Hide the remote, #EndSARS protests, borscht battle

Plus: Podcasts go Hollywood [Quartz]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know The final US presidential debate is tonight. The six topics are: fighting Covid-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership. NBC’s Kristen Welker is the moderator in Nashville, and [candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be muted]( (!) when they’re not supposed to be talking or if they talk too much. Ant Group’s IPO is imminent. The Chinese digital payments company, led by Jack Ma, [cleared the last regulatory hurdle]( yesterday and is expected to proceed with its $35 billion dual-listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong. It will become [one of the most valuable financial companies]( in the world. Quibi is dead. The video streaming service, which was supposed to be optimized for smaller devices and younger audiences, is [shutting down just six months after its launch]( (paywall). “Our failure was not for lack of trying,” founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and CEO Meg Whitman told staff and investors. Perhaps not, but [there were plenty of other reasons](. Unilever is doing far better than expected. The Dutch-British multinational saw [strong sales of soap, bleach and ice cream]( and a surprising recovery for deodorant in the last quarter as people went out again. Sales in emerging markets rose 5.3% from the previous year, while overall growth was 4.4%. Tesla tore it up again. The [electric vehicle leader]( recorded its fifth consecutive quarter of profit, beat Wall Street’s revenue estimates, and saw its stock pop in extended trading. The company continues to build factories on three continents and recently began shipping Shanghai-made [machines to Europe](. Sponsor content by Zolt Shouldn’t CBD be simpler by now? And work better? You’re in luck. Say hey to Zolt, CBD from farm-grown hemp that’s packed with antioxidants, is totally tasty, and hyper-effective (up to 5x more than other formats). Add a Zolt mixie stick to your water bottle and BOOM: A refreshing drink with superpowers. [Use code Quartz15 and save 15%.]( The situation in Nigeria Reuters/Temilade Adelaja Since the beginning of Nigeria’s anti-police brutality protests, tagged #EndSARS in reference to the name of a reviled police squad, there has been widespread suspicion that the government would [shut down internet access](. Those fears have only grown after the army was filmed [firing live rounds]( into a crowd of unarmed and peaceful protesters on Tuesday. These protests, the [largest in at least a decade]( may have just started this month, but their roots go back to the colonial era. For Quartz Africa, Benjamin Maiangwa of the University of Manitoba argues that addressing the protesters’ demands hinges on understanding present-day Nigeria not as a country [but as a business entity]( rooted in the British model of corporate colonization. Right now, however, a new generation of Nigerians is leveraging [tech and savvy street protest tactics]( to fight for a better future in Africa’s most populous country. Charting Nestle’s bet on pets A beloved animal friend for you means big business for Nestle. The Swiss company’s latest earnings report showed quarterly growth of 4.9%—its best in six years. Some of Nestle’s core products, water and candy, have taken a hit as home-bound consumers cut out impulse purchases. But its [pet food brand]( Purina PetCare, was a main contributor in each of the company’s global markets, growing 10.6% so far this year. Learning to live with Covid-19 It’s no secret that lockdowns don’t have the same impact on everyone. Young people often suffer the most emotionally while the elderly and other at-risk populations are more likely to become severely ill. No matter what your situation is, there are strategies and advice to deal with the new normal. - 🌊 A second wave of lockdowns is sweeping the globe. [Here’s how to prepare](. - 😬 Does that make you nervous? You’re not alone. [Panic attacks are rising](. - 🕺 And if you’re feeling unproductive lately, [try making a “ta-dah” list]( We’re obsessed with post-election chaos It’ll be madness. With Trump refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power and disinformation campaigns sewing doubts, not to mention the mail-in or drop-off ballots necessitated by the pandemic, the US general election on Nov. 3 is already likely to rank among the most controversial in American history. But elections—both in the US and around the world—devolve into madness fairly regularly. [The Quartz Weekly Obsession invites you to prepare yourself for a bumpy ride](. Get the Obsession delivered to your inbox every week—you know what, how about we send you two every week for the next five weeks? Why not? Podcast laboratory Giphy If you ever thought the podcast you obsess over would make a good movie or TV series, someone in Hollywood probably agrees with you. Hollywood has mined podcasts for story ideas since the early 2000s, but the relationship between the two industries is now at the next level. Film and TV production companies increasingly use podcasts as their personal content incubators, testing out ideas on the audio-based medium to decide if they should make the jump to screens. Find out how film studios are using podcasts to decide which movies to make in our latest field guide to the [podcast business](. ✦ In the podcast-inspired movie about our relationship, today is the day you’d try a Quartz membership, ultimately deciding to use [promo code QZTWENTY to unlock a 20% discount]( for your first year. Quartz announcement You deserve a reward. Share the Quartz Daily Brief with friends and coworkers to rack up endless thanks and premium Quartz bounty. [Get your personal link]( to refer others and reap your Quartz rewards. Surprising discoveries What a ride. The Fast & Furious saga will [finally reach the end of the line]( worry, spinoffs will go the distance. A building “walked” through Shanghai. It took [200 devices and 18 days]( to move the primary school out of the way for a new commercial center. Placebos don’t need to go undercover. [The treatments]( can work even when patients are [onto their little game](. The UN is stewing over borscht. A Ukrainian effort to claim the dish as its own [awoke Russia’s ire](. A spool of thread became a house in Osaka. The [lengthy line of trades]( was all part of a bartering experiment. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, perambulatory buildings, and bartered real estate to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by [downloading our iOS app]( and [becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Susan Howson, 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.