What to watch for today
News about Nazi-looted artwork. Prosecutors in Germany will provide details on a stash of 1,500 pieces of art worth up to 1 billion euros ($1.35 billion) that were found in a squalid Munich apartment.
Tesla revs up earnings. The electric-car firm is expected to post a $13.4 million profit on revenues of $534.6 million—a sevenfold increase from a year ago. Sales of the Model S sedan will show whether the company is on track for CEO Elon Musk’s target of more than 21,000 units this year. Separately, Toyota is expected to report record half-year profits thanks to the weaker yen.
New York City picks a mayor. Bill de Blasio is expected to become the first Democratic mayor in nearly a quarter-century as Michael Bloomberg’s three terms come to a close. De Blasio has a commanding a 41-percentage-point lead over Republican Joe Lhota.
The troika returns to Greece. Representatives from the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund will meet government officials in Athens to discuss progress on the country’s reforms. Some feared they wouldn’t come at all because Greece hasn’t met debt-cutting targets.
Police are searching for a New Jersey mall shooter. A gunman reportedly opened fire at Westfield Garden State Plaza, near New York City, though there are no reports of injuries. SWAT teams are looking for the suspect, who authorities believe is still in the mall.
While you were sleeping
Brussels trims 2014 growth view. The European Commission now expects the euro zone economy to increase by a puny 1.1% next year, due in part to fears a stronger euro could hurt exports.
Telefonica splits Czech. The telecom operator sold a controlling stake in its Czech unit to investment group PPF for 2.47 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to pay down debt and focus on bigger operations in Italy and Brazil.
India launched its Mars mission with a successful rocket liftoff from an island in the Bay of Bengal. The mission could give India a leg up on Japan and China in the Asian space race—but also raise the potential for the militarization of space.
Congo’s rebels ended their insurgency. The M23 rebel group is ending its 20-month fight against the Congolese government, and promised to disarm and seek a political solution to the conflict.
150 soldiers were sentenced to death in Bangladesh. The troops had been held over a 30-hour uprising in 2009 over pay and other complaints in which 74 people were killed.
Australia kept its benchmark rate at a record low. The bank’s governor said the Australian dollar is still “uncomfortably high,” and a weaker currency is necessary for growth.
China needs 7.2% annual growth to keep unemployment in check, according to premier Li Keqiang—a rare instance in which a top official outlined a minimum level of expansion. The country needs to create at least a net of 10 million jobs per year.
Quartz obsession interlude
Zachary M. Seward on what Twitter’s IPO really means. “People will call it a bubble, but they’re generally talking finance, as in the reason Pinterest and Snapchat are now worth $4 billion apiece. What I see is a social bubble, the collective delusion that Twitter’s IPO is a celebratory event, even if you’re not one of the few actually holding a stake in the company.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
“Ender’s Game” reflects cutting-edge military thinking. The tactics in the famous science-fiction book and recently released movie are a blueprint for “maneuver warfare.”
Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t work in Russia. The program’s failure reveals some profound cultural differences between Russians and Americans.
Polymaths are more interesting than specialists. The greatest innovations come from people who can draw from a variety of fields.
Surprising discoveries
There are more Earth-like planets than people on Earth. Astronomers have calculated that the Milky Way galaxy alone is home to some 8.8 billion stars with Earth-like, potentially habitable planets.
Glow-in-the-dark jellyfish ice cream. The recipe includes jellyfish proteins that glow when you lick them—unfortunately each scoop costs £140 ($224).
Uzbekistan’s next dictator could be a singer nicknamed Googoosha. Jet-setting Gulnara Karimova, the president’s eldest daughter, may well take over for her father.
A resort for nuclear disaster tourists. The proposed Fukushima Gate Village, situated next to the crippled Japanese reactors, would include hotels, restaurants, shops, and a museum for “dark tourism” (paywall).
John Muir’s favorite tree is dying, so scientists cloned the naturalist’s beloved, 130-year-old, 75-foot-tall giant sequoia.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, surveys of the Milky Way, and Excel horror stories to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates during the day.