đ Retail holds its own
Plus: Nintendo's gotta catch âem all.

Good morning, Quartz readers!
Hereâs what you need to know
Savings at the gas pump drove US consumers to spend on retail goods... Sales of items such as electronics, books, and furniture rose in July.Â
...but Target still reported a big profit drop. The retail chainâs earnings report reflected warnings of excessive inventory, but showed optimism for the second half of the year.
The Bed Bath & Beyond rally came to an abrupt halt. Shares fell 21% in post-market trading after investor Ryan Cohen signaled heâs ready to sell his stake.
Amazon accused the US government of harassing its top executives. The tech behemoth claimed requests to question founder Jeff Bezos and CEO Andy Jassy were too burdensome.
Apple may make products in Vietnam. The Cupertino giant is reportedly in talks to produce Apple Watches and MacBooks in the country, further distancing itself from China.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found its own pandemic response disappointing. Director Rochelle Walensky ordered an overhaul of the agencyâs practices.
CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart have to pay $650 million in a Ohio opioid case. A ruling held the pharmacy chains accountable for the damage the drugs caused the communities. Opioid lawsuits have also crippled drugmaker Endo International, which filed for bankruptcy this week.
What to watch for

The PokĂ©mon World Championships begin in London today, bringing togetherâin person and via Twitch streamingâplayers of all types, be they console, mobile, or card enthusiasts. One must catch âem all.
The colorful creaturesâ franchise is managed by The PokĂ©mon Company, founded by Nintendo and game developers Game Freak and Creatures two years after the first video games took the world by storm in 1996. Valued at around $92 billion, the PokĂ©mon universe includes films, all sorts of merchandise, figure stickers, trading cards, mobile gamesâmedia Nintendo can leverage with every new game release. Console and games sales remain Nintendoâs revenue cornerstone, but in a quarter affected by semiconductor supply chain disruptions, it was playing cards that provided a sole, albeit minor, area of revenue growth.
Nintendoâs last major release ahead of the all-important holiday season is a PokĂ©mon game for the Switch, so summoning all PokĂ©mon masters a few months beforehand is a great hype opportunity.
Chinaâs house party
China is desperate to revive its faltering real estate sector, which for years has contributed a sizable share of national GDP growth.
Attempts thus far include:
đĄ Lowering down payments
đĄ Issuing subsidies for home purchases
đĄ Allowing for bigger loans from the state-sponsored housing fund
đĄđĄđĄđĄ Leaning on party officials to buy many fancy apartments (??)
That last one was brought up in a speech by a party secretary, who said âIf youâve bought one, buy two. If youâve bought two, buy three. If youâve bought three, buy four.â That sure sounds like speculation, which president Xi Jinping has expressly criticized.
Is a comic retelling of Elonâs life a Musk-see?
Among the thousands of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, one of the worldâs largest arts festivals, a particular performance caught the eye of Quartzâs Amanda Shendruk: â00:01 to Elaunch: the Immersive Muskperience.â
So, obviously, Amanda volunteered for a free trip down the memory lane that is Elon Muskâs life, which includes yachting with Peter Thiel, the cave-trapped Thai kids, and sleeping Tesla drivers. She emerged onto the streets of Edinburgh, pondering questions about the comedic value of an eccentric, absurdly wealthy CEOâs life. Is it funny by default?
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Surprising discoveries

No, the pic above isnât chorizo. Itâs the sun releasing plasma bursts, which it did twice this week in an event that could send striking auroras as far south as New York.
A new date spot will help you weed out climate change deniers. The 18 holes at Brooklynâs Putting Green mini-golf course are filled with themes of recycling and, you know, saving the planet.
China is blasting iodine rods into the air to make it rain. Authorities are trying to seed clouds as drinking water in rural areas dries up.
An 8-year-old chatted up an astronaut aboard the International Space System. It was apparently a blast, and we didnât know licensed radio amateurs do this all the time?
Japan wants its people to please, please start boozing. The countryâs alcohol tax revenue has slowed to a trickle.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, aurora borealis photos, and ham radios to [email protected]. Reader support makes Quartz available to allâbecome a member. Todayâs Daily Brief was brought to you by Susan Howson, Mary Hui, Sofia Lotto Persio, and Morgan Haefner.