Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Moon Jae-in and Shinzo Abe fly to Russia. The South Korean president and Japanese prime minister will be in Vladivostok for an economic summit. They may lobby for harsher sanctions against North Korea, which Putin has called a “road to nowhere.”
Narendra Modi visits Myanmar amid a worsening refugee crisis. The Indian prime minister will discuss the Myanmar government’s reprisals for an attack on its security forces. The violence has forced about 125,000 of the Rohingya ethnic minority to flee the country.
Pope Francis works toward reconciliation in Colombia. The pontiff helped to broker a peace deal between the government and FARC rebels, but it remains unpopular with the public.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump ended a program that protected young migrants. The US president scrapped an Obama administration program that shielded about 1 million people who were brought illegally to the United States as children from deportation. The change will not take effect until March, giving lawmakers six months to find a solution.
A record-setting hurricane gained strength. Hurricane Irma became the most powerful storm to ever form in the open Atlantic, with winds of up to 185 mph (298 kph), as it headed toward Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Florida. Shares of cruise ship firms and insurance companies plunged in anticipation of massive potential damages.
A billionaire bought the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion. Landry CEO Tilman Fertitta paid a record price for an NBA team. The Rockets previously sold for $85 million in 1993.
An outspoken Indian journalist was shot dead in Bangalore. Gauri Lankesh, a 55-year-old editor and activist, was known for articles that were critical of Hindu nationalists and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. She was killed by unidentified assailants as she exited her car near her home.
Quartz obsession interlude
John Detrixhe talks to Robert Shiller about bubbles: “The best example right now is bitcoin. And I think that has to do with the motivating quality of the bitcoin story. And I’ve seen it in my students at Yale. You start talking about bitcoin and they’re excited! And I think, what’s so exciting? You have to think like humanities people. What is this bitcoin story?” Read more here.
Markets haiku
As Kim’s bombs explode / and Irma threatens landfall / safe havens beckon.
Matters of debate
The cruise ship industry doesn’t care about pollution. A mid-size ship can emit as much daily exhaust as a million cars.
The world makes too much bread. An estimated one-third of US bread goes to waste, and surplus factory output is killing small bakeries in Europe.
Germany’s politics are boring in a good way. The lack of drama (except the occasional tomato) suggests that the country’s prosperity is in little danger from political malpractice.
Surprising discoveries
Drive-thru funeral service is now available in Japan. Elderly attendees can pay their respects without leaving their cars.
Cars are still designed using clay. Every major carmaker uses sculptors alongside sophisticated software.
Zika may be used to treat brain cancer. The virus shrank life-threatening tumors in animal trials.
The tiny fraction of studies that deny climate change are flawed. Scientists that replicated the research found biases and errors.
Amazon debuted a trendy new fashion line. “Find” features items like thigh-high boots made of velvet
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