🌍 Americans keep spending

Plus: International inflation [Quartz]( Good morning, Quartz readers! Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](. Forward to a friend who [loves a good shopping spree](. Here’s what you need to know Americans keep spending, even as prices rise. Despite inflation reaching 6.2% in October, US [retail sales rose by 1.7%]( in the same month. Inflation has been good for Walmart. Its lower-cost goods attracted shoppers as [prices went up elsewhere](, helping the company [beat analysts’ expectations]( in its latest earnings report. Pfizer’s covid-19 pill will be available for licensing. The agreement will [allow poor countries]( to make the drug, while Pfizer has also asked the US for [emergency use authorization](. Intense smog forced Delhi to shut schools. The Indian government also closed down [five coal-fired power plants]( near [the capital](, just days after insisting on only “[phasing out](” coal at the COP26 climate summit. Amazon will no longer accept Visa credit cards in the UK. The retailer blames “[high fees.](” Miramax is reportedly suing Quentin Tarantino over his Pulp Fiction NFT plans. The studio is this close to sending in the Wolf, t[he Wall Street Journal says](, because the director wants to auction unused scripts as digital tokens. LA’s Staples Center has a new name. The home of the city’s basketball and hockey teams is to be called [the Crypto.com Arena](. What to watch for Inflation has become a global phenomenon as the lingering pandemic continues to create snags in supply chains and push up prices for goods. Today, the [euro zone](, [UK](, and [Canada]( each release consumer inflation reports. Prices in all three places have been rising briskly. But the increases [are unlikely to top]( the US’s 6.2% annual rate increase seen in October. The UK’s inflation rate [surged to 4.2%]( on the back of rising energy prices. [A line graph showing how consumer prices have grown since January 2019 until October 2021 across the US, EU, UK, and Canada. The US has seen the largest growth at nearly 10%, followed by Canada at 8%, the EU at more than 6% and the UK at less than 6%.] Pressure is mounting on central bankers to raise interest rates. Markets are [expecting]( the Bank of England to be the first of the three regions to act. But, so far, European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde has [said]( she doesn’t see a rate hike in 2022. Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem, meanwhile, has said inflation is transitory. Coming to US roads: Teen truckers The truck driver shortage in the US, [largely driven by retention issues](, got a lifeline. A new law signed by president Joe Biden on Nov. 15 includes an apprenticeship program that would [allow trucking companies to hire drivers as young as 18](. 21: Previous minimum long-haul driving age 25,000: Number of young drivers that could be certified per year 240: Hours of supervision needed with an older driver 83%: Share of truck drivers who don’t want the age change The US’s trucker shortage has been particularly worrying in the middle of a global supply chain crisis when there aren’t enough drivers to haul goods out of [jam-packed ports](. While the industry got a win, it’s unclear how many experienced drivers will want to take on an apprentice, or what it will mean for road safety. The great kudzu mistake [An emerald green cloth draped over objects, concealing them entirely, set against a magenta background.] Photography by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Which of the following cannot be said of kudzu, the leafy vine imported from Japan that now blankets the southeastern US? - Its delicate purple flowers make a tasty jelly - Kudzu may smother entire ecosystems, but it’s at least offsetting carbon emissions - It’s coming for you Find out in the [latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast](, which tells the cautionary tale of the South’s most visible invasive species. 🎧 Listen to all this season’s episodes on [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( Sponsored by American Express ✦ You don’t need to be a member to listen, but we’ve got a whole lot of other Quartz products for those who join up. Celebrate Members Week with us by grabbing a membership for [50% off]( with code MEMBERSWEEK21. 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Japanese originated in northeast China around 9,000 years ago. Farmers [brought a version of it]( to Japan about 3,000 years ago. A second person has defeated HIV naturally. The woman [didn’t receive any treatment]( for the infection, which offers hope that a cure can be found for other patients. A hypothesized mineral was found trapped inside a diamond. The rare, [never-before-seen Davemaoite]( only forms in high pressure environments deep inside the Earth. SPREAD THE WORD Over 500k readers and counting. You already know why half a million people read the Daily Brief, so why not spread the word? [Share the Daily Brief today]( and get rewarded. Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, avian hitchhikers, and misplaced toys 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, Nate DiCamillo, Susan Howson, Liz Webber, and Morgan Haefner. 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