Brigadoon Daily Rundown = April 14, 2020

A long time until the economic new normal: MIT Sloan Management Review reports, a full economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely, and the new version of normal for work and organizations is further off than we think. https://bit.ly/2y8ylHK

Morgan Stanley: “While we understand the desire for optimism, we also caution that the US outbreak is far from over. Recovering from this acute period in the outbreak is just the beginning and not the end. We believe the path to re-opening the economy is going to be long.”

Andreas Kluth: This pandemic will lead to social revolutions: As the coronavirus sweeps the world, it hits the poor much harder than the better off. One consequence will be social unrest, even revolutions. https://bloom.bg/34BmxdA

Fintan O’Toole: Coronavirus has exposed the myth of British exceptionalism: Johnson’s first response was at odds with the rest of the world but the virus does not respect his delusions of national character. https://bit.ly/3cgYoLE

Alastair Campbell: Media questions at No. 10 briefings are woeful. Here are 20 they should ask. https://bit.ly/3ekVnfa

Boris Johnson’s aides were told his survival chances were ‘50-50’: The PM left the hospital this weekend, marking his most astonishing comeback yet — but for Britain, the crisis goes on. https://bit.ly/3a1uZUo

Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Boris Johnson, will announce on Thursday that the lockdown will stay in place until at least May 7.

House of Commons could sit next week entirely via remote with the Speaker as the only person in the chamber

Matthew Ball: Streaming video will soon look like the bad old days of TV: As media monoliths bundle their offerings, consumers will once again have to pay for a bunch of shows they don’t want. https://nyti.ms/3ei5y4l

"This dynamic reflects the economic reality of the media industry. It has lots of cultural influence, but a relatively modest amount of consumer spending. In 2018, audiences worldwide spent some $300 billion on TV, $138 billion on video gaming, $41 billion on movie tickets and only $19 billion on recorded music. The same year, the five technology giants Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook had revenue of more than $800 billion combined."

Robots welcome to take over, as pandemic accelerates automation: Broad unease about losing jobs to machines could dissipate as people focus on the benefits of minimizing close human contact. https://nyti.ms/2V1Vzsa

McKinsey: Demonstrating corporate purpose in the time of coronavirus: Companies will define what they do in the crucible of COVID-19 response—or be defined by it. Here’s how to frame the challenge. https://mck.co/2Xo1v0k

Overcoming remote work challenges: Decentralized teams face a number of challenges that can have damaging consequences if unaddressed — but they can be overcome. https://bit.ly/3c9iGa8

Steve Jobs talks consultants, hiring, and leaving Apple in unearthed 1992 talk https://bit.ly/2XwYmvl

Walmart employees are featured in a new spot set to the enduring song ‘Lean on Me’: The song's composer, Bill Withers, died earlier this week. https://bit.ly/2V8WvtT

Coronavirus lockdown: bored yet? Good — you’re on the verge of a creative explosion: Being made to do nothing for weeks on end drives people to think in exciting new ways, researchers say. https://bit.ly/2JJLZUx

Brigadoon Daily Rundown = April 13, 2020

James Galbraith: The pandemic and capitalism: Will we learn from this crisis that our present precarity capitalism must be brought to an end? https://bit.ly/39Us7IL

John Pomfret: Does the future still belong to the US and China? https://wapo.st/2RqNeMK

3D printers recast virus-weary supply chains: The COVID-19 crisis has posed a number of problems for manufacturers. 3D printing has provided many answers. https://bloom.bg/3e7h5Dn

Hiring through a screen could become the new norm in China: The nation has launched nationwide online recruitment initiatives as it grapples with unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://bit.ly/39YRv0e

Why this Canadian agency is choosing to open its doors now: Founders are forging ahead with plans despite the pandemic. https://bit.ly/3bYr2kz

A recent survey by Edelman found that 84% of consumers wanted brands’ social channels to facilitate a sense of community and offer support to those in need during these hard times.

Architectural Digest: Inside Rapper Drake's manor house in hometown Toronto https://bit.ly/3e9VDxH

Dubbed The Embassy, the house takes its cues from traditional Beaux Arts architecture, distilled and slightly abstracted to imbue the classic idiom with a more contemporary spirit. “In form, materials, and execution, the structure is a proper 19th-century limestone mansion. But the exterior profiles are more minimal and the lines are a bit cleaner,” says Canadian architectural and interior designer Ferris Rafauli Rafauli, who heads his own namesake luxury design/build firm based in Ontario. “This isn’t stucco, paint, and fake gold. That’s not what Drake wanted, and that’s not what I do.”

Get unstuck when you feel you don’t have time to do anything: Most of us feel we’re so busy we don’t have time to start on our dream (or every day) projects. Here’s how to find the time. https://nyti.ms/2V2EwoU

Brigadoon Daily Rundown = April 10, 2020

Angela Merkel, Queen Elizabeth II show how to communicate: What do Angela Merkel and Queen Elizabeth II give us that Donald Trump doesn't? The answers to that question shed light on what citizens need from leaders as we struggle to cope with COVID-19, writes DW's Melinda Crane. https://bit.ly/2VfgF5q

Are virtual events here to stay? Slush 2020 is canceled. TNW and Hello Tomorrow have been pushed back to autumn. And hundreds of other physical events are moving online. As a result, one online event platform, Hopin, is seeing surges in demand most founders only dream of its waitlist has grown from 10,000 to 100,000 in just a month.  Will the next few months turn us all into virtual events converts — or will we be flocking back to in-person conferences again as soon as we can? https://bit.ly/3bYc6mw

What will tomorrow’s workplace bring? More elbow room, for starters: The pandemic may result in fundamental changes, altering how office buildings are designed. In the short term, expect more hand sanitizer and less “hot-desking.” https://nyti.ms/2JNV7Hx

Noah Smith: Five ideas that do nothing for the pandemic economy: Both Republicans and Democrats peddle programs that do little but distract from the enormous task at hand. https://bloom.bg/2Vg7YHM

Here are five ideas that are being thrown around that should be quickly and quietly shelved.

1. Capital gains tax cuts
2. SALT deduction
3. Export bans
4. More unemployment insurance
5. Liability waivers

Maggie Moran: Why Cuomo’s good at this: Explaining the governor’s strength at handling the coronavirus crisis https://bit.ly/2RmzzWC

‘Sometimes the crisis makes the leader’: Andrew Cuomo and five lessons on leadership: WSJ reports, the public has been impressed with how New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is handling the coronavirus outbreak, and crisis managers give his leadership style high marks. https://on.wsj.com/3e96APR

1. What you want to see in a leader is that they’re transparent
2. What America needs now is a field general
3. He’s making people believe he’s in there with them
4. This is not great television
5. Clarity is particularly important

Margaret Burbidge, astronomer who studied the inner workings of stars, dies at 100: Sometimes called “Lady Stardust,” Burbidge helped reveal the cosmic origins of chemical elements. https://bit.ly/3c5u7PQ

Irreplaceability is the ultimate goal of a brand: As marketers work from home and strive to make sense of their marketing priorities, there is a case to be made for optimism, pragmatism, and perspective. https://bit.ly/3aP9Wps

Andy Warhol: Take a virtual tour around the Tate Modern exhibition: From silver wigs to immigration forms, let the curators of the Tate’s Warhol exhibition take you up close and personal with the mythical artist. https://bit.ly/2ywxhh9

Expert advice on how to digital detox in self-isolation: Screen time has skyrocketed as we all stay inside to combat the pandemic, but now more than ever is an opportunity to disconnect. https://bit.ly/2xWsANh

Brigadoon Daily Rundown = April 9, 2020

A letter to G20 governments: In 2008-2010, the Great Recession could be surmounted when the economic fault line – under-capitalization of the global banking system – was tackled. Now, however, the economic emergency will not be resolved until the health emergency is effectively addressed, and that requires coordinated global leadership – now. https://bit.ly/2x2wiVQ

Dani Rodrik: Will COVID-19 remake the world? No one should expect the pandemic to alter – much less reverse – tendencies that were evident before the crisis. Neoliberalism will continue its slow death, populist autocrats will become even more authoritarian, and the left will continue to struggle to devise a program that appeals to a majority of voters. The crisis seems to have thrown the dominant characteristics of each country’s politics into sharper relief. Countries have in effect become exaggerated versions of themselves. This suggests that the crisis may turn out to be less of a watershed in global politics and economics than many have argued. Rather than putting the world on a significantly different trajectory, it is likely to intensify and entrench already-existing trends. https://bit.ly/39Nwp4U

Richard Haass: At war with a virus: While war should normally be a policy of last resort, not confronting a determined enemy that poses an imminent threat can be deadly. Putting off the decision to go on the offensive against COVID-19 – treating a war of necessity as a war of choice – has proved extraordinarily costly in terms of lives lost and economic destruction. https://bit.ly/2XkHkR2

Harold Evans: In Queen's calm voice, a memory of war https://reut.rs/3bZGZqU

"So how comforting to hear the Queen’s voice again, convincing in its resolve. This time, her quiet poise echoed out of YouTube, rather than an old radio. And her last allusion to the war-time anthem “We’ll Meet Again” sung by World War Two sweetheart Vera Lynn instantly sent the vintage classic to number 22 on the iTunes chart. But the message is the same: Only united can we take on such a devastating challenge. Only then can we meet again."

Inside DOJ's nationwide effort to take on China: Federal prosecutors say the pandemic hasn't hindered their efforts to crack down on Chinese espionage. https://politi.co/2xcRyYU

John Thornhill: We need some ‘creative destruction’ now: COVID-19, tech revolution, and the environmental threat may spark a wave of innovation. https://on.ft.com/2wjO06F

The reasons why the US isn’t on track to open up: Politico reports, labs nationwide are overwhelmed by patient samples flooding in as they continue to face a shortage of critical supplies. https://politi.co/2y1Y4BD

Trader Joe’s employees say virus response was haphazard and chaotic: Interviews with dozens of crew members paint a picture of a tumultuous two weeks as the company’s policies rapidly changed. https://bloom.bg/3c0CpIT

Adam Problsky: What’s in your digital go-bag? Five essentials for communicators https://bit.ly/2UDVcUq

How coffee became a modern necessity: For much of its 500-year history, the drink was viewed with confusion, suspicion, and disgust. https://on.wsj.com/3aKLmWt

Fear of the unknown: Locked-down athletes face mental health challenge https://reut.rs/2RjQb1k

“Unknowns are quite challenging, especially for athletes whose days are mapped out from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to sleep.” -- Kyle Chalmers, Olympic swimming champion