Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Angola heads to the polls. For the first time in nearly 40 years, the country will have a new president; 74-year-old Jose Eduardo dos Santos is stepping down due to reported health issues. Defense minister João Lourenço is the favorite to succeed him despite significant opposition.
Arizona braces for Donald Trump. Large protests are expected to greet the US president as he holds a rally in Phoenix. In the wake of Trump’s controversial comments about white supremacists, Democratic mayor Greg Stanton accused Trump of “looking to light a match.”
Israel and Russia hold Middle East talks. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with president Vladimir Putin in Sochi to discuss the conflict in Syria. Israel has pushed back on the encroachment of Iranian forces—many equipped with Russian military artillery—on the Israel-Syria border.
While you were sleeping
The US imposed sanctions on China and Russia firms for helping North Korea. The US treasury targeted six Chinese-owned entities, one in Russia, and two based in Singapore for allegedly facilitating Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Beijing was irate, saying the US should “immediately correct its mistake.”
India banned “three-word” divorce for Muslims. The end of the “triple talaq” rule, which allowed a husband to end a marriage by uttering the word three times, was hailed by advocates as a victory for Muslim women. Prime minister Narendra Modi hailed it as “a powerful measure for women empowerment.”
Brazil announced a huge privatization. The government plans to sell its 41% stake in power utility Eletrobras, worth about 12 billion reais ($3.8 billion), in an attempt to hit budget targets and avoid another debt rating downgrade. Eletrobras shares rose about 36% on the news.
Danish police seeking a missing journalist found a headless torso. Swedish reporter Kim Wall went missing after a submarine voyage with Danish inventor Peter Madsen, who is now charged with murder. He told authorities that he buried Wall at sea after a fatal accident. The body—missing its head, arms, and legs—will undergo DNA testing.
US companies shuffled the CEO deck. Chevron CEO John Watson reportedly plans to step down (paywall) as the oil giant focuses on refining. Blake Irving, CEO of web-hosting firm GoDaddy, is retiring. And H&R Block named former Uber executive Jeff Jones as CEO, replacing interim chief Tom Gerke.
Quartz obsession interlude
Quartz tech reporters tackle the question: What is Amazon, really? “Today Amazon is a titan of e-commerce, logistics, payments, hardware, data storage, and media. It dabbles in plenty more industries. …. To even call it an e-commerce company feels completely inadequate.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
Risk indicators / are rising as Dalio / says, “I told you so.”
Matters of debate
Longevity is the enemy of workplace satisfaction. People 35 and older are twice as likely to hate their jobs.
A US war with North Korea could rapidly envelop Asia. The proximity of China, Japan, and Russia could quickly pull in several superpowers.
Economists still can’t decide whether the minimum wage is a good thing. If wage floors are effective, they would upend orthodox economic theory.
Surprising discoveries
A Madagascar cyclone made vanilla four times more expensive. Prices just hit a record high, and artificial alternatives don’t taste the same.
US teens are losing interest in Facebook. Fortunately for Mark Zuckerberg, they’re still into Instagram.
German police seized ecstasy pills shaped like Trump’s head. A dark web sales pitch says they’ll “make partying great again.”
In Hollywood, women snuggle and men gallop. An analysis of screenplays reveals entrenched gender tropes in the movies.
Scientists are collecting poop from elite athletes. Their microbes may carry the secret to endurance in a pill.
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