Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Tesla’s Gigafactory in Germany is dealing with an abnormally high number of employees on sick leave. It has led managers to show up knocking at workers’ homes, which, unsurprisingly, has made them quite upset.
The container trade could descend into chaos as more than 85,000 U.S. dock workers prepare to walk out. The movement — and cost — of everything from bananas to cars to pharmaceuticals could be disrupted if an agreement is not reached before Oct. 1.
Boeing and its machinists are back at the bargaining table. Union workers want a 40% raise, the planemaker said its best offer is 30%, and in the chasm is costing Boeing $50 million a day.
Intel’s hands are extended and ready for CHIPS Act cash. The government and the chipmaker could hammer out a deal before the election — but these things take time, plus there’s a potential takeover to navigate.
A schizophrenia drug got the OK from the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration greenlighted Bristol Myers Squibb’s Cobenfy, a historic treatment for the debilitating mental disorder.
Car CEOs don’t get why EVs have become ‘Biden-mobiles’
“I never thought the propulsion system on a vehicle would be [partisan]. We’re not telling you what you have to have. We’re saying, if you want this, we have it.”
That’s what General Motors CEO Mary Barra told CBS News last week, and it’s an observation that’s being echoed across the electric car industry. Back in May, Mike Murphy, the head of the nonprofit EV Politics Project, made a comment about this polarization in an interview with The Washington Post: “The Republican is like, ‘They’re trying to ban gas cars — I’m not going to buy a Biden-mobile.’’
Exactly how EVs have become such a hot button issue is hard to pin on a single event or ideology (misinformation and hostile rhetoric both play a role). Quartz’s Will Gavin looked into what’s causing the divide.
WeightWatchers is shedding more than weight
For a company like WeightWatchers, a downward trajectory is largely seen as a win — except it’s definitely not when that number is the company’s stock price.
WeightWatchers shares are down 90% for the year. The spiral has initiated several changes at the company. Its CEO is out, and Oprah Winfrey is no longer on the board — and the reason behind her departure (admitting to taking Ozempic) is further proof that the company has an uncertain future in the weight loss drug era. Quartz’s Bruce Gil has the latest.
Quartz’s most popular
🌭 Costco says its been lowering prices despite increasing membership fees
🚗 Hertz is facing a looming Teamsters strike
👻 Food or fright? Uber Eats is teaming up with Spirit Halloween to deliver decorations
✈️ Southwest Airlines will have assigned seating in 2026
🤖 AI is the ‘next frontier’ for Salesforce, analysts say
Surprising discoveries
Fish and octopuses sometimes hunt with one another. Teamwork makes the snack dreams work.
AI was used to find geoglyphs that date back to 200 BCE. The technology found 303 of them in Peru, depicting parrots, cats, monkeys, killer whales, and more.
The founder of General Motors died a broke bowling alley operator. It was a riches to rags story.
There’s a new oldest cheese on the block. The morsels, buried with mummies, are 3,600 years old.
Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week’s news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. Become a member or give membership as a gift!
Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, sea creature friends, and aged cheese to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.