Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US’s top general reassures South Korea. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, will discuss the threat of North Korea with president Moon Jae-in before visiting Japan and China. The meeting follows a war of words between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US president Donald Trump, who threatened to unleash “fire and fury,” rattling markets in the process.
Trump ramps up trade pressure on China. The US president will order his top trade adviser, Robert Lighthizer, to determine whether an investigation into China’s trade practices is warranted. Among the issues: foreign companies in China being forced to transfer technology. An investigation, which could take up to year, could ultimately lead to steep tariffs.
Euro zone industrial production figures for June are released. In May they fell more than expected on a monthly basis, showing the economic recovery remained modest and vulnerable to setbacks.
Over the weekend
The FBI investigated violence at a white nationalist rally turned deadly. A 32-year-old woman was killed after a car plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. About 35 people were injured and two police troopers also lost their lives in a helicopter accident. Trump is being criticized for his weak response to the chaos, after failing to condemn neo-Nazi violence.
Japan’s quarterly growth exceeded all expectations. Extending the longest expansion in more than a decade, the nation’s economy grew for the sixth consecutive quarter. GDP increased by an annualized 4% in the three months ended June 30, compared to estimates of 2.5%, with improvements in private consumption and business spending making up for softer exports.
Bitcoin hit a new high. The cryptocurrency surged to over $4,000 this weekend. As global geopolitical tensions rise, bitcoin is acting like a disaster hedge, much like gold. It’s also moving into the mainstream: Fidelity Investments announced last week that clients could use its website to view their digital-currency holdings.
The US insisted that war with North Korea isn’t imminent. CIA director Mike Pompeo and national security adviser H.R. McMaster hit the Sunday talk shows to soften Trump’s narrative that the US military is “locked and loaded” should North Korea decide to take military action.
Latin America condemned Trump’s military threat against Venezuela. Regional leaders denounced the US president’s bellicose rhetoric, saying it actually helped Nicolas Maduro, the nation’s increasingly dictatorial leader, by supporting his portrayal of the US as an aggressive imperialist. US vice president Mike Pence will tour the region this week.
Heartbreak at a hospital in India. The head of a government hospital was fired on Sunday, after 60 children died in five days, reportedly from lack of oxygen. The hospital’s supply of liquid oxygen was disrupted by a vendor because of an unpaid bill. Parents who lost children said they they were given self-inflating bags as the oxygen ran out.
Quartz obsession interlude
Adam Epstein on the Family Guy creator’s mission to bring back optimistic sci-fi. ”‘I miss the forward-thinking, aspirational, optimistic place in science fiction that Star Trek used to occupy,'” Seth MacFarlane told a group of TV critics. ‘I’m tired of being told that everything is going to be grim and dystopian and people are going to be murdering each other for food.'” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Kim Jong-un is acting like a CEO. The North Korean leader is implementing his vision (paywall) and treating the country like a corporation.
Arm wrestling is a legitimate sport. Dating back to ancient Egypt, it’s experiencing a pro-sports renaissance for a reason.
Skyscrapers have made China more beautiful. A photographer makes his case with 17 drone photos.
Surprising discoveries
A immigration algorithm decided Irish isn’t English. An Irish woman failed to convince a machine she could speak English fluently while seeking permanent residency in Australia.
Alcohol helps goldfish survive long winters. Higher blood-alcohol content helps them live in oxygen-free waters for months.
Harry Potter fans in Asia are endangering owls. More than 13,000 wild-caught owls were sold as pets in Indonesia in 2016, compared to few hundred when the first film was released.
Human poop could be a sustainable cooking fuel. A Kenyan company is transforming fecal waste into charcoal-like briquettes.
The UAE banned a brand of soy sauce for its alcohol content. Some products may be about 2% alcohol due to the natural fermentation process.
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