Hello, Quartz members, and welcome to Sunday Reads!
America is on tenterhooks with a down-to-the-wire presidential election just days away. We’re all pretty tired of the polls and the pols, so since it’s Sunday, it’s time to shift your gaze to some hand-selected reads. Here are some of our favorite Quartz stories from the week, plus a sneak peek at one story coming next week to get your day started.
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5 things we especially liked on Quartz
💰 The cost of tariffs: If former President Donald Trump wins the election next week and returns to the White House, he’s poised to massively raise tariffs on foreign imports. U.S. companies are readying their response — raising prices on consumers. William Gavin explains how it works.
📉 Big Tech’s AI spending spree: For tech’s biggest players, this earnings season is starting to feel like a scene from the movie Jerry Maguire — and the “show me the money” demands aren’t working out any better than they did for Tom Cruise. Some analysts are even dubbing this the “show me the money” quarter, as Wall Street’s patience with massive AI spending begins to wear thin. Jackie Snow has more on the fallout.
🧠 Apple’s AI bumble: The response to Apple’s AI-powered iPhone has been pretty muted, with users facing long waitlists only to find capabilities that feel familiar after two years of similar features from competitors. Jackie Snow explores whether Apple’s characteristically late but polished entrance into AI can still excite consumers.
🎃 Tricky treat: What happens to Halloween stores when the costumes and candy vanish? Francisco Velasquez takes a tour of the strange economics of seasonal stores, and the skeleton crews that keep them going in the off-season.
🪦 Methuselah would like a word: Kenneth Scott, an 81-year-old biotech investor and real estate developer, spends $70,000 a year in his quest for immortality. “From childhood, we were taught that we’re going to die. But I suggest that that culture is out of date,” he tells Madeline Fitzgerald.
1 sneak peek
⛷️ Wondering where to go for that ultimate ski vacation this winter? For when the snow starts falling, Madeline Fitzgerald has already scoped out the newest and most luxurious slopes you may not have heard of. Visit qz.com on Monday morning for a look at the future of everything.
What we’re watching this week
- Monday: Lowe’s and Palantir report earnings. It’s Obesity Week, and trial results are expected from Viking Therapeutics on its weight loss drug.
- Tuesday: Election Day. Also, Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands and Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International report earnings.
- Wednesday: Novo Nordisk, CVS, and AMC report earnings.
- Thursday: The Federal Open Market Committee meets, with another interest rate cut on the agenda.
- Friday: Trump Media earnings
Thanks for reading! Here’s to the week ahead, and don’t hesitate to reach out with comments, questions, feedback, joy, or news of a hidden ski resort. Sunday Reads was brought to you by Peter S. Green.