Do we still need large downtown headquarters?

Good morning, Quartz readers! Barclays’ CEO suggested that large downtown HQs are no longer needed. “There will be a long-term adjustment in how we think about our location strategy…the notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thin [Quartz]( Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Barclays’ CEO suggested that large downtown HQs are no longer needed. “There will be a long-term adjustment in how we think about our location strategy…the notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past,” [Jes Staley said](. The US braces for first-quarter GDP figures. The economy is [forecast to have shrunk 4%]( the first quarterly contraction since 2014. Meanwhile, the Fed is expected to [lift its fed funds rate]( a technical move meant to protect interbank lending and prevent market disruption. Donald Trump ordered meat factories to stay open. The US president said it was imperative that the plants [continue operating]( to safeguard the country’s food supply, despite a growing number of workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Bill de Blasio personally oversaw the dispersal of a large funeral in Brooklyn. [The New York mayor said]( a gathering of Hasidic mourners was “unacceptable.” He led police as it dispersed the crowd on Tuesday, but has since been criticized for “singling out” the community. Earnings season The tech giants update their investors. [Facebook’s]( international user growth could soften loss of ad revenue, while there’s been a rise in the use of [Microsoft’s]( cloud services. [Alphabet]( reported that YouTube and its cloud business have kept growing during the crisis. Planes, trains, and automobiles are struggling. [Volkswagen said]( its first-quarter earnings plunged but still expects to make a profit this year. [Ford expects]( a second-quarter loss of $5 billion. [Airbus posted]( a 50% drop in profit and a 15% drop in revenue, a week after [Amtrak said]( it expects to lose $700 million this year. My body is a castle Scientists only became aware of the novel coronavirus late last year. Most of our immune systems, meanwhile, have still never heard of it. For now, we have to rely on our bodies—rather than a vaccine or targeted medication—to fight off the virus. In order to slow the spread of Covid-19, it will be crucial to understand exactly how the immune system [tackles the disease](. If you’re thinking, “Man it’d be helpful to see that as a comic strip,” you’re in luck. Hailey Morey For an even closer look at the big unknowns surrounding the topic of immunity, sign up for the free [Coronavirus: Need to Know]( newsletter. Join Quartz at Work this Thursday for “Career Building in Quarantine.” More people are job hunting than ever right now. In this one-hour workshop, a group of experts will teach you to stand out and continue to build a meaningful career while in quarantine. [Click here to register](. Charting the American grocery shopper The share of food spending at restaurants and bars (including takeout) has been slowly rising for [over half a century](. In 1970, only about a quarter of US household money was spent on eating out. By the beginning of 2020, that number had reached about 50%. The Great Recession slowed things down, but only a pandemic could truly reverse the trend with store-bought food now amounting to almost 63% of US consumption last month. For Quartz members Check out Quartz membership with a ✦ [seven-day free trial]( - Home fitness is booming, as millions of people use computer screens to exercise. We explore how the [mental and emotional aspects]( of online group classes stack up against the IRL kind. - India and China may avoid a recession this year. Former Reserve Bank of India director Vipin Malik told Quartz what’s needed to get the [world’s most populous economies]( firing on all cylinders. - A place to gather and gossip. Quartz fashion reporter Marc Bain looks at how the temporary loss of barbershops and salons cuts much [deeper than appearances](. Quartz announcement Management through initimidation and control is a thing of the past. Today, more managers seek to coach, inspire, and connect with their teams through clear feedback, supportive benefits, and new approaches to hiring. We've unlocked our field guide on The New Management for a limited time—[read more here](. We’re obsessed with voicemail Why does voicemail make us feel so awkward? Leaving a message at the beep has caused more than a few scandals, but for the rest of us, that feeling of anxiety has more to do with being alone and on the spot. Voicemail is so fraught that AT&T initially rejected the technology. [Get the message with the Quartz Daily Obsession.]( You asked about climate and coronavirus What impact is the pandemic having on the climate emergency? It’s no less urgent once we’re reasonably past this crisis. – Ann Thank you, Ann. The economic shutdown associated with coronavirus has taken a huge bite out of global greenhouse gas emissions. According to recent analysis from the UK-based research outfit Carbon Brief, it could add up to the [largest one-year drop]( in history. That’s an astounding reversal. But it reveals a stark reality: Even sustained emissions reductions on this scale [wouldn’t be enough]( to limit global warming to goals set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Once total shutdown conditions relax in the next month or two, emissions are likely to be back to business as usual. And depending on what kind of stimulus measures governments put in place after the pandemic, they could grow even [faster than before](. ✉️ [Do you have a burning question about how coronavirus is changing the world?](mailto:needtoknow+questions@qz.com) Surprising discoveries A massive asteroid passes by Earth. 52768 (1998 OR2) is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) wide and [will fly by our planet]( Wednesday morning. There’s no risk of collision. A Japanese company offers a cheaper alternative to divorce. There are[short-term rentals for couples]( to give each other space. Does nicotine help with Covid-19? Smoking is clearly unhealthy, and this does sound mad, but scientists are [exploring the theory](. You can cosplay for science. By crafting historically accurate weapons and hurling themselves into combat, some people are uncovering [Bronze Age battle secrets](. Two Brits are “enduring” lockdown above a pub. They live in London over The Prince, and have access to [fresh tap beer](. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, tap beer, and more tap beer to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by[downloading our app]( on iOS or Android and[becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah and Luiz Romero. [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](. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States Copyright © 2020 Quartz, All rights reserved.