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, as 74-year-old Jose Eduardo dos Santos is stepping down reportedly due to health issues. Defense minister João Lourenço is the favorite to succeed him despite significant opposition.
Samsung unveils its next flagship phone. After the global recall of its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 a year ago, the South Korean giant will likely tout the quality control that went into production of the Galaxy Note 8 (paywall).
Whole Foods shareholders vote on Amazon’s bid. The high-end grocery chain agreed in June to a $13.7 billion takeover by Amazon, whose offer at $42 per share was 27% higher than Whole Foods’s last trading price before the takeover announcement.
While you were sleeping
The US Navy sacked an admiral after a string of accidents. Joseph Aucoin will be removed from his position as three-star commander of the Seventh Fleet in Japan, following four accidents, and a number of fatalities, since January. Divers are still searching for the 10 missing sailors from the USS John McCain, which collided with an oil tanker near Singapore on Monday.
Police identified the body of Swedish journalist Kim Wall. Wall had been missing since Aug. 10, when she went on the submarine of Danish inventor Peter Madsen, which later sank. Her headless, limbless torso was found in Danish waters. Madsen, currently in custody, claimed she died in an accident and he “buried” her at sea.
Typhoon Hato lashed Hong Kong. The city raised the highest, No. 10, typhoon signal for the first time in five years, as a severe storm swept in this morning local time. Trading was suspended on the stock exchange, and hundreds of flights were canceled. Three people are reported dead in Macau.
Trump held a combative rally in Phoenix, Arizona. The president said he would build a Mexican border wall even if it meant a government shutdown and railed against the press (paywall) for “distorting” his response to Charlottesville. Police used tear gas and pepper balls to disperse protestors after the rally.
Major mutual funds marked down their Uber investments. Vanguard, Principal, and Hartford Funds marked down their holdings (paywall) by 15% for the quarter ended June 30. Uber’s shares don’t trade publicly, so funds provide a range of estimates for their stakes every quarter.
Quartz obsession interlude
Gideon Lichfield on “blood and treasure,” the phrase Trump keeps using about Afghanistan. “‘Blood and treasure’ obviously just means ‘lives and money.’ But nobody ever writes about the ‘blood and treasure’ that will be lost to a tsunami, an Ebola outbreak, or the opioid epidemic. It’s specifically a war cliché—a kind of rhetorical cape that writers and politicians throw over their shoulders to lend their opinions a little more gravitas.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Age 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 other powers.
Economists still can’t decide whether the minimum wage is a good thing. If wage floors are warranted, it upends orthodox economic theory.
Surprising discoveries
A cyclone in Madagascar made vanilla four times more expensive. Prices just hit a record high, and artificial alternatives don’t taste the same.
The Hallmark Channel is really, really popular. Known for its feel-good shows, Hallmark is one of the few non-news channels to record a rise in ratings (paywall) last year.
A photo of women in miniskirts helped persuade Trump to extend the war in Afghanistan. The shot from Kabul in 1972 reportedly convinced him that Western norms could return to the country.
The Australian tiger snake’s venom hasn’t evolved in 10 million years. Its venom is so powerful that it’s never had to counter-adapt to evolutionary changes among prey.
Scientists are collecting poop from elite athletes. Their microbes may carry the secret to endurance.
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