Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Japan will call a general election. Prime minister Shinzo Abe is expected to call for an election for Oct. 22 as his approval ratings rise amid tensions with North Korea. If he maintains his leadership, he could serve until 2021, making him the country’s longest-serving prime minister.
James Mattis visits India. The US defense secretary will meet with his counterpart, Nirmala Sitharaman, in New Delhi. It’s the first visit to the country by a high official since US President Donald Trump took office. Afghanistan’s security is among issues on the table.
The US is expected to announce new travel rules. The set of guidelines scrutinizing visitors would replace Trump’s ban on travelers from six majority-Muslim nations, which expired Sept. 24. Details on the new restrictions are hazy, but officials have said they will target countries that refuse to cooperate (paywall) with the US, or don’t meet US security standards.
Over the weekend
Angela Merkel cruised to victory in the German elections. Initial results showed far-right party Alternative for Germany became the third biggest party in parliament as a populist revolt against Merkel’s refugee policies took hold. The final vote tally is due later today.
The US defied North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. The US military flew long-range bombers and fighter jets off the Asian country’s coast, while Trump again taunted its supreme leader by calling him “Little Rocket Man” in a tweet.
Mexico was shaken by its third major earthquake this month. The county suffered a 6.1 magnitude temblor that killed at least two people. It hit the state of Oaxaca on Sept. 23, further damaging affected areas by the 8.1-magnitude quake that struck southern Mexico Sept. 7. The capital is still recovering from a Sept. 19 earthquake that left at least 155 dead.
NFL players brawled with Trump over racism protests. Football players locked arms in opposition to Trump’s suggestion that they be fired by National Football League team owners for kneeling during the national anthem. The US president later backed off, saying locking arms is good, kneeling is bad.
Quartz obsession interlude
Mike Murphy on whether Apple has peaked. “While there’s no indication that Apple will continue to be anything other than a moneymaking behemoth for a long time yet, price increases and service sales do not give the appearance of a company that is brimming with new ideas.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Can NFL owners fire players for public protests? Some legal experts say yes, just as Google could fire James Damore for writing a manifesto suggesting women can’t do tech.
Breaking up Uber’s monopoly will hurt more than help. The ride-sharing app has broken rules to grow its market share in London, but it has given its customers extraordinary value, argues the Financial Times (paywall).
Twitter is revitalizing the written word. Social media is turning everyone into an author, writes The Wall Street Journal. Space limits force users to adopt the golden rule of good writing: Be concise.
Surprising discoveries
If forced to survive on a single food, choose potatoes. Spuds contain all the amino acids essential to the body, and if you combine them with sweet potatoes, you can get needed vitamins too, Popular Science reports.
The Chinese pay $15 to ask a 65-year-old sex questions. Li Yinhe, known for her writings about sadomasochism, gets more questions from women than men. She charges one yuan on Weibo Q&A for people to read her answers.
Your brain isn’t wired to imagine climate change. To get climate-change deniers on board, have them spend a summer without air conditioning in Las Vegas, where temperatures can reach 117 degrees Fahrenheit.
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