Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Mike Pompeo smooths feathers in South Korea. The US secretary of state will try to explain to Moon Jae-in’s government exactly what Donald Trump promised Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Seoul and the US military (but not Beijing) were reportedly caught unaware (paywall) by Trump’s pledge to halt military exercises on the Korean peninsula.
The Fed hikes interest rates. Investors are almost unanimous in expecting a higher benchmark rate from the Federal Reserve. Eyes will be peeled for an update to the central bank’s policy statement, which could signal its broader macroeconomic outlook and propensity for ending the current rate hike cycle.
FIFA decides where to hold the 2026 World Cup. There are only two candidates: Morocco and a joint bid by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The previous vote in 2010, which set this year’s tournament in Russia and the 2022 event in Qatar, was beset by controversies about bribery and vote-rigging.
While you were sleeping
A US judge cleared AT&T’s Time Warner acquisition. Judge Richard Leon ruled that the $85.4 billion deal did not violate antitrust regulations. The decision clears the way for another media bidding war, as Comcast tries to top Disney’s $54 billion bid to buy 21st Century Fox.
Brexit battles in Britain. Prime minister Theresa May fended off an attempt (paywall) by pro-EU parliament members to hijack her Brexit strategy. Meanwhile, Leave.EU campaign donor and alleged Russian collaborator Arron Banks accused UK lawmakers (paywall) of operating an anti-Brexit witch hunt.
Bird is seeking a $2 billion valuation. The electric scooter firm is looking for $200 million in funds, mere weeks after it raised $150 million at a $1 billion valuation. The electric scooter boom has had an unprecedented spike, with ride-hailing services’ recent interest in branching out partly responsible.
Tesla is laying off 9% of its workforce. The company said it must axe thousands of employees in an attempt to become profitable. Elon Musk said his ultimate goal is sustainable energy, but that Tesla must be “sustainably profitable” (paywall) to get there.
Macedonia will change its name. Prime minister Zoran Zaev agreed to start calling his country Northern Macedonia, after more than two decades of diplomatic brawling with Greece, which has a region of the same name. In return, Greece agreed stop blocking its attempts to join NATO and the EU.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Ana Campoy and Youyou Zhou on Hurricane Maria’s true death toll, according to Puerto Ricans: “For nearly 40 days after Hurricane Maria, Mariana Marrero Figueroa waited for heart surgery. The operation was never performed due to lack of electricity, and Figueroa ultimately died of renal failure at age 72. ‘I want my mother to count,’ says María Gómez Marrero, who reported the death.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Apple killed fun. Once a pioneer of colorful designs, the company is now a bastion of boring lines and cold elegance.
The Singapore summit is a testament to its superb functionality The West often overlooks the country’s civil service culture as a political success story.
Solo travel is the way to go. For a fun and enriching experience, it’s better to journey alone.
Surprising discoveries
Louboutin’s red soles are ripoff-proof. An EU court ruled the color scheme belongs exclusively to the French designer.
Russians are being taught how to smile. Workers are training to be more welcoming to World Cup tourists.
Japanese cicadas turned the tables on cordyceps. The bug puts the zombie-making fungi to work to help digest its food.
US toddlers eat an alarming amount of sugar. Their sugar intake is almost as high as the recommended max for adults.
Facebook sees you stalking. The company admitted that it keeps all records of search queries—and how many times you’ve used them.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, red soles, and cunning cicadas to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written by David Wexner and Susan Howson, and edited by Adam Pasick.