Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Alabama’s high-stakes special election. Recent polls show Republican Roy Moore barely leading Democrat Doug Jones. The Senate race has become a national bellwether after Moore was accused of sexual encounters with underage girls, but was nevertheless endorsed by US president Donald Trump.
The UN secretary-general visits Tokyo. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Antonio Guterres are expected to discuss ways to apply pressure to North Korea, though Japan opposes new talks until Pyongyang has shown that it intends to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
The EU’s highly watched kebab vote. The European Parliament will vote on whether phosphates can be used in meat cooked on spits, citing a possible link between the food additive and cardiovascular health risks.
Editor’s note: Yesterday’s Daily Brief incorrectly reported that the Fed’s interest rate decision and South Korea president Moon Jae-in’s China visit would take place on Tuesday. They are both scheduled for Wednesday.
While you were sleeping
A massive explosion tore through Austria’s biggest natural gas hub. The accidental blast, which killed one person and injured more than 20, threw energy markets into chaos. Gas prices in the UK, Europe’s biggest market, spiked by more than 35%, and Italy declared a state of emergency as the flow of gas from Russia was interrupted.
San Francisco mayor Ed Lee died suddenly. The city’s first Asian-American leader oversaw a tech boom that caused a massive spike in housing prices. The cause of his death at age 65 was not officially released, but former mayor Willie Brown said that Lee suffered a heart attack.
Europe’s biggest property company bet big on malls. Unibail-Rodamco is in talks to buy Westfield Co for $16 billion. The Anglo-American mall operator has staked its future on redesigned facilities featuring upscale food courts and other features to entice shoppers away from the internet.
Female lawmakers battled Donald Trump over an innuendo-filled tweet. The US president made a not-so-veiled suggestion that senator Kirsten Gillibrand was willing to trade sexual favors for campaign donations, after she called on him to resign. A group of Democratic legislators are calling for an investigation into sexual assault accusations against Trump.
Quartz obsession interlude
Taddy Hall on how data shouldn’t drive all of your decisions. “Each of us routinely encounters obstacles and opportunities, making choices about how best to deal with them. Real life experiences—whether they include finding a high-end dress for a special event or booking an affordable stay in a new city—are the ore containing innovators’ gold.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
AI does not have enough experience to handle the next market crash. The data it uses is from an unusually stable period, which could make an extreme shock even worse.
The inexorable bloat of Twitter needs to stop. New “improvements” that allow longer messages will turn the microblogging service into a mishmash.
Students should still be able to make mistakes. It’s how they learn and grow, without worry of being immediately skewered on social media.
Surprising discoveries
Tokyo’s subway operator is getting into farming. Tokyo Metro’s hydroponic vegetable operation is run with its trademark precision.
America’s square dancing tradition is a tool of white supremacy. Henry Ford funded it to undercut jazz, which he thought was a Jewish plot.
No-name clothing is the most popular US brand. Increasingly well-made private-label apparel is boosted by companies like Amazon.
A seedless avocado could end pit-removal injuries. Marks and Spencer is the first supermarket to carry the unpollinated fruit.
An American is on the run after escaping an Indonesian prison. He was arrested for a drug possession charge, which could have carried a death sentence.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, avocado pits, and square dancing conspiracies to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.