🌎 Wagner's cacophony

Plus: Faith no more Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/lJ4omnYk5nLbpp2rTJLfkOdRdeFq5blLgNw6OzhePDc=306) [Quartz](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850575674%2Fwagners-cacophony%2F/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/QR_fw3QNhyqptWyE1mtM_775kK6YsmZCFtqeuT-8PoQ=306) June 26, 2023 [View in browser](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850575674%2Fwagners-cacophony%2F/2/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/nQwhNgCUM5W5F3o3EXfBrQtSCaGo_Km2z-mQbw7nMrU=306) Sponsored By [Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks inside the headquarters of the Russian southern army military command center, which is taken under control of Wagner PMC, according to him, in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia in this still image taken from a video released June 24, 2023.](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850575674%2Fwagners-cacophony%2F/3/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/sqTRk2V1H9XLXxwmIveOb8i3LwkV9bXxkA96GHpNrfY=306) Screenshot: Reuters (“Concord”/Handout) Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Cracks appeared in Russian president Vladimir Putin’s iron grip. The dramatic antics of the Wagner Group over the weekend [showed the cash splurged](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fwagner-group-pay-russian-military-yevgeny-prigozhin-1850575697%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674%26rev=1687772705831/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/Dnsoc0v8jpguI-81e-kHMGNty1z46w4yis-63wzMWPk=306) by chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on its mercenary fighters is paying off. Philadelphia’s I95 highway bridge reopened ahead of schedule. Works to fix the collapsed bridge were completed [in just 12 days](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fphiladelphia-i95-bridge-reopens-ahead-of-schedule-1850571642%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/sOWg5EW22W6VI42XSWF52NgyuWg-4PUhOzKeWy0zTzs=306). Novo Nordisk made no promises about the availability of its obesity pill. The Ozempic manufacturer is seeking [regulatory approval in the US and Europe](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fozempic-novo-nordisk-obesity-pill-launch-date-1850575706%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674%26rev=1687773727480/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/KHndG0DXPy8xwF1d7cb3-LrA2J-aMuAfMISOEVAGV_Q=306) by the end of the year. Starbucks employees went on strike over LGBTQ inclusion. Union employees took action over restrictions in putting up [decorations for Pride month](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fstarbucks-employees-lgbtq-strike-1850571188%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/iae6rJ-xj2nlIlIb2g3Quu7TLW5ODUdZKJqwm5Jef0Q=306), although the company denied imposing any such curbs. Sponsor content by HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE [HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE]( HPE Discover 2023 Modernize your business, edge to cloud Stay ahead of the trends and technologies that will fast-forward your data-first modernization. See what you’ve missed. Catch up on Antonio Neri and Fidelma Russo’s keynotes on the Discover More Network. [advertisement][advertisement][advertisement] [Watch the latest sessions on demand]( Faith no more “We have long urged companies to take climate change seriously ... Some progress has been made, but not nearly enough. The Church will follow not just the science, but our faith – both of which call us to work for climate justice.” —Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chair of the Church Commissioners for England, in a June 22 statement. Once a proponent of shareholder activism, the Church of England has announced that its £10.3 billion ($13.1 billion) endowment fund and its pensions fund will both be divesting from oil and gas companies. Sofia Lotto Persio [looks into what prompted the change of heart](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fchurch-divestment-oil-gas-fossil-fuel-climate-change-1850569565%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/RJkPZFWyqe3Mb_6vcCwCLP3bH1rX7FogNa9EsjmKCtY=306). Pop quiz: Which social platform fell afoul of the music industry? A. YouTube B. Twitter C. Twitch D. Discord Find your answer in this story by Faustine Ngila [about the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)’s request to shut down a server](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdiscord-riaa-music-ai-copyright-infringement-1850569292%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/NPO8iYKt97Xj34ncU5wWqPzKubDuwrvnSmy4sDLDUts=306) where users share voice models of popular singers, in order to generate AI copies of their music. One big number: $55 million [A woman stands next to the painting ](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850575674%2Fwagners-cacophony%2F/4/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/srGj0CFCrG01nXB-cCsJOb2QDAf3VnGproqwP6RvSIM=306) Photo: Reuters (Susana Vera) Francis Bacon’s 1963 masterpiece, “Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer,” is set to become the world’s first painting to go public. Samanth Subramanian explores how this [pioneering IPO will work and why it’s a rare instance](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fthe-worlds-first-painting-ipo-is-good-news-for-museums-1850569170%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/_TpTbpq_jXtnW1nwM1o3qTdH6vSCsEKd9pMmvYefqf0=306) of private finance benefiting the public enjoyment of art. Quartz’s most popular 🔙 [Google has officially changed its mind about remote work](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fgoogle-remote-work-policy-reversal-ironic-1850520264%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/PZ3s8LwLlTyjgm98wDBrwwyxTndDriZHt8a4VKB1Es8=306) 🔐 [Apple is plotting the death of the password](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fapple-killing-the-password-ios-macos-1850561638%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/WQgGYClUlLQdAwzsxC3mZ1w_LCcWRDFm8rZRf_lWbpQ=306) 🥵 [An Oregon county is suing Exxon and Chevron over the 2021 heat wave](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Foregon-county-suing-gas-companies-climate-change-1850570463%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/5aSG0JD7lAsVd8nTszJIUJKKE8u8azFWdxEQqDKjg4I=306) 🛀 [Overstock.com’s winning bid gives Bed Bath & Beyond an online-only lease on life](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fbed-bath-beyond-overstock-com-bid-auction-assets-1850569162%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/X7LplMhMG2ZJGOZR7rLuJisARdpM_mljJ8m4aCse5yQ=306) 🛡️ [3M’s “forever chemicals” settlement is also an armor against future lawsuits](%2F%2Fqz.com%2F3ms-10-3-billion-forever-chemicals-settlement-is-als-1850569058%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/l1BwF-cg0QZAjwi69HdTHfEpcXjsSOZviuVDZ7Qavek=306) 💨 [The popularity of e-cigarettes is proving hard to quash](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fe-cigarette-sales-soar-pandemic-cdc-youth-vaping-1850569154%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850575674/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/XiFVaWhGKpwMj-qEK0XwkUKeUOtKrDHHw0NooKjav9c=306) Sponsor content by HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE [HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE]( HPE Discover 2023 Modernize your business, edge to cloud Stay ahead of the trends and technologies that will fast-forward your data-first modernization. See what you’ve missed. Catch up on Antonio Neri and Fidelma Russo’s keynotes on the Discover More Network. [advertisement][advertisement][advertisement] [Watch the latest sessions on demand]( Surprising discoveries Barbiecore is taking over the home. Fashion’s hot-pink-everything aesthetic is now coming [for interior design](%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2023%2F06%2F25%2Frealestate%2Fbarbiecore-home-decor-interior-design.html/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/4BQTbDR_D21p-vUz35WpN9LEYIgy9zGmnYiG1aT8IfM=306) as the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie hits theaters. A rare video captures turtles hatching in Myanmar. Local wildlife workers took what was possibly [the first-ever footage](%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2023%2F06%2F24%2Fclimate%2Ftiny-bundles-of-hope-critically-endangered-turtles-hatch-in-myanmar.html%3Fsmid=nytcore-ios-share%26referringSource=articleShare/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/FXGZD_3uOoWNIlykfqnyygi_2KFYnxG54gPwxjkeI00=306) of Burmese peacock softshell turtles being born. The Los Angeles Angels score 25 runs in a single game. The team [broke a franchise record](%2F%2Fwww.cbssports.com%2Fmlb%2Fnews%2Fangels-break-franchise-record-vs-rockies-with-25-run-outburst-including-record-tying-13-run-inning%2F/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/9I2OjH7Qm0gjKTI6ncJjMr62lJteTAL-EVglBDMqlkw=306) in a rout of the Colorado Rockies that featured a 13-run inning. Political candidates are using AI. The technology is helping office-seekers make images and videos for ads and write fundraising emails leading to [calls for guardrails](%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2023%2F06%2F25%2Ftechnology%2Fai-elections-disinformation-guardrails.html/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/aM6yHHlvmUjv8ZpOUSPYkf8GU2Z1YxjEdM25IogbDYg=306). Scientists model a lab-made human embryo. Four teams of researchers are using the embryos to study early-stage human development, clarifying that they’re [not trying to produce](%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2023%2F06%2F24%2Fscience%2Fhuman-embryos-lab-models-fertility.html/1/01000188f732f5f8-0a0a8882-c57c-4d60-ad5b-ba04dc3e4e7b-000000/6ZAbxnry7QEUVZSeODDhYOuuQJ_Q1Y2CMUiAaE1KyqM=306) human babies—yet. Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, AI hip-hop tracks, and turtle births to talk@qz.com. 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