Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Greece’s leader visits DC. Prime minister Alexis Tsipras will discuss debt relief and other economic issues (paywall) with Donald Trump, with Europe watching for the administration’s stance on the country’s third international bailout. Later, Trump will give a major speech on tax reform at the Heritage Foundation.
The US and Japan face off in a robot duel. Eagle Prime, a 12 ton robot from the US-based company MegaBots will battle a 6.5 ton Kurata robot from Japan’s Suidobashi Heavy Industries. The companies hope the fight will pave the way for a billion-dollar fighting robot league.
Investment bank and Big Blue earnings. A mediocre quarter is expected to weigh on (paywall) the third quarter results of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, while tech titan IBM is forecasted to post yet another quarter of revenue declines.
While you were sleeping
Iraqi forces seized Kirkuk. Government forces captured the Kurdish oil city in response to a recent Kurdish referendum on independence. Kurdish oil fields, a vital source of revenue for the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), were briefly closed, sending up global prices.
Hurricane Ophelia hit Ireland. The isle experienced its most dangerous weather in 50 years as winds of up to 80 kph (50 mph) slammed its coast. Airlines have cancelled flights and many businesses have shuttered as the storm moves up Ireland’s west coast with gusts that could reach 150 kph (93 mph). Three fatalities have been reported thus far.
Netflix stock jumped after earnings beat expectations. The streaming video company added 5.3 million subscribers versus analyst estimates of 4.5 million, for a total of 109.3 million. It also set its content budget at $8 billion, from $7 billion this year.
A stellar collision unlocked a secret of the universe. Scientists observed the merging of two neutron stars for the first time ever, confirming that such events are the source of the universe’s heaviest elements, including gold and uranium. The merger of the stars, 130 million light years away, was first picked up by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), which recently won the Nobel Prize.
Colony Capital entered talks to buy Weinstein Co. The firm—owned by Tom Barrack, a longtime friend and advisor to Donald Trump—provided a cash injection as it negotiates the potential acquisition of the troubled film studio following allegations against co-founder Harvey Weinstein. UK police are currently investigating five new allegations of sexual assault by three women against the movie producer.
Quartz obsession interlude
Keith Collins on the newly discovered wifi bug that lets hackers snoop on your devices: “When major vulnerabilities like this one are announced, the first thing you should do is update your devices. That includes computers, mobile phones, tablets, and routers. To be safe, update your devices immediately and then keep updating them over the next few weeks as companies release new patches. Android and Linux devices are the most susceptible to KRACK, according to Vanhoef.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
Two Trump Twitter thrills: / Talking up the bull market / And taking firms down
Matters of debate
Adorable robots are still dangerous. People are more likely to trust and divulge data to a super cute machine.
Facebook should be forced to act like a newsroom. Its users are its authors, so it’s time to take responsibility for the fake ones.
North Korea won’t collapse. Despite its crumbling economy, a lack of political institutions (paywall) means there’s no way to channel mass discontent.
Surprising discoveries
Baby talk is a sophisticated language. Infants respond to the pitch, rhythm, and timber of their mothers’ coos while ignoring other adult chatter.
The Atlantic Ocean has spawned 10 hurricanes in 10 weeks. It’s the first time that has happened in over a century.
Magic mushrooms may cure depression. The active ingredient psilocybin dims the areas of the brain that process stress and fear.
House of Cards was used to train Russian fake news agents. They watched the Netflix original for troll fodder.
Palladium is the new gold. Its value is surging as car companies stock up on a material that’s central to curbing emissions.
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