Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Hong Kong decides the fate of pro-democracy activists. Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow face up to three years of jail time for participating in a 2014 pro-democracy protest against China’s Communist Party.
Japan talks North Korea in DC. Japan’s newly appointed defense and foreign ministers will meet their US counterparts, Rex Tillerson and James Mattis, in Washington today. Dealing with Pyongyang will top the agenda (paywall), as Japan seeks to reaffirm US commitments (paywall) to its security.
Retail and tech earnings. Gap and Walmart post second quarter results; investors will look for continued momentum from the latter as it battles competition from Amazon. E-commerce site Alibaba, buoyed by its booming cloud business and increased spending trends out of China, is expected to show strong returns.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump dumped two key councils. After several prominent advisors left in protest of Trump’s tacit support of white supremacists this week, the US president took to Twitter to disband the two groups, created to advise the US president on economics.
The Federal Reserve stands united. Minutes from its July meeting show the central bank’s inflation-wary policymakers voted unanimously to hold rates. The minutes also suggested that the Fed will begin unwinding its $4.2 trillion balance sheet next month.
Budget retail beat expectations. Target’s second quarter overshot forecasts with boosted in-store and online sales, while apparel retailer Urban Outfitters reversed a string of declines, despite weak estimates. Both companies saw shares rise, but investors remain skeptical (paywall), despite a historically calm US market.
Apple earmarked $1 billion for show business. The tech company announced plans to produce and distribute at least 10 original TV series (paywall) over iTunes or “a new, video-focused service,” catching up to streaming competitors like Netflix, which shelled out $6 billion on original content this year.
Automakers took a deep breath. A Delaware bankruptcy judge put a 90-day halt on lawsuits filed by victims of defective air bags made by the now-bankrupt Takata Corp, allowing automakers including BMW, Ford, Honda, and Toyota “breathing room” to reorganize. The Japanese supplier declared bankruptcy after issuing the largest auto safety recall in US history (paywall).
Quartz obsession interlude
Isabella Steger on Taiwan’s lavish approach to postpartum misery. “May-yi Shaw, an academic who lives in Hong Kong, returned to her native Taiwan to give birth in April and spent three weeks in a birthing hotel in Taipei before returning to Hong Kong. Shaw, in her late 30s, said she mostly wanted to learn how to take care of the baby, as birthing hotels typically offer classes to new mothers on how to bathe and feed newborns, while some higher-end ones provide services such as lactation consultants and yoga.” Read more.
Markets haiku
Trump’s done with wafflers / and the grandstanders alike / Markets: Not bothered
Matters of debate
Robots will restore our humanity. Increased automation will free us up to be more creative and empathetic.
“Anti-goals” are the key to workplace happiness. Making a list of things you want to avoid doing in your job can help you take stock.
Western media’s coverage of US white tribalism is hypocritical. If journalists covered civil unrest (paywall) in Charlottesville the way they do elsewhere, things would look a lot worse.
Surprising discoveries
Guam’s nuclear survival guide warns against conditioning your hair. Conditioner can bind radioactive particles to hair follicles.
“Game of Thrones” is forcing a Croatian city to crack down on overcrowding. Dubrovnik, or “King’s Landing” on the HBO show, wants visitor limits in place to preserve city sights.
Domino’s is getting lost in translation in France. The pizza chain’s online ordering platform can’t deal with French apostrophes and slang (paywall), causing a lot of customers to lose their appétit.
A tweet by Barack Obama about race is making history. The former US president’s response to violence in Charlottesville has become one of the most-liked tweets ever.
Llamas can be quite the escape artists. Noir the llama disrupted a game of golf in New Hampshire when he escaped his pen again, this time to chase down a bear.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ambitious anti-goals, and llama escape plans to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.