Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
British members of parliament return from their summer holidays. MPs are gearing up for a fractious debate over Brexit in the coming days, including a second reading of the repeal bill, which formally transposes European Union law into UK law to provide some stability as the country continues to negotiate its exit from the bloc.
The White House announces its decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Faced with opposing views in the West Wing, the Trump administration is expected to announce (paywall) a stop-gap measure on DACA—the Obama-era policy that protects children of undocumented immigrants from being deported—for six months, buying time for Congress to figure out a legislative solution.
The BRICS summit concludes. The annual meeting of the world’s growing economies wraps up in Xiamen, China. President Xi Jinping indirectly criticized the US for not doing enough on climate change, and the leaders of India and China are expected to have one final private meeting to discuss their recent military standoff on the Himalayan border.
Pope Francis visits Colombia to talk peace. The day before the Pope’s five-day visit, the Colombian government signed a (paywall) temporary cease-fire with the National Liberation Army. Vatican officials say the Argentine Catholic leader will attempt to catalyze further peace talks between the government and rebel groups.
While you were sleeping
United Technologies bought airplane parts maker Rockwell Collins for $30 billion. The deal is one of the biggest-ever in the aerospace sector, and the combined companies will be called Collins Aerospace Systems. United Technologies owns the Otis escalator and elevator brands and Pratt & Whitney, which makes aircraft engines.
Tronc bought the New York Daily News for $0. The New York tabloid (paywall) was first put up for sale in 2015 by its owner, real-estate magnate Mortimer B. Zuckerman, following a series of major layoffs and a drop in circulation to the low hundred thousands. Tronc, the publisher of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune formerly known as Tribune Publishing, has recently been on an aggressive acquisition streak.
Florida and Puerto Rico both declared states of emergency. The path of Hurricane Irma, which strengthened to a category 4 storm, remains unclear, but Florida governor Rick Scott said he was preparing the state for the worst nonetheless. A string of Caribbean islands are also under hurricane warnings.
South Korea conducted more live-fire drills at sea. The military exercises followed drills yesterday involving a simulated attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site, in a show of force to Pyongyang after it conducted a nuclear test on the weekend. More naval drills are planned from Wednesday to Saturday.
Quartz obsession interlude
Elijah Wolfson on how the Twin Peaks reboot has broken the formula of Peak TV. “The Return was so disturbing, and difficult, that it really cannot be binge-watched. The plotting is so disorienting… that it defies spoiler-laden water-cooler conversation. The visual style of The Return is so sui generis that it simply looks like nothing else on TV.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Keep your dog out of national parks and other wild habitats. Their predatory presence stresses out wild animals, and their poop is a toxic contaminant.
Jobs aren’t the solution to America’s problems—they’re the cause. There’s not enough high-value work to go around, and bad jobs for everyone won’t solve social problems.
Bitcoin has failed its test as a haven in times of global turmoil. As the recent plunge in cryptoassets shows, traders aren’t treating bitcoin like the haven of the future that it’s trumpeted to be.
Surprising discoveries
Mario is no longer a plumber. Nintendo announced that the star of the most popular video game ever has moved on to a life of leisure, sports, and being cool.
Everyone is sick of your perfectly posed images of avocado toast and well-lit selfies. Instagram’s fashion gurus advised posting more realistic photos that offer a genuine glimpse of your life.
The Beyhive is taking over academia. The University of Copenhagen is offering a course called “Beyonce, Gender and Race,” joining a growing number of other schools that have done the same.
Australia warns Peppa Pig that it isn’t taking spiders seriously enough. An episode of the cartoon where Daddy Pig says spiders “can’t hurt you” was taken off-air in Australia, where spiders are often life threatening.
Brain-like blobs living in lakes are actually giant colonies of animals called Bryozoan. The invertebrates help filter the water as they feed on microbes.
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