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Hard Numbers: Shanghai lockdown, US billionaire tax, Amazonian NFTs, Houthi truce
Medical staff in PPE walk in front of barriers of a Shanghai area under lockdown.
REUTERS/Aly Song
2,631: Shanghai will go into lockdown after reporting a record 2,631 new asymptomatic COVID infections on Sunday. China’s largest city had been trying to avoid this extreme measure, but authorities ultimately caved to Xi Jinping’s zero-COVID policy.
100 million: On Monday, the Biden administration will propose a 20% minimum income tax on US households worth at least $100 million in order to cut the deficit. This includes taxing unrealized capital gains, which Democrats failed to pass in Congress last year.
150: A Brazilian company that owns some 150 square miles of the Amazon is funding conservation efforts by auctioning off sponsorship of rainforest lots as non-fungible tokens. NFT holders will not own the land itself but rather get access to information about how it is being preserved.
7: On Saturday, Houthi rebels declared a three-day truce with the Saudi-led coalition to mark the seventh anniversary of Yemen’s civil war. The olive branch came a day after the Houthis attacked a Saudi oil plant near the Formula One race track in Jeddah, to which Riyadh responded with airstrikes on rebel-held cities in Yemen.At the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Tony Maciulis speaks with Tonee Ndungu, a Kenyan entrepreneur who helped launch one of the tech hubs that became a baseline for what is now known as Silicon Savannah. Ndungu explains how growing up with dyslexia and ADHD shaped his focus on inclusion, and why he sees technology as a bridge that can help people move beyond the limits they have been told about themselves.
Artificial intelligence has enormous potential, but only if people can actually access it.
Speaking at the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock argues that AI should not be viewed as a cure-all for global development. Without reliable internet, telecommunications infrastructure, and access to basic technology, even the most advanced AI tools cannot reach the communities that need them most.
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for disaster preparedness and emergency response.
Speaking at the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith explains how AI combines predictive modeling, satellite imagery, and public data to help governments identify vulnerable communities before disasters strike and respond more quickly when they do.
Graham Platner is out of Maine's Senate race. That may improve Democrats' chance of defeating Republican Susan Collins—but it doesn't guarantee it. In the latest episode of the GZERO Debrief, Eurasia Group US Practice Head Clayton Allen says Democrats may be better off than they were a week ago, but Republicans remain the favorites to hold the Senate seat.