🌎 US Democrats close in on a win

Plus: Ben & Jerry's turns icy on Unilever. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here]( [Quartz]( August 5, 2022 [View in browser]( Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know The Democrats got a step closer to passing the Inflation Reduction Act. Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema [won some tax changes](, giving the landmark bill a chance to be approved in the Senate. The US declared monkeypox a public health emergency. The move could allow for better data collection about the outbreak as well as the [disbursement of additional funds](. Elon Musk countersued Twitter. The billionaire [accused the company]( of fraud, breach of contract, and violation of Texas Securities Act. Meta launched its first-ever corporate bond. Facebook’s parent company [raised $10 billion]( in the offering, which received $30 billion in orders. A Russian court sentenced US basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in jail. The conviction [raises the stakes]( of a potential prisoner swap, which Russia [appears ready to discuss](. More wildlife species risk extinction than previously estimated. Thousands of species, including the killer whale and the pink fairy armadillo, lack [data for a full assessment](. What to watch for The last few months have seen a deluge of natural catastrophes, from an [unprecedented heat wave]( in Europe to [devastating floods in Kentucky](. For insurance companies, the rise of extreme weather is a mixed blessing. Higher risk means higher premiums, so some insurers are actually [looking to increase their disaster coverage](. But climate disasters tend to be expensive, and this year has taken an especially hard toll. Insured losses from natural disasters reached $35 billion in the first half of 2022, according to a [new analysis]( from Swiss Re Institute. That’s 22% above the 10-year average. But total economic losses for the year are about par for the course. The reason for that is the so-called “coverage gap”: many disasters occur in low- and middle-income countries where property insurance is uncommon. But the front lines of climate change will become increasingly entrenched in wealthy countries, and insurance companies’ premium-paying members who live in climate-vulnerable areas will need to prepare for higher costs. [A bar chart showing global losses from natural disasters in the first six months of the year. Insured losses are above the 10-year average.]( Graphic: (Quartz) Ben & Jerry’s turns icy on Unilever By acquiring brands with firm moral standpoints, global goods company Unilever has sought to project a strong ethical image. One of the most long-standing and, so far, successful of these arrangements has been between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s. But a disagreement about the sale of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Israel is [threatening to derail]( the relationship. It also begs the question: Can a company remain mission-driven if it simply avoids making a stand when a difficult situation arises? Need to catch up? We’ve put together a timeline for you: July 2021: Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop selling ice cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, but would still sell in other parts of Israel. June 2022: Under pressure to reverse the move, Unilever [sidestepped the controversy]( and said it would sell its Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel. July 2022: Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever, accusing the parent company of violating their merger agreement. August 8: Both companies will be in court for a hearing on the lawsuit. The hard seltzer craze is going flat [Supermarket shelf filled with seltzer drinks.]( Image: Reuters(Richa Naidu) Hard seltzer boomed at the start of the pandemic, but a 5.5% dip in sales last year signals the alcoholic beverage [is losing its fizz](. The market has become saturated with one too many competitors, and inflation is pushing people to buy its cheaper cousin, light beer. But it’ll take more than triteness and a slowing economy to dethrone seltzers from the top of the ready-to-drink alcohol market. As Quartz reporter Michelle Cheng explains, for now, the drinks still dominate, but companies will need to find a way to keep hard seltzers cool. ✦ Love stories like these? Becoming a Quartz member supports our journalism and makes it accessible to all. Sign up today and [take a crisp 40% off](, on us. Quartz’s most popular [💉 Monkeypox vaccinations in Africa would have spared the world this emergency]( 🗑 [Balenciaga is trying to sell you a $1,790 trash bag]( 😱 [Who should Elon Musk be afraid of?]( 🌴 [A crypto platform is the world’s largest buyer of carbon offsets]( 🎭 [BeReal is the app for people who hate social media]( 🧐 [The weird contradictions rendering the US economy inexplicable]( Surprising discoveries The meaning of death is under question. Scientists [revived pigs’ organs]( after the animals had died of cardiac arrest. The Earth recorded its shortest day ever on June 29, 2022. What’s making [the planet spin faster]( is unclear, but it may relate to tides or to ice caps melting and refreezing. Podcast guests pay up to $50,000 to be on shows. No pressure, but that better guarantee some [spectacular banter](. The coral cover has increased in a majority of the Great Barrier Reef. The marine invertebrates remain vulnerable to climate change, but have [shown their resilience](. Speaking of climate change… Tonga’s volcanic eruption could temporarily warm the planet’s surface. The blast spewed so much water vapor into the air it [could fill 58,000 Olympic pools](—and weaken the ozone layer. Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, $50,000 to share our thoughts, and the meaning of life to hi@qz.com. Reader support makes Quartz available to all—[become a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Sofia Lotto Persio, Julia Malleck, Susan Howson, Tim McDonnell, and Morgan Haefner. [🌐 View or share this email online.]( [📬 Check out our emails]( [👀 Read Quartz’s latest stories]( [📈 See what stories are trending]( 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 © 2022 G/O Media Inc. [Unsubscribe](