Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Brexit talks resume. Britain and the EU return to the negotiating table in Brussels for a third round of talks on the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc. The two sides are expected to spar over the details of Britain’s “divorce bill.”
Hurricane Harvey continues wreaking havoc in Houston, Texas. Rainfall is expected to continue through Wednesday, with totals of 50 inches (127 cm) now predicted—a record for the state. At least five deaths and more than a dozen injuries were reported by Sunday morning. Officials warn the recovery will likely take years.
Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods closes. The $13.7-billion deal essentially closed last week when US regulators gave their approval, but Amazon will now begin executing on its plans for the upscale grocery chain, starting with lower prices on best-selling products.
Over the weekend
North Korea launched three missiles into the sea Saturday morning. Two missiles traveled around 250 km (155 miles) from North Korea’s Kangwon province, while a third failed almost immediately. The missile tests came as thousands of US and South Korean troops participated in annual joint military exercises.
The Trump administration had a whirlwind Friday night. The US president pardoned controversial ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was found in contempt of court for racial profiling. Trump also signed a formal declaration barring transgender service members from the military. That same evening, counterterrorism advisor Sebastian Gorka resigned over Trump’s failure to uphold campaign promises, though White House officials said he was dismissed.
Uber searched for a new CEO—minus a key candidate. Former General Electric head Jeff Immelt bowed out of contention on Sunday, leading many to believe that the ride-hailing company will tap HP CEO Meg Whitman for the job. Uber’s board of directors debated Friday and Saturday, and is expected to vote later Sunday evening.
Riots erupted in India. More than 200 people were injured and at least 38 were killed in Punjab and Haryana states when supporters of guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rioted after his conviction for raping two female followers. Singh will be sentenced Monday and faces a minimum seven years in prison.
Floyd Mayweather scored his 50th victory in “the money fight.” The boxer won with a technical knockout in the 10th round against MMA superstar Conor McGregor. Both earned a hefty payout but Mayweather got all the glory. He’s now the sixth most winningest boxer to retire undefeated.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dave Gershgorn on the rise of AI-powered surveillance. “Long possible in Hollywood thrillers, the tools for identifying who someone is and what they’re doing across video and images are taking shape. Companies like Facebook and Baidu have been working on such artificial intelligence-powered technology for years. But the narrowing rate of error and widening availability of these systems foretell a near future when every video is analyzed to identify the people, objects, and actions inside.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Mindfulness excuses selfish behavior. True mindfulness has been co-opted by a trend that makes people more self-indulgent without examining their surroundings.
Brunch tastes better if you Instagram it. A new study finds taking photos of decadent foods helps you be more present for your meal, making it that much more delicious.
Price-gouging makes economic sense. Placing a price cap on essential goods makes it harder for people to get the supplies they need in times of disaster.
Surprising discoveries
Netflix co-created marijuana strains based on popular shows. They were sold at a pop-up event in West Hollywood, giving new meaning to “Netflix and chill.”
Ugly female moths hang out with sexy ones to snag a mate. The behaviors “provide an answer of how unattractiveness can evolve.”
The Greeks definitely did not invent trigonometry. A 3,700-year-old Babylonian tablet is the world’s oldest and most accurate trigonometric table.
The bomb shelter business is booming in the US and Japan. Paranoia sells. Thanks, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
Nobody knows why people from the US state of Indiana are called “Hoosiers.” The name was likely passed down by oral tradition, so we may never know.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, “Orange Is the New Black” marijuana, and trigonometry tables to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.