š Never two without three
Good morning, Quartz readers!
Hereās what you need to know
Donald Trump was charged in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The former presidentās third indictment since leaving the White House is possibly the most damning yet.
Tupperware stock climbed 26% in a single day. Meme-stock investors seem to have learned nothing from Bed Bath & Beyondās demise.
Uber actually made an operating profit. Continued demand for ride-hailing and delivery helped, but trimming the fat has been key.
BlackRock and MSCI investments in China faceĀ Congressional scrutiny.Ā The US probe will look into dealings with companies that have been flagged for human rights violations or working with the Chinese military.
Quotable: Warner Bros. on making light of atomic bombs
āWarner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology.ā ā Warner Bros. Studios in a statement to Variety
The studio behind Barbie leaned into the made-up rivalry between its pink hit and Universalās Oppenheimer, a biopic about the maker of the atomic bomb. The Warner Bros. Barbie-linked social media account cheerfully engaged with mushroom cloud and burning city memesājokes that fell pretty flat in the only country to have ever been hit by an atomic bomb.
Japanās Warner Bros. arm demanded an apology from the US parent company. The statement above was published in Variety, but thus far, the studio juggernaut has remained mum on its own social accounts, nor has it responded to any of its Japanese counterpartsā posts. Itās not clear whenāor even ifāOppenheimer will release in Japan.
The savior of VanMoof may need saving
Micromobility.com, an e-scooter company quoted in Nasdaq, has put in a bid to buy VanMoof, a Dutch e-bike start-up that declared bankruptcy last month and was once dubbed āthe Tesla of e-bikes.ā But micromobility.comāa new iteration of Helbiz, which was delisted from Nasdaqāwas in serious financial straits at the end of 2022.
How does a company on such shaky ground have the money to buy VanMoof, not to mention open a chain of physical stores? Quartzās Julia Malleck looks into it.
One big number: $185 million
ā¾ Amount Major League Baseball will pay to minor league baseball players across the US after a lawsuit accused the former of violating minimum wage laws
Quartz reporter Diego Lasarte outlines the flurry of legal activity by minor league baseball players after unionizing in 2022.
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Surprising discoveries
Unesco says the Italian government needs to get its act together to save Venice. The sinking city could be preserved with a little cohesive action.
The UK is trying out drone mail delivery. Look to the skies, people of Orkney.
Europe broke its hailstone size record twice in one week. Fear the skies, people of Italy.
Seoul wants to do your colors. TikTok has convinced tourists that personal color analysisāfinding the shades that make you look your bestāis best done in South Korea.
Most Americans believe in angels. Self-identified atheists and agnostics made up a mystifying share of that group.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, record-breaking hailstones, and angel sightings to [email protected]. Reader support makes Quartz available to allābecome a member. Todayās Daily Brief was brought to you by Sofia Lotto Persio and Susan Howson.