Shumita Basu

Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world, and it's densely packed, so the failures this fire exposes leave a ripple of implications throughout the city.

Shepard told us many people are angry about why this wasn't prevented, and the government is acutely aware of how public outrage could pose a huge test for Beijing's grip on Hong Kong.

only days before elections are scheduled to take place.

Pro-democracy voices in the city have been silenced for years.

And under national security laws imposed in 2020, only certain candidates approved by Beijing can run for elections.

Shepard said that is colliding with other longer-term concerns about failed governance in Hong Kong.

And there's some reporting that Beijing is trying to quash dissent related to this fire.

Over the weekend, a student was arrested after circulating a petition calling for public accountability.

A Chinese central government agency ordered a nationwide inspection of high-rise buildings, according to the Wall Street Journal, reflecting an effort to focus on safety standards at buildings.

That includes a look at the use of bamboo scaffolding, which is commonplace in Hong Kong.

And Hong Kong's chief executive announced a $38 million fund to house residents displaced in the fire and has promised a thorough investigation.

Is Michael Jordan about to transform the future of another sport?

This week, he's taking it back to the court, the federal court, over one of his more recent ventures, his NASCAR team.

That's driver Bubba Wallace winning the Brickyard 400 in July, driving the No.

23 Toyota for 2311 Racing, the NASCAR team co-owned by Michael Jordan.

Jordan only broke into the sport five years ago, but he's now suing NASCAR, alleging the organization is using its monopoly over the sport to bully teams into accepting contract terms.

Jordan wants to shake up the current model, which gives NASCAR an unusual amount of power as governing body and rulemaker.

In other sports, like the NBA, the team owners hold a lot more sway over the policies.

Here's The Athletic's Jeff Gluck explaining on the Teardown podcast what Jordan's allegations boil down to.

And Gluck's colleague Jordan Bianchi explained NASCAR's perspective on the same podcast.