🌍 Tesla rebounds

Good morning, Quartz readers!

Here’s what you need to know

Tesla sold a record number of EVs in the third quarter. But sales still missed expectations as the company dealt with high commodity prices and slower production at its factories. Tesla also revealed the prototype for its Optimus humanoid robot.

Ukraine claimed victory in a city Russia wants to annex. Russia is withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Lyman, which is a key logistics area in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Gazprom halted natural gas deliveries to Italy. It’s unclear whether a bureaucratic technicality led to the suspension or if Italy is the latest EU country to be cut off by the Russian gas giant.

A stampede at a soccer match in Indonesia killed at least 125 fans. President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation into the incident after police fired tear gas into the crowd.

JD.com’s founder settled a sexual assault case. A former student at the University of Minnesota had accused Chinese billionaire Richard Liu of raping her.

Reliance Jio is launching a low-cost laptop. The $184 (15,000 Indian rupee) computer will also have a 4G sim card, sources told Reuters.

The Nobel Prize for medicine will be announced today. The award will kick off six days of accolades, with the Nobel Peace Prize winner named Oct. 7.

What to watch for

The UK’s ruling Conservative party started its annual convention yesterday. Usually an opportunity to boast about the government’s accomplishments and plans for the future, this time around the mood isn’t bright. Liz Truss’s month-old government has sparked a market turmoil that tanked the pound, prompted a warning from the IMF, and handed the opposition Labour party a stunning 33-point lead in the latest polls.

All eyes will be on chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s speech, expected today after 4 pm local time. Truss, who said Kwarteng made the decision on the tax cuts, has admitted there were some mistakes in rolling out the changes, but a reversal seems unlikely.

Truss’s big speech is due on the final conference day, Oct. 5, although attendance might be scarce due to a rail strike forcing some to leave the conference early. Should the prime minister need inspiration, here are some ideas of what the UK should do to turn its economy around.

India rules on access to abortion

Last week, India’s highest court legalized access to abortion for all women, regardless of marital status. It amended a previous ruling from 2021 that limited unmarried women’s access to the 20th week of pregnancy. Now, all women have equal rights to undergo the medical procedure up to the 24th week.

The decision from the world’s second-most populous country sends a strong pro-choice message at a time when western nations have seen increasing rollbacks and threats to abortion access. Here’s a Quartz reading list to catch up on our coverage of maternal health, bodily autonomy, and the economic impact of abortion bans:

💼 Why abortion rights are a workplace issue

🌎 A list of countries where abortion is illegal

🇺🇸 How US state abortion laws compare globally

🩺 To fight abortion stigma, frame it as healthcare

🙅‍♀️ Abortion bans don’t reduce abortion rates

😞 The overlooked mental health effects of abortion bans

Quartz’s Best Companies for Remote Workers

What has at least 250 employees, good pay and benefits, and a knack for nurturing its workplace culture even when the staff is spread out? Our bet’s on any of the 20 companies that made Quartz’s 2022 global list of the best large companies for remote workers.

This year’s No. 1 is digital marketing agency 3Q/DEPT, which is fully remote—but some of the companies we recognized have a mix of WFHers and officegoers. Explore the full ranking, which also includes a list of the best small- and medium-size companies for remote workers.

And while you’re at it, if you have any other questions about the changing workplace—be it the productivity of a four-day week, office redesign, or giving feedback—check out our new podcast, Work Reconsidered, available Oct. 6, that’ll tackle all these topics and more. Listen to the trailer and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

🎧 Google | Spotify | Megaphone | Stitcher

Quartz’s most popular

😬 US unemployment insurance isn’t ready for the next recession

🐦 Jack Dorsey texted Elon Musk to say Twitter never should have been a company

💻 4 ways to improve hybrid meetings (after they’re over)

🤳 Modi sets off a new phase of India’s digitisation with 5G launch

🎨 DALL-E now allows anyone to cash in on AI art, but ownership gets complicated

⛽ US imposes sanctions on Indian petrochemical firm over Iran ties

Surprising discoveries

A low-budget film about a poor, rural couple was performing better in China than big blockbusters. But now Return to Dust can’t be found in theaters or on streaming services.

Some superheroes wear leafy capes. Scientists have found when planted in upland areas, the mighty sphagnum moss can reduce severe flooding downstream.

Eurasian beavers are now a protected species in England. People will need a license to destroy their dams.

Blue-eyed babies are much more likely to see that color change over time than those with brown eyes. It may have to do with the build up of a protective pigment.

A new law that allows Zoom weddings in Utah is helping LGBTQ couples in China tie the knot. Marriage licenses in the US state have no citizenship requirements.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, superhero moss, and happy beavers 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, and Morgan Haefner.