Uber’s sordid history

Plus: The magic of movies marketed by meme. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here]( [Quartz]( July 11, 2022 [View in browser]( Sponsored By Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Musk and Twitter will head to court. Elon Musk’s lawyers said he wanted out of his signed agreement to purchase the social media site for $44 billion, but Twitter’s chair said it would [fight to force]( Musk to close the deal. Uber’s sordid history was leaked. Documents given to the Guardian show the rideshare pioneer’s [bare knuckle political tactics](, secret relationship with French president Emmanuel Macron, and how it duped regulators with a “kill switch.” Former Trump aide Steve Bannon finally offered to testify to the Jan. 6 committee. Bannon was due to face a criminal trial over his [refusal to comply]( with the committee’s subpoena. Thick smoke engulfed Yosemite National Park. The Washburn fire [spread over 2,000 acres]( as firefighters battled to protect century-old giant sequoias. The world’s population will reach 8 billion on November 15. A [new UN report]( on population growth forecast India overtaking China as the world’s most populous nation in 2023. A shooting in Brazil underlined the high stakes of the October election. A supporter of president Jair Bolsonaro [shot dead]( an official of the leftist opposition party, who returned fire and killed the gunman. What to watch for With the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan winning big yesterday, the country is now on the path to revise its constitution, the [oldest, unamended]( document of its kind in the world. It’s a goal long championed by the late former prime minister Abe, and [supported by]( prime minister Fumio Kishida. But amending the constitution is divisive, and some say it could move Japan[away from democracy]( and towards its Meiji era past. According to an Asahi Shimbun survey, [citizens are split]( on making revisions. The LDP’s [proposal]( [includes]( recognizing the emperor as head of state and acknowledging the national defense services, ending the formal pacifism [mandated]( since World War II. Constitutional changes require the LDP and other [pro-revision elements to gain]( a two-thirds majority in the upper house, which [they did yesterday](. The magic of movies marketed by meme Thor: Love and Thunder—directed by the endlessly entertaining Taika Waititi—opened this weekend and raked in [$302 million globally](. It’s on track to be [at least the third-best pandemic opening](, after the [previous]( two [Marvel titles](. (Just don’t [read the reviews](). The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s express elevator may be sending it to the upper echelon by default, but a good social media meme could blow Thor’s numbers straight to Asgard. Ask Universal Pictures, whose Minions: The Rise of Gru exceeded expectations by breaking July 4th weekend records. How did the sixth (!!) sibling in the Despicable Me franchise become such a powerhouse? It’s absurdly simple—Gen Z began [a “GentleMinions” trend]( of going to showings in suits. Hollywood will have to harness the power of today’s social media landscape if it wants to market effectively to younger ticket-buyers. And it hasn’t cracked the code yet: Sony attempted to cash in on “It’s Morbin’ time!” by rereleasing its flop Morbius only to see it [flop once again](. Sponsor content by iShares We believe there are three permanent changes driving growth. Supply chain weakness and wage inflation are forcing a reimaging of industry; precision medicine has transformed healthcare; and changing demographics are revolutionizing spending and consumption. [Learn how permanent changes are unlocking exponential growth opportunities](. [Learn more]( What is Boris Johnson’s legacy? UK prime minister Boris Johnson finally resigned last week after more than 50 members of his own government called it quits. But his plan to remain in the post during the leadership transition will make for a divisive, messy summer. As the contest for leadership of the Conservative party heats up, the latest issue of the [Quartz Weekend Brief]( assesses Johnson’s legacy and details what the UK can do to seek a better leader—and guard against a worse one. ✦ Quartz members get exclusive access to the Weekend Brief. Sign up for membership today, and while you’re at it, [take 40% off](! Quartz’s most popular 😞 [Covid was the leading cause of US deaths for 45 to 54 year-olds in 2021]( 🚢 [A new corridor for India-Russia trade via Iran is almost ready]( ✈️ [Airlines are piloting a program to sell “zero carbon” flights]( 🤔 [Is Amazon a harbinger on labor, or an outlier?]( 🏭 [It’s the best and worst of times for semiconductor supply chains]( 🤪 [Why this tightening cycle is so brutal for the US housing market]( Sponsor content by iShares We believe there are three permanent changes driving growth. Supply chain weakness and wage inflation are forcing a reimaging of industry; precision medicine has transformed healthcare; and changing demographics are revolutionizing spending and consumption. [Learn how permanent changes are unlocking exponential growth opportunities](. [Learn more]( Surprising discoveries The optimal space shape is a cone. Or so say Japanese researchers developing space stations [with artificial gravity](. An unassuming bureaucrat rescued humanity’s most powerful space telescope. Greg Robinson was put in charge of NASA’s long-delayed and over-budget James Webb Telescope, and [saved it from disaster](. It’s finally time to recycle solar panels. Once [tossed in the trash](, the economics and technology of solar power are making old photovoltaics worth collecting. Russian “McDonald’s” ran low on fries. “[Tasty and that’s it](,” which replaced the iconic American franchise following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, [can’t get enough potatoes](. The largest public cemetery in the US is for everyone. Changes in the way Americans view death are leading [to a wider role]( for New York City’s Hart Island. 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. 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