Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Starbucks opens its biggest cafe ever in Shanghai. The flagship 30,000 square-foot (2787 square-meter) outlet will feature augmented-reality areas and an in-house bakery. China is Starbucks’ fastest-growing market with more than 3,000 locations, including more than 300 in Shanghai.
India, Brazil, and Canada make interest rate decisions. The Reserve Bank of India is expected to keep rates steady, despite criticism from Narendra Modi’s government that they are hurting the economy. Analysts expect Brazil to cut its benchmark rate to a record low of 7%, down by more than half from last year, while experts are split on whether Canada will nudge rates higher.
A secret diary of Japan’s Emperor Hirohito is auctioned in New York. The document, dictated to aides after the end of World War II, covers events from 1928 to 1945 and was written at the request of US general Douglas MacArthur.
While you were sleeping
The International Olympic Committee banned Russia from the 2018 games for state-sponsored doping. The unprecedented punishment (paywall) comes after a series of bombshells about officials’ systematic attempts to cheat at the 2014 Sochi games, including tampering with urine samples to remove evidence of steroid use. Some individual Russian athletes may be allowed to compete while wearing neutral uniforms.
Donald Trump told Arab leaders he plans to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. The decision, which will be officially announced on Wednesday, would upend decades of US foreign policy. The leaders of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority warned the move would derail attempts to seek peace in the divided region.
The US special counsel subpoenaed Trump’s bank records. Robert Mueller is reportedly looking for evidence that the Trump Organization’s loans or mortgages held by Deutsche Bank were sold to or backed by Russian sources. According to a federal financial disclosure form, Trump’s liabilities with the bank total as much as $364 million.
A veteran US lawmaker stepped down in the face of sexual misconduct allegations. John Conyers, in office since 1964, said he was retiring with immediate effect. Six woman have accused him of sexual harassment and improper advances, including a new accusation from a former staffer that he groped her in church.
21st Century Fox is leaning towards Disney for its studio sale. The Murdoch family’s plan to offload its Hollywood film and TV production business could fetch up to $60 billion, CNBC reported, with a deal due as early as next week. Disney has reportedly taken the lead due to potential antitrust issues with Comcast, the other lead bidder.
Quartz obsession interlude
Heather Timmons on the three ultra-rich families battling for control of the Republican party: “American historians see a titanic clash on the horizon. What’s coming next is a battle between ‘the very idea of democracy, and that human beings are created equal’ against the notion that power in America should be concentrated in the hands of a very few, very wealthy people, just as it once was in medieval Europe.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Bitcoin may be standing in the way of clean energy. The cryptocurrency’s massive carbon footprint is ridiculously unsustainable.
Women still can’t win when it comes to taking maternity leave. New moms—particularly powerful CEOs—are scrutinized about their leave choices in a way men will never be.
Skyscrapers are out, landscrapers are in. Buildings like Google’s massive London headquarters make life easier for drones, but would require new horizontal “elevators.”
Surprising discoveries
Republicans accidentally killed big business’s favorite tax break. In a mad scramble to approve legislation that lowers corporate taxes, the Senate eliminated a treasured credit for corporate R&D.
The Icelandic translation of Dracula is an entirely different book. Makt Myrkranna (Powers of Darkness) is, by some accounts, better (and “markedly sexier”) than Bram Stoker’s original.
A time capsule was found in a statue of Jesus. Two letters found in its hollow buttocks will help historians understand daily life in 18th century Spain.
The International Space Station had its first pizza party. Thanks to a surprise ingredient shipment, astronauts spun pies in zero gravity and called them “unexpectedly delicious.”
An AI metal band shredded like a human one. Programmers fed a real album through a neural network, and Codanity of Timeness was born.
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