
- North Korea: The prisoner who escaped with her guard (BBC)
- Immigrants built Britain. Now their Conservative children are disowning them | Nesrine Malik (Guardian) & Cod wars to food banks: how a Lancashire fishing town is hanging on (Guardian)
- New Delhi Streets Turn Into Battleground Between Hindus and Muslims (NYT, $)
Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Home Is Where The Heart (Of Terrorism) Is
- Terrorism experts believe that violent, homegrown extremists, and specifically white supremacists may be the top domestic terrorism threat in the future. An increase in domestic terrorism has raised the question of how law enforcement officials should handle the changing dynamic and source of terrorism in the USA.
- “In the U.S., more people are killed by far-right extremists than by those who are adherents to Islamist extremism,” said Mary McCord, a Georgetown University law professor and former senior Justice Department official for national security. A large-scale debate has erupted across America over whether or not the United States needs a new law to specifically criminalize domestic terrorism.
- Currently, no laws specify exactly what constitutes a group being labeled as “terrorists.” There are, however, 57 specific acts labeled as federal crimes of terrorism. Current terrorism statutes do not incorporate most attacks on civilians that involve guns or vehicles, or the stockpiling of assault weapons, rather focusing on “weapons of mass destruction” and attacks on federal officials. Drafts for new domestic terrorism statutes have been proposed, but none have been finalized or enacted thus far. (NYT, $)
I Believe I Can Fly. I Believe I Can Sue This Guy. I Think About It Every Night And Day, Spread My Wings And Sue This Guy
- In March the Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether three Muslim men can sue FBI agents for violating a federal law protecting religious freedom: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. In his lawsuit, Muhammad Tanvir claims that when he told the agents his faith prevented him from becoming an informant, he was first threatened verbally, then put on the No Fly list, barring him from boarding any planes leaving or landing in American airports. If he cooperated, he would be allowed to fly again.
- Tanvir asked for money damages for the harm he suffered. The 2013 suit was initially dismissed by the trial judge, but later revived by the appeals court, which upheld Tanvir’s right to seek monetary relief. Tanvir’s lawyer said the case will test the court’s commitment to religious liberty.
- The Trump administration, which takes a very broad view of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, has urged the court to dismiss the suit, saying it would interfere with “sensitive matters of national security and law enforcement.” The justices will have to decide whether the 1993 law even authorizes lawsuits of this nature to be filed against government officials. (NYT)
Additional USA News
- ‘Help me!’: video shows Florida officer arresting six-year-old after tantrum (Guardian)
- ‘I gotta stay strong’: the Native American families with a legacy of violent deaths (Guardian)
- I Helped Create the Nation’s Top Spy Job. It’s About to Be Destroyed. (NYT, $)
- Awful new details about Trump’s purge should alarm us all (WaPo, $)
- Trump’s separation of families constitutes torture, doctors find (Guardian)
2020
- Who won the Democratic debate? 4 winners and 2 losers (Vox)
- Few Americans are confident in tech companies to prevent misuse of their platforms in the 2020 election (Pew Research)
- The complicated truth behind Trump’s ‘American comeback’ (BBC) & Tim Carney on what President Trump got right about white America (Vox)
- Bloomberg quietly plotting brokered convention strategy (Politico)
- In Nevada Debate, the Bloomberg Myth Explodes on Live TV (Rolling Stone)
- Sanders sends Democratic establishment into panic mode (Politico)
It’s 9 to 5 O’clock Somewhere
- Move over Silicon Valley, more and more corporate offices are adopting the casual culture of tech startups. Most offices now consider things like open floor plans, on-site acupuncture, nap pods, and no assigned desks as the new norm.
- United Shore, a mortgage company in Michigan, has its own escape room to assist in team-building exercises. Commvault, a data management company in New Jersey, has a slide. In-office chefs and massages are also increasingly commonplace.
- Companies are also reworking their vacation policies. Now workers can take much more time off and some workplaces even offer unlimited vacation days.
- Is everything perfect? Not necessarily. It has yet to be proven if these new laidback ways actually improve work or just get workers used to a 9 – whenever work day. (Wired)
- As the Start-Up Boom Deflates, Tech Is Humbled (NYT, $)
Additional Loose Nuts
- At 25 Years, Understanding The Longevity Of Craigslist (NPR) We think Craigslist has been successful because of an early/first mover advantage along with ease of use.
- Can You Tell Which of These Amazon Prime Purchases Are Real? (Wirecutter)
- & How to lock down your Amazon account right now (CNET)
- The One War That the Human Species Can’t Lose (New Yorker)
- This chart is the best explanation of middle-class finances you will ever see (WaPo, $)
- Why we need an absence of noise to hear anything important (Aeon)
LAST MORSELS
“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it” – Buddha