🌎 Trump’s new liability
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Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
A Manhattan jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll. The former US president plans to appeal the decision, which will hang over him in the 2024 race.
China is targeting foreign consulting firms. Capvision, Bain & Company, and Mintz Group have all been singled out in Beijing’s anti-espionage campaign.
Microsoft invested in a British startup that helps non-coders build apps. The software giant plans to integrate Builder.ai’s AI assistant Natasha into Microsoft Teams stores.
Airbnb recorded its best quarter yet. But the company forecasts lower revenues in the next quarter and has a plan to make the platform feel affordable again.
Global olive oil prices are boiling
The global price of olive oil has reached a 26-year high: $6,000 per metric ton.
A severe, climate change-driven drought in the world’s top olive oil producer, Spain, is turning up the heat on prices. But output from one Mediterranean country stands to flourish as a warmer world pushes the center of olive oil production eastward.
The impact of Hollywood’s ongoing writers’ strike
The show isn’t going on for a number of hit series and movies as a strike among members of the Writers Guild of America rolls into its second week.
Shows that have closed their writers rooms include:
🐍 Cobra Kai
✏️ Abbott Elementary
⚽ Yellowjackets
Read more about the shows and movies that are being affected by the strike.
The Nintendo Switch has officially passed its peak
22%: Yearly drop in sales of the Nintendo Switch as of March 2023, compared to the year prior
The Switch turns just six this year but, despite still holding its position as one of the company’s most successful pieces of hardware ever, its popularity is firmly on the wane.
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🗣️ Protests erupted in Pakistan after former PM Imran Khan was arrested
⛏️ China and Saudi Arabia are teaming up on steel decarbonization
Surprising discoveries
A meteorite struck a home in New Jersey. The metallic object could be four to five billion years old.
You can make $5 for finding lost crab traps. They’re a danger to wildlife and can become an “awful cycle of death,” so groups want them out of the ocean.
Methane leaks from Turkmenistan were worse for the climate than all of the UK’s carbon emissions in 2022. And the leaks only came from two fossil fuel fields.
Koalas are being vaccinated against chlamydia. The bacterial disease can cause infertility and blindness in the marsupials.
It may be super, but WeChat makes money just like other apps do. So what makes WeChat a superapp? Host Scott Nover and Quartz reporter Ananya Bhattacharya answer that question and more in the latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast.
✅ Or find it wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Stitcher | YouTube
📖 If reading’s more your thing, try the transcript, or learn more about why Elon Musk won’t be able to make a superapp.
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