đ Shuffle off this mortal oil
Good morning, Quartz readers!
Hereâs what you need to know
Russia has lost 90% of its oil business in northern Europe... Regional shipments have plummeted to 95,000 barrels per day from mid-October to mid-November, Bloomberg reports. The EU is now two weeks out from imposing its Russian oil price cap.
âŚwhile OPEC+ is considering an increase in oil output. Members will discuss a boost of 500,000 barrels per day in production ahead of the price cap, according to The Wall Street Journal, though Saudi Arabia has denied the report.
Qatar and China signed a natural gas deal. QatarEnergy and Sinopec shook on a 27-year agreement, the longest in history, as competition for the energy source has grown fierce amid supply instability.
Indonesia was struck by a deadly earthquake. A 5.6 magnitude quake hit the main island of Java, killing over 160 people.
China ordered a five-day lockdown in Guangzhou. The major transport center has mandated millions to stay at home as covid cases have surged nationally.
Bob Iger got a Disney sequel. The former CEO is back at the helm of the entertainment giant, which summarily dismissed Igerâs successor Bob Chapek after a tumultuous two years.
FTX owes $3.1 billion to its 50 biggest creditors. According to court filings, two of them are owed more than $200 million.
What to watch for
Until recently, west Africaâs Gulf of Guinea had a reputation for being a hotbed for piracy. But following reports of progress in 2021, the UN Security Council in May unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a crackdown on piracy in the region.
At a meeting today (Nov. 22) to check on its progress, the numbers should paint a promising picture for efforts at national, regional, and international levels to tackle crimes at sea.
Nigeria, the largest country and economy in the area, took a leadership role with the 2021 launch of the $195 million Deep Blue Project, which provides personnel and vessels to guard regional waters. Cooperation and support from countries such as China and the US have also been key to the reduction of attacks.
Make no mistake, pirates in the Gulf of Guinea arenât just a regional problem. Fewer pirates also means fewer shipping delays, safer crews, and lower insurance premiums around the world.
Happy 19th recall this year, Tesla!
Three weeks into November, Tesla is already on its fourth recall of the month. Because, for the most part, the issues donât require owners to make physical repairsâElon Musk bristles at being made to even use the word ârecallâ for over-the-air software fixesâindustry watchers arenât sounding alarm bells.
But there could be bigger threats ahead: If Tesla doesnât find and rectify glitches in time there may be legal trouble. A US Justice Department criminal probe into the company and its executives over self-driving claims is already underway. Massachusetts senator Ed Markey has also warned Musk that Congress will intervene unless he stops âputting profits over people and his debt over stopping disinformation.â
At this point, though, Muskâs personal actions have been moving the needle on Teslaâs stock price a lot more than the automakerâs constant recalls.
Fun(?) fact! Radio Flyerâs $1,900 toy electric ATV for kids, which retailed exclusively on Teslaâs site, violated federal rules. All 5,000 sold had to be recalled and disabled, and Radio Flyer had to give full refunds.
GOOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLL (?)
The 2022 World Cupâs first goal was decided with the help of a video assistant referee, otherwise known as a VAR. Youâll hear about it a lot this year, sometimes happily, and sometimes with a good amount of hissing.
VARs combine technology with human judgment to review any âclear and obvious errorâ potentially made by refs on the field. But how to spot that error? Watching from a TV at the sidelines, of course. Itâs nerve wracking, itâs effective, and it routinely breaks and remakes the hearts of football fans all over.
Decide where you fall in the neverending VAR debate after you read our next Weekly Obsession. Itâs free, and itâs fascinating.
⌠Want to help support Quartz VAR (Very Assiduous Reporting)? Grab a membership now, at 50% off our usual price.
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Surprising discoveries
NASA found two ancient galaxies, far, far away⌠These members of the primal universe are much brighter than scientists wouldâve expected.
Meta gave a failing grade to its AI that writes academic papers... Galactica AI just spewed out biased gobbledegook for three days straight.
âŚwhile another AI has been booted up to predict World Cup match outcomes. Al Jazeeraâs âKashefâ says itâs a 52% chance Denmark will beat Tunisia today (Nov. 22).
A flock of sheep in China walked in circles for 12 days. Whereâs Babe the sheep-pig when you need him?
The internet *cough Tumblr* collectively invented a fake 1973 Martin Scorsese film. Itâs called âGoncharovâ and already has plenty of fan art. And a theme song.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, AI that predicts where sheep will walk, and âThatâll do, pig,â to [email protected]. Reader support makes Quartz available to allâbecome a member. Todayâs Daily Brief was brought to you by Ananya Bhattacharya, Sofia Lotto Persio, Julia Malleck, and Susan Howson.