🌏 Trouble in the garden

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here

Photo: Reuters (Edgar Su)

Good morning, Quartz readers!

Chinese property developer Country Garden is up against another liquidity test. The cash-strapped developer owes $15 million in interest that’s linked to an offshore bond.

Big shipping firms face waves of upcoming emissions fees. Boats carrying goods in and out of the EU will have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for releasing carbon into the air—though that’s probably not enough to force immediate change.

The US unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds as part of a prisoner swap. Five Americans were released and are heading back home after being wrongfully detained for years.

Microsoft’s chief product officer is leaving. Panos Panay spearheaded the launch of the company’s Surface line of computers and Windows 11 during his nearly 20-year tenure at the firm.

Bulgarian farmers aren’t happy that a ban on Ukrainian food is ending. The government said the move will improve tax revenue and food prices, but farmers are already operating at a loss.

Turkey responded to a Starlink request with a Tesla request

Photo: Reuters (Murat Cetinmuhurdar)

Yesterday, during a sit-down meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked Elon Musk to build a Tesla factory in Turkey.

The picture above shows Erdoğan, Musk, and a little Musk. The other executives in the room were not from Tesla, but from Starlink—Musk’s satellite network—and SpaceX—the rocket maker that puts those satellites into orbit.

Judging by the official communiqué from the Turkish government, Erdoğan’s request for an electric car factory came in response to Musk asking for permission to operate Starlink in Turkey, which currently is a dark spot in Starlink’s global network. It’s a quid pro quo that Musk is becoming accustomed to—negotiating with foreign governments who can play his various companies against each other. Just look at his relationship with China.

Can factory workers change the shape of the work week—again?

Ford Motor founder Henry Ford may have been one of the earliest adopters of the five-day work week, but now Ford’s workers want more.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) began a historic strike last week against the “Big Three” US carmakers—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—with a list of demands that included a four-day work week.

The idea has become a reality for some office workers but has yet to make it to the assembly line. As Quartz’s Julia Malleck writes, the union’s precedent-setting demand could rev up the four-day work week’s engine. Read the full story here.

Pop quiz: The future of ABC

Which of the following is true about Nexstar Media, the little-known TV broadcaster that could buy Disney’s ABC network?

A. It controls 200 local broadcast stations
B. Its network reaches 68% of US households
C. It owns or partially owns the CW, the Food Network, and The Hill
D. It isn’t ABC’s only suitor

The correct answer is, well, all of them. Disney is reportedly looking to spin off ABC as it no longer sees the broadcast and cable TV business as part of its core operations, and Nexstar is the most likely inheritor. But other outlets and media tycoons are tuning in.

Quartz’s most popular

🤔 How much longer can Elon Musk stay “hardcore” at Tesla and SpaceX?

🎲 Young hackers are sticking up Las Vegas casinos for hefty ransoms

😭 There’s a biological reason you feel down after having the time of your life

📚 How commuter boredom turned audiobooks into a billion-dollar industry

✍️ Stephen King blames Bill Maher for breaking the Hollywood writers’ strike

🖨️ Tesla is experimenting with 3D printing its car bodies

Surprising discoveries

Song choruses are moving closer to the start. To count as a listen on streaming services, tunes have to play for at least 30 seconds.

The US lost a $100 million fighter jet and wants your help finding it. The F-35 was misplaced after a pilot ejected from the aircraft.

A dinosaur skeleton is going up for auction in Paris. “Barry,” as the Camptosaurus is known, could fetch more than $1 million.

Watering holes in England and Wales are disappearing. Two pubs a day have been shuttering since the beginning of the year.

This year’s Ig Nobels were announced. Highly impactful works on counting cadaver nose hairs, repurposing dead spiders, and rock-licking scientists were among the winners.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, 30-second songs, and tickets to a disappearing pub crawl to [email protected]. Reader support makes Quartz available to all—. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner and Susan Howson.

🌐 View or share this email online.

📬 Check out our emails

👀 Read Quartz’s latest stories

📈 See what stories are trending

Text-only version of this email

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here Quartz September 18, 2023 Photo: Reuters (Edgar Su) Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Chinese property developer Country Garden is up against another liquidity test. The cash-strapped developer owes $15 million in interest that’s linked to an offshore bond. Big shipping firms face waves of upcoming emissions fees. Boats carrying goods in and out of the EU will have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for releasing carbon into the air—though that’s probably not enough to force immediate change. The US unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds as part of a prisoner swap. Five Americans were released and are heading back home after being wrongfully detained for years. Microsoft’s chief product officer is leaving. Panos Panay spearheaded the launch of the company’s Surface line of computers and Windows 11 during his nearly 20-year tenure at the firm. Bulgarian farmers aren’t happy that a ban on Ukrainian food is ending. The government said the move will improve tax revenue and food prices, but farmers are already operating at a loss. Turkey responded to a Starlink request with a Tesla request Photo: Reuters (Murat Cetinmuhurdar) Yesterday, during a sit-down meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked Elon Musk to build a Tesla factory in Turkey. The picture above shows Erdoğan, Musk, and a little Musk. The other executives in the room were not from Tesla, but from Starlink—Musk’s satellite network—and SpaceX—the rocket maker that puts those satellites into orbit. Judging by the official communiqué from the Turkish government, Erdoğan’s request for an electric car factory came in response to Musk asking for permission to operate Starlink in Turkey, which currently is a dark spot in Starlink’s global network. It’s a quid pro quo that Musk is becoming accustomed to—negotiating with foreign governments who can play his various companies against each other. Just look at his relationship with China. Can factory workers change the shape of the work week—again? Ford Motor founder Henry Ford may have been one of the earliest adopters of the five-day work week, but now Ford’s workers want more. The United Auto Workers (UAW) began a historic strike last week against the “Big Three” US carmakers—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—with a list of demands that included a four-day work week. The idea has become a reality for some office workers but has yet to make it to the assembly line. As Quartz’s Julia Malleck writes, the union’s precedent-setting demand could rev up the four-day work week’s engine. Read the full story here. Pop quiz: The future of ABC Which of the following is true about Nexstar Media, the little-known TV broadcaster that could buy Disney’s ABC network? A. It controls 200 local broadcast stations B. Its network reaches 68% of US households C. It owns or partially owns the CW, the Food Network, and The Hill D. It isn’t ABC’s only suitor The correct answer is, well, all of them. Disney is reportedly looking to spin off ABC as it no longer sees the broadcast and cable TV business as part of its core operations, and Nexstar is the most likely inheritor. But other outlets and media tycoons are tuning in. Quartz’s most popular 🤔 How much longer can Elon Musk stay “hardcore” at Tesla and SpaceX? 🎲 Young hackers are sticking up Las Vegas casinos for hefty ransoms 😭 There’s a biological reason you feel down after having the time of your life 📚 How commuter boredom turned audiobooks into a billion-dollar industry ✍️ Stephen King blames Bill Maher for breaking the Hollywood writers’ strike 🖨️ Tesla is experimenting with 3D printing its car bodies Surprising discoveries Song choruses are moving closer to the start. To count as a listen on streaming services, tunes have to play for at least 30 seconds. The US lost a $100 million fighter jet and wants your help finding it. The F-35 was misplaced after a pilot ejected from the aircraft. A dinosaur skeleton is going up for auction in Paris. “Barry,” as the Camptosaurus is known, could fetch more than $1 million. Watering holes in England and Wales are disappearing. Two pubs a day have been shuttering since the beginning of the year. This year’s Ig Nobels were announced. Highly impactful works on counting cadaver nose hairs, repurposing dead spiders, and rock-licking scientists were among the winners. Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, 30-second songs, and tickets to a disappearing pub crawl to [email protected]. Reader support makes Quartz available to all—. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner and Susan Howson. 🌐 View or share this email online. 📬 Check out our emails caret 👀 Read Quartz’s latest stories caret 📈 See what stories are trending caret 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 © 2023 G/O Media Inc.

Show all