Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Theresa May reassures Japan. On a three-day trip, the UK prime minister will meet her counterpart Shinzo Abe to talk trade and defense. She needs to convince Japan that Britain can remain a key entry point to Europe for Japanese companies even after Brexit.
Donald Trump makes a speech in Missouri. Police in the town of Springfield are poised to try and contain any pro and anti-Trump clashes at the event, which takes place in a manufacturing plant and is closed to the public.
The US checks in on GDP. Economists expect a revised second-quarter growth rate to tick up to 2.9%, from an initial estimate of 2.6% (paywall) after July’s promising retail figures. The US is in its ninth year of economic expansion.
While you were sleeping
Harvey made a second landfall. The storm hit land again Wednesday, this time near the Louisiana-Texas border, bringing heavy rain that could lead to “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.” Officials ordered an evacuation after a levee was breached and imposed an overnight curfew amid looting and armed robberies.
North Korea said it will launch more missiles into the Pacific. State media described yesterday’s missile launch over Japan as a prelude to “containing Guam,” where the US has a strong military presence. Kim Jong-un has already launched more missiles this year than his father did in a lifetime.
Uber’s new CEO admitted he was “scared.” In a memo to his Expedia staff seen by Recode, Dara Khosrowshahi said accepting the Uber job was “one of the toughest decisions of my life.” He added that he’d been at Expedia so long he’d forgotten what life outside the company was like. He’ll certainly have his work cut out (paywall) for him at Uber.
Trump picked a South Korea envoy. The US President will name Victor Cha, who has called for a tougher stance on Pyongyang, as the next US ambassador in Seoul, according to Reuters. Cha served as a White House official under George W. Bush and was involved in multilateral talks with North Korea over its nuclear program.
Toyota ganged up with Grab. The Japanese carmaker’s Next Technology fund will invest an undisclosed sum in Uber’s powerful Southeast Asian rival and collaborate on services in the region. Grab is planning to raise $2.5 billion in its latest round of funding—it said Didi and Softbank will invest $2 billion.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ana Campoy and David Yanofsky on lessons from Houston’s flooding. “The city, the largest in the US with no zoning laws, is a case study in limiting government regulations and favoring growth—often at the expense of the environment. As water swamps many of its neighborhoods, it’s now also a cautionary tale of sidelining science and plain common sense.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
There’s not a lot of glory at the top of the career ladder. Getting less credit while having to do more can be uncomfortable for some bosses.
Amazon isn’t the all-consuming vortex it’s made out to be. There are still plenty of dollars in the retail sector for competitors to claim.
The author of a novel isn’t always best placed to interpret it. Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk says some students focus on different parts of his novels than he would.
Surprising discoveries
Cheerios tried to own the color yellow. A US trademark court denied the cereal brand’s campaign to exclusively claim the bright color used for its packaging.
Late-night snacking increases your risk of sunburn. Eating at weird times may disrupt your skin’s biological clock, leaving it more susceptible to skin damage.
Carrying a plastic bag in Kenya could land you in jail. A new law punishes anyone using or making a plastic bag with a fine of up to $38,000 or four years in jail.
Ikea won’t sell meatballs in India. It wants to respect the country’s religious avoidance of pork and beef. Expect tasty samosas.
The next wave of emoji will be inspired by selfies. The Polygram app uses AI to translate facial expressions into emoji.
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