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Here’s what you need to know
Toyota is cutting production by 40%. The global microchip shortage has finally caught up with the world’s largest automaker, whose output is set to drop from 900,000 to 540,000 vehicles a month.
OnlyFans will ban most sexual content from October. The site, though popular with users, is struggling to secure investment—it might be something to do with lax moderation policies.
Kamala Harris begins her Asia tour. The US vice president will visit Singapore and, perhaps awkwardly, Vietnam, while the fallout from another long-running US war continues in Afghanistan.
China passed an extremely strict data privacy law. The new rules are aimed at curbing intrusive behavior by tech giants, but not so much the government.
The US Federal Trade Commission is going after Facebook again. A federal judge dismissed the agency’s original suit, because it didn’t prove the tech company is a monopoly.
Amazon is reportedly building its own department stores. The company wants to control all retail and all consumer spending, and it can afford to experiment.
What to watch for
Starting today, US retailer Old Navy will offer every item of women’s clothing it makes in sizes 0-28 and XS-4X in every store, at the same price for every size. The shift could redefine plus-size retail, which typically tops out around size 16 or XL—brands that make larger size ranges often sell them online only. Here’s how Old Navy is changing the industry, by the digits:
1,200: Old Navy stores
100%: Share of those stores that stock every size
~200: Anthropologie stores
10: Number of Anthropologie stores that stock APlus, the brand’s extended size range
66%: Share of online shoppers who buy items in multiple sizes or colors with the intention of sending some back
15 million metric tons: Carbon emissions generated by online shopping returns in the US annually
389: Women Old Navy body scanned to generate new, more accurate extended sizing
It’s complicated: The average size an American woman wears
Charting landscaping costs’ link to wildfires
Yard debris like dry leaves, branches, and unkempt trees are a fuel for wildfires to spread quickly and ferociously. As fires come more frequently and more intensely, it becomes more important for every homeowner to maintain their property. But data show US homeowners are having to pay increasingly more for landscaping services.
Budgeting for tree maintenance stretches money thin for those with lower incomes. Assistance for poorer homeowners is needed, not only for wildfires, but for adapting to other impacts of climate change as weather becomes more extreme.
The best employee benefits at the top US financial firms
When you’re looking for a job, it’s difficult to find out what benefits companies offer until you’re far along in the hiring process. Mary Childs and Karishma Vanjani canvassed 101 of the biggest and most influential firms in financial services, one of the highest-paying industries in the US, to find out what they offer employees; 32 of them replied. Here are a few that stood out:
🏖 Best vacation policy Bridgewater offers unlimited vacation, and employees have to take at least 15 paid days of vacation per year.
👩🏻‍🎓 Best if you’ve got student loans Fidelity contributes $2,000 per year up to a lifetime maximum of $10,000 toward employees’ student loans.
đź’¸ Best retirement benefits Capital Group contributes 15% of total compensation, no matter how much the employee puts in.
✦ Quartz’s mission is to make business better, including by highlighting the companies that are putting that credo into practice. Help support our journalism by becoming a Quartz member—get 40% off with the code QZEMAIL40.
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Surprising discoveries
The UK might not have enough Christmas turkeys this year. Producers blame Brexit for difficulties in hiring enough workers.
The original Apple Watch debuted in 1995. It was free as part of a Macintosh System 7.5 promotion (and could not display your text messages).
A brain-like mass grown from stem cells developed light-sensitive optic cups. Researchers say the blob wasn’t conscious.
A Japanese company is teaching “gaming English” using Fortnite. No word on whether it helps kids pwn the noobs.
Scientists say sea snakes that attack humans are just “aroused.” Hopefully we won’t need to run a correction for this one.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, Christmas turkeys, and gaming vocabulary lessons to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Tripti Lahiri, Clarisa Diaz, Annaliese Griffin, and Liz Webber.