Russian dissident in coma, vinyl’s comeback, Tinder for Teslas

Good morning, Quartz readers! Russian doctors denied that opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned. The dissident is in a coma in a Siberian hospital, after suddenly falling ill on a flight, and medical specialists there won’t allow him to be [Quartz]( Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Russian doctors denied that opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned. [The dissident is in a coma]( in a Siberian hospital, after suddenly falling ill on a flight, and medical specialists there won’t allow him to be moved to Germany. His spokeswoman called their decision “a direct threat to his life.” Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for US president. The [former vice president’s speech]( capped off night four of the party’s national convention. Earlier, new US jobless claims climbed [back above 1 million]( while household wealth may be at a [new record high](. South Korea could have a new coronavirus outbreak on its hands. [The government said a cluster of cases]( in the capital Seoul could spread quickly. Conservative groups held a political rally last week, attended by thousands, including churchgoers who have been accused of not adhering to restrictions. Retail sales in the UK have recovered to pre-pandemic levels. [Sales shot up in July]( the first full month where stores selling non-essential goods were allowed to open since the start of Britain’s lockdown in late March. [But public debt topped £2 trillion]( ($2.6 trillion). The biggest soccer competition for women’s clubs resumes today. The European Champions League is at the quarter-final stage and, because of Covid-19, [all eight teams will play a mini-tournament]( in northern Spain. The men’s final, between Bayern Munich and Lyon, is in Lisbon on Sunday. Vinyl sales rock on It’s not often that a 19th century old technology makes a comeback. But that’s exactly what has happened to the phonograph record, Quartz’s Dan Kopf reports. After more than a decade of increasing sales, and the boom continuing through a pandemic, it’s safe to say it: [Vinyl is back, baby](. Despite coronavirus, the demand for vinyl records has been too too strong to keep the industry down. Manufacturing quickly got back to normal, and, in the US, 2020 unit sales are up over 17% from 2019. The appeal of the record, with its tangibility, beauty, and history, just keeps on growing. Obsession Interlude: The Climate Economy We asked two of the minds behind our [Climate Economy obsession]( McDonnell]( and [Michael J. Coren]( recommend three books about climate change. They gave us four (reporters!): - [A Sand County Almanac]( by Aldo Leopold. In this meditation on a landscape recovering from the deprivations of humans, Leopold documents nature’s changes from a worn-out sand farm in the hills of Wisconsin. - [Dark Money]( by Jane Mayer. A definitive history of Charles and David Koch, the billionaire brothers who have bankrolled organizations that thrust climate denial and environmental deregulation into US politics. - [American War]( by Omar El Akkad. In a dystopian novel, El Akkad imagines a not-so-distant future in which a ban on fossil fuels becomes the most divisive issue since slavery—with similar results. - [Cadillac Desert]( by Marc Reisner. Resiner’s masterful history traces the development of the American West, and presages the battles to come over precious resources in stressed environments. Go deeper [into the fate of fossil fuels]( and keep an eye on [Quartz’s Climate Economy obsession](. Belarus’s crackdown could squash a budding tech sector [Protest against police violence and to reject the Belarusian presidential election results, in Berlin] REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Recent protests mark the [end of an uneasy truce]( between Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko and the tech sector, writes Nicolás Rivero. Over the past two decades, a prosperous tech hub has emerged in the capital city of Minsk. But in an open letter, over 2,500 tech workers say the country’s ongoing political repression threatens to wipe out the $3.1 billion industry. The turmoil in Belarus—one of many countries that have [established growing tech hubs]( as international companies increasingly outsource software development—highlights how a globalized tech workforce can be vulnerable to political upheavals. A more valuable—and more Chinese—financial hub The Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearings has reclaimed its crown as [the most valuable exchange operator in the world]( by market capitalization thanks to the decoupling between the US and China. The question is whether this recent success is fleeting and whether deeper structural factors—fewer freedoms and changes to the rule of law—will erode Hong Kong’s financial stature over time. Read more in our field guide to [Hong Kong’s global fight](. ✦ Becoming a member directly supports the work we do—including those who report on the unfolding situation from Hong Kong—and gives you access to every bit of it. Join us for [50% off your first year]( by using code “SUMMERSALE”. You asked about the dual purpose of masks One keeps hearing that surgical masks only protect others but not the wearer. How is it possible for it to work one way and not the other? And if I have to be in an environment where nobody else wears a mask indoors, should I not even bother to wear one for my own protection? We hear you, reader: Communication about masks is all over the place. The truth is that a mask helps to protect in both directions, but it’s a matter of degree. If you’re sick, surgical and fabric masks catch most of the virus in your coughs and sneezes, [reducing the infectious stuff]( out in the world for others to inhale. You can be sure that if you wear a mask, you’re lowering the risk that you’ll infect people around you. You can’t be sure your mask will block every incoming virus. This virus can exist in very small, airborne particles—light enough to wind around the edges of a loose-fitting mask and into your airways. If you do inhale viral particles, your mask can help ensure that there are fewer of them, which could play a role in how sick you get. But it’s not perfect protection. That’s why, to your second question, you should always wear a mask indoors, especially if others aren’t being careful and wearing their own masks. Some protection is better than none. [📬 Email us your coronavirus question [arrow]](mailto:reply+coronavirus@qz.com?subject=My%20coronavirus%20question) Quartz announcement These are a few of our favorite (summer) things: Sunshine, swimming, and sales. We’re guessing you probably love all those too, which is why we’re giving you [50% off Quartz membership]( during our special sale. So apply your SPF, inflate your floaties, and take the plunge into Quartz membership. Surprising discoveries Thieves broke into a ninja museum in Japan. They [stealthily stole]( a million yen. Try it sotto voce. Researchers found [singing or playing softly]( makes musicians less likely to spread Covid-19. There’s a dating app just for Tesla owners. Perhaps [its developers]( will next make one for owners of Tesla stock, which [topped $2,000]( yesterday. A German school is offering money for nothing. The University of Fine Arts in Hamburg is taking applications [for “idleness” grants](. Alaskan salmon are getting smaller. A study looking at fish size over the last 60 years [pointed to climate change]( as a likely factor. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, an original 1987 pressing of [The Black Album]( and quiet footsteps to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by[downloading our app]( on iOS and[becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Katie Palmer, Liz Webber, and Max Lockie. [facebook]( [twitter]( [external-link]( Enjoying Quartz Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here]( to sign up. If you’re looking to unsubscribe, [click here](. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States Copyright © 2020 Quartz, All rights reserved.