🌎 Big earnings energy

Plus: Protests in Iran enter a fourth week, defying crackdowns Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here]( [Quartz]( October 10, 2022 [View in browser]( Sponsored By Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Corporate America’s big earnings week puts a spotlight on recession risk. Some of the US’s largest banks and corporations [report their quarterly results]( this week. Russian strikes hit major Ukrainian cities. Missiles [hit civilian targets]( in retaliation for a deadly explosion that disrupted Crimea’s [only bridge to Russia](. Later today, the UN [is due to debate]( Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The US introduced new restrictions on semiconductor exports. The White House’s announcement on Friday caused [shares of chip manufacturers]( across the world to tumble. The 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics focused on banking regulation. Former Fed chairman Ben S. Bernanke [was one of the three winners]( recognized for their work on banks and financial crises. A UN body has new emissions goals for flying. The agreement to [reach net-zero]( in the aviation industry by 2050 is nonbinding and has drawn criticism from environmentalists. Venezuela was swept by flooding. At least 22 people died after a month’s worth of rain poured down [in just eight hours](. Sponsor content by Fidelity Introducing a new way to have a professionally managed, personalized stock portfolio tailored to what matters most to you. Learn more about Fidelity Managed FidFolios℠[Advertisement] [Learn more]( What to watch for For nearly three weeks, women and girls across Iran have [led an uprising]( calling for the overthrow of its theocratic government. Demonstrations began on Sept. 16 after the death of 22-year-old [Mahsa Amini](, who was detained for what police deemed improper coverage of her hair. Since then, the chant “[women, life, liberty](” has become a de facto [protest anthem](. The protests are also a response to the country’s economic stagnation. Iran’s middle class has [shrunk dramatically]( since the US reinstated sanctions in 2018, with one third of the population having [fallen into poverty](. The country is also facing [record inflation]( and its currency, the rial, has sunk to [all-time lows](. The present demonstrations, which have also taken to [social media](, show no signs of slowing. Meanwhile, the US has imposed a [new round of sanctions]( against Iran in retaliation for its [violent]( anti-protest tactics. Negotiations for a new US nuclear deal—though hanging on the precipice—are [still a possibility](. Europe’s power hunger leaves developing countries starving for energy Bangladesh’s massive blackout on Oct. 4 was the most recent example of the consequences of [Europe’s mad dash for gas](. Even before the war broke out, gas supplies heading to Asia were being diverted to Europe. Now with the Russia-Ukraine conflict squeezing supply, the richer European nations are getting dibs on whatever is up for grabs, driving up the price and reducing the amount available to buy for nations such as Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. 130 million: People affected by the blackout in Bangladesh 7: Hours it took to bring power back 60%: Increase in the price of LNG in a year $40 billion: Damages sought by Pakistan against Italian energy firm Eni and Swiss commodity trader Gunvor for not supplying the agreed deliveries of LNG Swatch can’t keep up with demand for its space-themed watch Swatch is getting a much-needed boost after a couple years of pandemic struggles thanks to its quirky MoonSwatch. The watch, which comes in 11 colors, each one representing one of the celestial bodies in our solar system, is [attracting a lot of attention]( for something that doesn’t even have smart watch capabilities. Scarcity is helping drive demand for the item: Swatch decided to only sell the watch at its brick-and-mortar stores rather than online. That’s leading some people to resell their MoonSwatches on eBay, some fetching as much as $4,000 (retail price is $260). ✦ Interested in how companies like Swatch are responding to the complexities of the pandemic? Quartz membership keeps stories like these free for all. Sign up today and [take 50% off](, on us. Message from Our Partner At Tortoise, we think there’s never been a more important time to slow down and make sense of the world. Whether it’s our Slow Newscast, Daily Sensemaker or a compelling series like Sweet Bobby, you’ll always get great stories, considered reporting and clear analysis. Ready to join a different kind of newsroom? Become a Tortoise member today. [Join us]( Quartz’s most popular 💨 [Juul’s going up in smoke. Is Puff Bar next?]( 💸 [Americans have run out of their pandemic savings at the wrong time]( ✊ [The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winners are fighting against dictatorial regimes]( 🥷 [The $100 million Binance heist highlights once again crypto bridges’ vulnerabilities]( 😮‍💨 [Elon Musk will be miserable in the app economy]( 🥊 [The US labor market is resisting Fed rate hikes]( Sponsor content by Fidelity Introducing a new way to have a professionally managed, personalized stock portfolio tailored to what matters most to you. Learn more about Fidelity Managed FidFolios℠[Advertisement] [Learn more]( Surprising discoveries A new species of beetle has been named after tennis champion Novak Djokovic. Serbian scientists found the [duvalius djokovici]( in an underground pit in the western part of the country. The flying Pterosaurs’ ancestors were running reptiles. The creatures were likely a mere 7 inches (17.8 centimeters) in length, [most of that being tail](. An anonymous, college-only, Reddit-ish service has a lot of students at Stanford convinced. The founder of Fizz says [95% percent of undergraduates]( have downloaded the app (the free donuts help). We’re understanding a deadly brain illness in children better thanks to sheep. [Gene-edited flocks]( are helping scientists find treatments for Batten disease. The beginnings of the office as we know it didn’t appear until the 18th century. One of the first examples was the Admiralty House in London. Learn about the others in the [first episode]( of our newly launched podcast, Work Reconsidered. 🎧Listen on: [Apple Podcasts]( | [Google]( | [Spotify]( | [Stitcher]( | [Megaphone]( Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, famous beetles, and free donuts to hi@qz.com. Reader support makes Quartz available to all—[become a member](. 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