1/ The US's January inflation report shows that the economy has ironed out some pandemic disruptions—but is still very much mired in others. Inflation climbed 0.6% on the month on the back of price increases for food, electricity, and shelter. qz.com/2126047/ 2/ The annual inflation rate was 7.5%, the highest in nearly 40 years. Still, some economists say January's inflation report shows signs that supply chains upended by covid-19 are on the mend. qz.com/2126047/

1/ Nearly all prior #WinterOlympics host cities will see weather conditions that make it difficult to hold outdoor winter sports competitions over the coming decades. The culprit is greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting climate change. qz.com/2122792/former… 2/ If global emissions reach targets set by the Paris Climate Agreement, eight previous host cities might be considered reliable hosts by the 2080s. If the targets are missed, only Sapporo, Japan, would be able to provide fair and safe conditions. qz.com/2122792/

❓ How much do you know about the Winter Olympics?

Take our quiz to test your knowledge about the events across all editions. #Beijing2022 qz.com/2123349/what-d… 1⃣ Which animal is the mascot of the 2022 Winter Olympics?

1/ In December 2021, the number of job openings was nearly double the number of long-term unemployed people, according to a new report from @BLS_gov.

That’s the biggest mismatch recorded since the agency started collecting the data in 2000. qz.com/2120544/there-… 2/ The gap has grown as employers continue to post new jobs even as the number of unemployed people drops quickly. The figures are the latest indicator of how covid-19 disruptions have upended the job market.

🧑‍💻 Employees who work from home in the US gain an extra six hours compared to when they went into the office, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 respondents. Half of that extra time goes to recreational activities, but they spend the other half working. qz.com/2119734/us-wor… In January, researchers found workers saved about 60 minutes a day from not commuting, and 10 minutes from skipping daily grooming tasks like showering, shaving, putting on clean clothes, or putting on makeup.

1/ As of November 2021, workers were putting away less money from their wages into savings compared to what they were saving pre-pandemic. This spells the end of the higher levels of saving seen during the pandemic. qz.com/2107567/americ… 2/ Into the future, the savings rate will shrink more slowly. Americans are set to eat up about $5 billion extra a month out of a $2.5 trillion in savings.
qz.com/2107567/americ…

1/ In 2021, Americans read diverse titles and authors from multiple genres. Public libraries in 14 cities across the US provided data to discover this year's most popular library books. qz.com/2102283/the-mo… 2/ Fiction books were the most popular overall, including The Vanishing Half, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Midnight Library, and The Four Winds. The most common checked-out non-fiction book was Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. qz.com/2102283/the-mo…

1/ New York City just became the largest city in the US to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings, a step toward the city’s efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050. qz.com/2102743/new-yo… 2/ The new law prohibits new buildings from using gas for heating and cooking beginning in Dec. 2023. It will apply to buildings lower than seven stories beginning in 2023, and buildings taller than seven stories beginning in 2027.
qz.com/2102743/new-yo…

1/ The tornadoes that ripped through six US states on Dec. 10 were some of the deadliest on record. While the intensity of any given storm is difficult to predict, Friday’s storm brought together a unique set of factors that contributed to its severity. qz.com/2101506/what-m… 2/ The powerful thunderstorm system that gave rise to the tornadoes was the result of unseasonably warm, humid air combined with a powerful cold front created by the La Niña weather pattern that the US is currently experiencing. qz.com/2101506/what-m…

1/ America’s post-pandemic shopping spree is taking its toll on the environment. Ships chasing record-high container prices are speeding across the ocean to load up as often as they can, raising emissions at the fastest rate since 2008. qz.com/2090157/supply… 2/ Container ships are speeding up as much as 22% faster in good weather, and consuming more fuel in the process. Congestion at overflowing ports are leaving a record number of ships idling in the water, pumping pollution into surrounding neighborhoods.
qz.com/2090157/supply…

1/ Nearly a third of hospital-based healthcare workers in the US haven’t been vaccinated against covid-19, according to an analysis by the CDC.
qz.com/2093173/30-per… 2/ Hospitals near or in cities with less than 50,000 people had the lowest vaccination rates (63%), while those in larger metropolitan areas had the highest (71%). Rural hospitals had vaccination rates of 65%.
qz.com/2093173/30-per…

1/ More than a million nurses will leave the workforce by 2026, according to a recent estimate. Meanwhile, demand will keep rising. California and New York are both expected to face a shortage of more than 500,000 nurses.
qz.com/2072332/the-us… 2/ A survey by ShiftMed found that 49% of its nurses are somewhat likely to quit the field in the next two years. Overall, 76% of nurses said they felt the desire to help others wasn’t enough to keep them in the job.
qz.com/2075945/higher…

1/ Food in the US is getting more expensive, and that’s largely being driven by rising beef prices. In the past year, the consumer price index for food rose 0.9%, while the index for beef rose 17.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. qz.com/2074615/why-is… 2/ Covid-19 outbreaks forced meatpacking facilities to shut down, reducing beef production. Labor shortages have also slowed down production, from the food workers processing the beef to the truck drivers transporting it.
qz.com/2074615/why-is…

1/ In just nine months, 2021 broke all records for US startup funding, by a towering margin. US startups raised roughly $240 billion as of Sept. 30, dwarfing 2020’s full-year total of $166 billion.
qz.com/2074714/2021-h… 2/ Lately, startups have been listing on the US stock market at sky-high valuations, delivering huge returns for their early investors. Meanwhile, a greater number of nontraditional early-stage funders have been lured into the startup market.
qz.com/2074714/2021-h…

The Quartz Daily Brief delivers the most important news stories of the day to your inbox. Here's what you need to know today in six tweets. ⬇️ qz.com/emails/daily-b… ➡️ China’s third-quarter GDP growth slowed to 4.9%
➡️ The US is reopening its border to vaccinated travelers from dozens of countries on Nov. 8
➡️ Former US secretary of state Colin Powell dies at 84
➡️ Squid Game is worth close to $900 million to Netflix
qz.com/emails/daily-b…

1/ Publishers are warning sellers and consumers that supply chain issues have forced a major slowdown in book production and threaten a shortage of certain titles for the rest of the year. qz.com/2059755/book-p… 2/ One issue is that more people want physical copies of books these days, says Bookazine president of sales Cindy Raiton. Publishers saw print sales jump 18.5% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period last year. qz.com/2059755/book-p…

1/ As the pandemic continues to ravage parts of the US with low vaccination and high transmission rates, healthcare providers don't just have to deal with a lack of intensive care beds and ventilators, but with a severe lack of nurses. qz.com/2057130/a-trav… 2/ Between the higher demand of an aging population, often excessive workloads, and limited training opportunities, the nation was going to face a significant lack of nurses even prior to Covid-19.
qz.com/1940153/how-a-…

The Quartz Daily Brief provides the most important and interesting news from the global economy. Here's what you need to know today in six tweets. ⬇️ qz.com/emails/daily-b… ➡️ Biden announced mandates for around two-thirds of the total workforce
➡️ Amazon will pay college tuition for its workers
➡️ The US Department of Justice is suing Texas over the state's new abortion law
➡️ Ford will no longer build cars in India
qz.com/emails/daily-b…

With thousands of tokens floating around the internet, it's not always easy to figure out whether or how to invest in cryptocurrency. Here are some tips and things to watch for. ⬇️ qz.com/2055803/how-to… 1⃣ If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. While some firms promise high returns, virtual tokens tend to be high-risk, may not be regulated, and investors should be prepared to lose all their money. qz.com/2055803/how-to…

The Quartz Daily Brief provides the most important and interesting news from the global economy. Here's what you need to know today in six tweets. ⬇️
qz.com/emails/daily-b… ➡️ Regulators in the US fired a warning shot at crypto
➡️ Joe Biden announced an ambitious energy plan
➡️ The trial of Elizabeth Holmes began
➡️ Afghan women can no longer play sports
➡️ China clamped down on gaming again
qz.com/emails/daily-b…

1/ As employers around the globe continue to settle into distance work, Quartz is honoring companies that already embrace our distributed-workforce future. Now introducing the 2021 ranking of the Best Companies for Remote Workers. #QuartzBestCompanies
qz.com/work/2053446/t… 2/ The inaugural ranking assessed employers in eight key areas including leadership, pay and benefits, training and development, corporate culture, communication, and overall engagement. #QuartzBestCompanies
qz.com/work/2053446/t…