Good morning, Quartz readers!
We apologize for the delay to today’s Daily Brief.
What to watch for today
Wolfgang Schäuble’s final finance meeting. Germany’s powerful finance minister and austerity obsessive, who led embattled EU countries through bailouts during the financial crisis, attends his final EU meet-up. In a parting warning, Schäuble said (paywall) that spiraling levels of global debt and liquidity are a major risk to the world economy.
The Nobel Prize for Economics is announced. The winner will be revealed at 5:45am ET. You can watch the announcement live.
The US marks Columbus Day. Stock markets will be open, but bond markets will be closed. Trade is expected to be slow as most federal institutions will be shut.
Over the weekend
Harvey Weinstein was fired by the Weinstein Company. The move follows a New York Times exposé (paywall) that revealed one of Hollywood’s most powerful film producers faces accusations of sexual harassment spanning decades. Days earlier, Weinstein said he would take a leave of absence and seek therapy.
Kim Jong-un promoted his younger sister. The North Korean leader made sibling Kim Yo-jong an alternate member of the politburo, the nation’s top decision-making body. She has recently been in charge of developing the cult of personality surrounding her brother.
The White House tied a new “Dreamer” deal to immigration reforms. It sent Congress a list of demands, including faster deportations and funding for the Mexican Border wall, “as part of any legislation addressing the status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.” Donald Trump scrapped the Obama-era program last month; it expires Mar. 2018.
A weakened Nate hit Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Nate was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, and by Sunday to a tropical depression. Though not as destructive as feared, it caused widespread flooding and left thousands without electricity.
Trump traded Twitter insults with a major Republican critic. The president attacked Tennessee senator Bob Corker, claiming the lawmaker was retiring because Trump had refused to endorse him. Corker, who is chair of the foreign relations committee, retorted that the White House had become an “adult day care center.”
Quartz obsession interlude
Thu-Huong Ha on the linguistic legacy of Christopher Columbus. “About 54 million people run into a reminder of his legacy every day: the very name of their countries. In spite of the local names of the places where Columbus landed—and even though he thought he had gotten to the Indies—he coined new names. Today there are eight independent states whose names came from Columbus.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
College football is why American universities dominate the globe. It promotes loyalty, which translates into a steady flow of private donations and a broad political base for gaining state funding.
Blade Runner 2049 is the rare sequel that justifies its right to exist. It’s an ambitious but vulnerable and introspective film—and the least cynical major Hollywood sequel in a long time.
Humans had to evolve to acknowledge octopus consciousness. The strangeness that once repulsed us is now a source of fascination.
Surprising discoveries
Uber secretly lobbied for women to drive in Saudi Arabia. It’s planning a specialized training center for Saudi women who want to drive on its ride-hailing platform.
Mondays really are the worst, says data. Analysis of millions of Twitter messages shows it’s the worst day of the week for millions.
A 60-year-old satellite is still orbiting Earth. Launched by the US in response to the Sputnik, the Vanguard 1 could remain in orbit for 1,000 years.
Police had to restore order at some McDonald’s branches over a sauce fiasco. Customers were outraged that they couldn’t get the limited-edition Szechuan sauce featured on the cartoon show Rick and Morty.
An obscure Dr. Seuss book offers a playful rebuke to gender stereotypes. Its illustrations are a joyful portrait of body positivity.
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