Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Caterpillar’s earnings. The Illinois-based company sells more than half of its heavy machinery outside the US, making it a harbinger of how Donald Trump’s trade wars are affecting (or will affect) the US economy. Its shares just had their worst half-year performance since 2009 (paywall).
Zimbabwe’s first Mugabe-free election in decades. Former president Robert Mugabe won’t be on the ballot for the first time in nearly 40 years. President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF hope a victory will legitimize the power they gained after ousting the autocrat in November.
Mike Pompeo unveils the government’s “Indo-Pacific” investment plans. The secretary of state will announce the White House’s initiatives in Asia at a Chamber of Commerce forum in Washington. Asian countries have been unsettled after Trump pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, and by his ongoing trade war with China.
Directors at CBS discuss allegations against ex-CEO Leslie Moonves. Today’s board meeting is expected to focus on allegations that the chairman and CEO subjected women to unwanted touching. The company is also preparing its second-quarter earnings report, due later this week.
Over the weekend
Trump clashed with the New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger released a statement (paywall) saying the president’s tweet misrepresented what they discussed at their July 20 meeting. Sulzberger said he expressed his concerns about the Trump’s “deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric.” Trump hit back with a rant against the media.
A US cardinal resigned over abuse allegations. Theodore McCarrick, former head of the Archdiocese in Washington, offered his resignation to Pope Francis after an allegation of sexual abuse of a teenage altar boy some 50 years ago. The Pope suspended him from public ministry while he awaits a canonical trial.
Cambodia’s ruling party won a flawed election. The Cambodian People’s Party claimed a landslide victory, securing another five-year term for prime minister Hun Sen, who’s been in power for over 30 years. The vote was widely considered illegitimate, and the White House warned it may expand its visa restrictions on some Cambodian government members.
An earthquake struck Indonesia. At least 14 people died and over 160 were injured when a 6.4-magnitude quake hit the island of Lombok on Sunday. Efforts are underway to rescue hundreds of hikers stranded on Mount Rinjani after landslides wiped out trails.
A California wildfire killed six people. A blaze in northern California—one of three currently ravaging the state—has also destroyed more than 870 homes and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Richard E. Feinberg and Claudia Padrón Cueto on the significance of Cuba’s ice cream. “Cuba’s rapidly expanding ice-cream market offers a window into the growing divide between poor and rich Cubans. While bland scoops of the state-made fare remain the only option for most, there’s a growing array of choices for those who can afford more, from cafeteria-bought pints to fancy gelati.” Read more here.
MATTERS OF DEBATE
We should delete our old tweets. Out of context, they can be used as ammunition by trolls.
China is losing the trade war to Trump. It’s locked in a battle of pain thresholds (paywall).
Planning sex is better than having it spontaneously. It increases tension and excitement.
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
An empty plot of land in Los Angeles is priced at $1 billion. Perched atop Beverly Hills, it’s about twice the size of Disneyland (paywall).
Olga Danilovic became the first tennis player born in the 2000s to win a title. The Serbian star is 17.
The age of 3D-printed guns begins this week. A last-ditch effort to block an American group from publicly posting instructions to 3D-print a gun failed.
A kangaroo crashed though the window of an Australian home. The panicked roo ran amok before residents trapped it in the bathroom.
Wildfires can create their own lightning. In California’s blazes, the rising heat and smoke have caused “fire cloud” formations.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, deleted tweets, and helado cubano 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 Jill Petzinger and edited by Jason Karaian.