🌍 G7 refuses Russia's ruble demand

Plus: Russia’s only Kremlin-critical newspaper stops publishing. [Quartz]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](. Forward to the friend who [still hasn’t seen that Oscars clip](. Here’s what you need to know Peace talks are taking place between Russia and Ukraine. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is mediating in Ankara, with Turkey one of the few NATO countries not to have sanctioned Russia, but [a breakthrough appears unlikely](. G7 countries won’t buy Russian natural gas in rubles. The bloc unanimously rejected the demand against “[unfriendly countries](,” and Russia could retaliate by [turning off the taps](. Joe Biden’s $5.8 trillion budget included a “billionaire tax.” The US president, possibly trying to get senator Joe [Manchin back onside](, plans to cut the deficit and [tax the rich](. Shanghai is offering $22 billion in tax breaks to companies hit by its lockdown. The [commercial hub]( is under strict restrictions over a surge in covid cases, as China continues to pursue a [covid-zero]( policy. Tesla is planning a stock split. The company, following Amazon and Alphabet’s lead, will make the request to shareholders [at their next meeting](. The DRC becomes the biggest country in East Africa’s trading bloc. It adds 90 million people and [nearly $50 billion in GDP]( by joining the group today. Sponsor content by Alumni Ventures Professional venture capital investing, built for you. High-growth companies are staying private longer, and investing pre-IPO can be a game-changer. But how do you get that early access? Alumni Ventures makes professional venture capital investing simple and accessible to millions of accredited investors. One of the most active venture firms in the U.S. (Pitchbook 2021), Alumni Ventures’ mission is to help investors like you get into sought-after, venture-backed startups alongside the big-name venture firms. Join the over 600,000 experts, innovators, investors, and subscribers who make up the Alumni Ventures community. [Are you ready to start venture investing?]([Advertisement] [Learn more]( What to watch for Athleisure icon Lululemon reports earnings today. In January, the brand [admitted to investors]( that its full year earnings would be impacted by an omicron holiday season. That, plus the anticipation of rising denim sales—although not so much [the skinny]( jean—as people get more social, has cut its stock price by 20% year to date. Analysts are still expecting Lululemon to deliver lots of value, especially since it’s dipping its toes into a new product category. Last week, it [debuted its first shoe line]( designed specifically for women (most sneakers are initially designed for men and merely downsized for women’s feet, despite their many differences). A men’s shoe collection is due next year in an ambitious play that positions it head-to-head or, rather, head-to-toe with Nike and Adidas. At the same time, Adidas is encroaching on Lululemon’s traditional territory with the overhaul of its entire [sports bra collection](. Singapore’s covid turning point Hong Kong and Singapore started off with somewhat similar pandemic responses, including widespread masking, strict quarantine requirements for travelers, and aggressive contact tracing. But Singapore this week is significantly easing [coronavirus]( restrictions in a decisive [shift towards “living with covid,”]( including allowing fully vaccinated travelers to [enter the country]( without a quarantine starting April 1. By contrast, [Hong Kong]( is still sticking with a “dynamic zero” covid strategy that seeks to quash case counts and seal borders, but has not prevented thousands of deaths this year. Hong Kong’s [lack of sovereignty]( means it must follow [Beijing’s cues on covid strategy](, and it also diverges with Singapore in vaccine uptake: More than 94% of people older than 80 are vaccinated in Singapore, compared with a little over 40% in Hong Kong. How to find mentorship anywhere If you have a formal mentor who meets all of your mentorship needs, consider yourself extremely fortunate. More likely, you’re still searching for the right guidance. [Register for free]( for How to find mentorship anywhere, next up in our Quartz at Work (from anywhere) series. You’ll learn: - How to connect with people who can help - Where to find less obvious sources of guidance - Ways to prepare yourself to be open to the career advice you receive Join us Thursday, March 31 at 11am-12pm US eastern time and hear from our speakers: [Chloe Barzey](, senior managing director, global account leader, and Atlanta office managing director at Accenture; [Sean Cain](, director, career & performance, Disney General Entertainment Content; and [Paulina Karpis](, co-founder, brunchwork. [Register for free]( and we’ll see you on Thursday! Sponsored by Accenture Handpicked Quartz 📈 [Will high inflation lead to bigger pay increases?]( 💵 [Ukraine is selling NFTs like war bonds]( 💡 [India’s biggest banks need a strategy for financing the country’s energy transition]( 🌎 [Chevron is about to put climate activist investors to the test]( 📣 [The case for starting your company as a B Corp]( 🤟 [Apple’s Coda Oscar is a win for the hybrid release model]( Sponsor content by Alumni Ventures Professional venture capital investing, built for you. High-growth companies are staying private longer, and investing pre-IPO can be a game-changer. But how do you get that early access? Alumni Ventures makes professional venture capital investing simple and accessible to millions of accredited investors. One of the most active venture firms in the U.S. (Pitchbook 2021), Alumni Ventures’ mission is to help investors like you get into sought-after, venture-backed startups alongside the big-name venture firms. Join the over 600,000 experts, innovators, investors, and subscribers who make up the Alumni Ventures community. [Are you ready to start venture investing?]([Advertisement] [Learn more]( Surprising discoveries Male underwear is an economic indicator. Former Federal Reserve head Alan Greenspan looks at [sales of boxers and briefs]( for clues of an upcoming recession. An NFT of Nelson Mandela’s arrest warrant sold for $130,000. Proceeds will [go towards Liliesleaf](, a heritage site that was the base of operations for some 1960s anti-apartheid campaigners. São Paulo, Brazil, sees a new church open every week. With the [rise of evangelical congregations](, it’s easy enough to anoint yourself pastor of 10 people in a garage. Vampire bats didn’t choose to be this way. They evolved with genes that allowed them to live on a diet of [iron and protein]( without much fat or carbs. No sequels won Oscars on Sunday. But they do tend to take home plenty of box office gold. The [latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast]( explores why sequels are a good idea even when they’re bad. 🎬 Listen on: [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( 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, vampire genes, and fortune-telling undies 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, Mary Hui, Tiffany Ap, Annalisa Merelli, and Susan Howson. [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 10010 | United States Copyright © 2022 Quartz, All rights reserved.