Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Catalonia’s ousted president faces extradition. Carles Puigdemont turned himself over to authorities in Belgium on Sunday, three days after Spain issued an arrest warrant against Puigdemont and four former ministers. An investigative judge will determine today whether all five will be extradited to Spain, where they face potential charges ranging from rebellion to misuse of public funds.
SoftBank reports its second-quarter results. The Japanese goliath’s Vision Fund is the largest technology-investment fund in existence, with a total of $93 billion raised and backers including Apple and Qualcomm. In addition to investments in WeWork, Sofi, and Slack, among many others, they are also looking to buy a $10 billion-dollar stake in ride-sharing platform Uber, which would be its largest investment to date. The company’s year-on-year operating profit was up 50.1% last quarter.
The eurozone’s most powerful financial players in government gather. The cohort of EU finance ministers known as the eurogroup will meet in Brussels to discuss the completion of the banking union and prepare for December’s euro summit. With eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem stepping down in January 2018, a plan will also be laid out to elect his successor.
While you were sleeping
The Paradise Papers unveiled offshore accounts. In a leak similar to last year’s Panama Papers, journalists around the world began publishing stories that revealed offshore financial accounts—beyond the reach of most governments—held by the world’s wealthiest people. They included Queen Elizabeth II, US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, and others. More revelations are expected this week.
As many as 20 people were killed in a Texas church shooting. A gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs late Sunday morning before dying as he was fleeing the scene. Up to 30 people may have been injured in the incident, which comes just one month after the worst shooting in modern US history in Las Vegas.
The “Warren Buffett of the Middle East” was arrested in Saudi Arabia. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was one of at least 10 princes detained on Saturday in a crackdown on alleged corruption that appears to be part of a consolidation of power by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Boasting substantial investments (paywall) in the likes of Apple, Citigroup, and 21st Century Fox, Alwaleed is considered the 45th richest person in the world.
US president Donald Trump made friends in Japan. On the first of his 11-day visit to Asia—the longest of a sitting president since 1991—Trump made reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warning that “no dictator…should underestimate American resolve.” Other highlights included Trump quipping he didn’t understand why a country known for its samurai warriors didn’t shoot down North Korean missiles, and he and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe sharing a round of golf at the Kasumigaseki country club, where women were only recently granted full membership.
An American won the women’s race in the New York City marathon for the first time since 1977. Shalane Flanagan’s unofficial time—2 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds—put her over the finish line one minute and one second ahead of Kenya’s Mary Keitany, the defending champion.
Quartz obsession interlude
Allison Schrager, Christopher Groskopf, and Scott Cunningham on how the internet changed sex work. “Elle works in different cities, so she adjusts her prices to match the local market conditions. ‘I will also look at the places that I travel to for work, go to the ads on Backpage.com or Eros.com, and then check out their websites,’ she said. ‘Most girls will have their prices listed.’ Prices are cheaper in the Midwest, at about $200 an hour, but on the coasts she charges $260.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Male comedians keep making the wrong types of jokes about sexual assault. They should make us angry with them, not at them.
China, the US, and other countries are over-emphasizing STEM studies in college. Signaling that art, political science, and philosophy are less valuable will erode civility.
Christians should be communists. Christianity was supposed to model an entirely different way to live, one where possessions were shared and wealth was redistributed according to need (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Running a marathon can injure your kidneys, cause your nipples to bleed, and make you temporarily shorter. But if you’re feeling euphoric enough at the finish line, you’ll probably forget the gory bodily trials.
Tiffany’s is selling a $9,000 ball of sterling-silver yarn. Its “Everyday Objects” collection also includes a $10,000 silver bird’s nest and a $1,500 silver coffee can.
Corporate lobbies, not farmers, were behind America’s daylight savings time. Farmers didn’t demand an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day—the sellers of candy, barbecues, and golf did.
Americans can’t stop renouncing their citizenship. For the third year in a row, US expatriation is on track to eclipse the previous year’s record, with over 6,800 citizens expected to flee the states by the end of 2017.
An undetonated bomb discovered in Germany was nothing more than a squash. Authorities called to a backyard in Bretten expecting to see a WWII-era explosive found nothing more than a massive, 16-inch-long (41 cms), 11 lb (5 kg) zucchini.
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