Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Malaysia’s former PM will be charged under an anti-money laundering act. Local authorities said the new charges (paywall) against Najib Razak, who was previously charged with abuse of power and breach of trust in the 1MDB scandal, will be announced in a hearing on Wednesday.
India’s Supreme Court hears a plea from an agitator in the Kathua rape case. Talib Hussain, a social activist who fought for justice after the rape and murder of an 8-year-old Muslim girl, has been reportedly tortured by Kashmir and Jammu police while being held in detention over a rape charge. Hussain’s family claims the detention is illegal, and have asked for “judicial intervention,” while the police say he injured himself.
Corporate earnings from Prudential and CVS. The UK insurer will post half-year earnings (paywall), and investors will keep watch for updates on the break-up of its UK and international operations. CVS, who just closed a $69 billion deal with health insurer Aetna, will report second-quarter results that have likely benefited from higher sales of prescription drugs.
While you were sleeping
Elon Musk said he wants to take Tesla private. Musk says he is considering buying out Tesla shareholders for $420 a share, sending the company’s stock surging. His announcement came shortly after a report that Saudi Arabia has amassed a large stake in Tesla, suggesting its sovereign wealth fund could finance the transaction.
Disney’s not-so-happy third-quarter ending. Both earnings and sales missed the predicted mark, sending shares on a 2% tumble. Parks, studio, and broadcast units all saw big gains year-over-year, though, with two films hitting the $1 billion mark. The media giant’s forthcoming streaming service is expected to become Netflix’s biggest rival and is costing Mickey tens of millions of dollars.
The EU asked member nations to defy Trump over Iran. Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, urged Europeans to make their own investment decisions in an effort to save the Iran nuclear deal. US president Donald Trump recently pledged tariff-free trade between the EU and the US, but he has also said that the US will shun countries who do business with Iran.
Michael Cohen is under investigation for tax fraud. Federal authorities are probing Trump’s former lawyer’s tax returns (paywall) for underreporting income from his taxi-medallion business. Prosecutors are scrutinizing Cohen’s loan history where he might not have presented adequate documentation or collateral.
SoftBank checks out Alibaba’s new local delivery service. The e-commerce titan plans to merge its food-delivery arm, Ele.me, with its Yelp-like Koubei. According to the Wall Street Journal (paywall), the new unit would be valued at as much as $25 billion. SoftBank’s Vision Fund is reportedly in talks to add $3 billion towards Alibaba’s fundraising goals.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Annabelle Timsit on how yogurt fueled the rise of civilization: “Some historians believe that the Book of Job’s description of the land of Israel as ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ refers to yogurt, and the book’s author links yogurt consumption to Abraham’s longevity and fecundity. Genghis Khan fed his army yogurt, based on the belief that it instilled bravery in his warriors—or so the legend goes.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Publish your climate change study during a hot summer. When the context is right, more people will be open to accepting that global warming is at least a possibility.
Excellent teams have “cultural brokers.” Members who can relate to all sides of a diverse team can facilitate cross-cultural interactions.
Performative journalists help fuel Trump’s campaign. To his supporters, this kind of theater reinforces everything the US president says about the “fake news media.”
Surprising discoveries
Female heart patients do better with female doctors. Women present heart attack symptoms differently, and are statistically more likely to die if treated by a male doctor.
Netflix could be ruining your sex life. TV owners have a 5.7% lower likelihood of having done the deed in the past week than those without.
A weapons stockpile was found under a school in Tokyo. About hundreds of guns and swords from World War II had been buried along with grenades, bullets, and cannonballs.
Ghost peppers could help boost fire-ravaged ecosystems. Coating seeds in their capsaicin keeps rodents from eating them, and gives new trees a fighting chance.
Brexit could disrupt the British sandwich. An interrupted supply chain could mean two slices of bread without much in between.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, spicy seeds, and lonely bread 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 Aisha Hassan and edited by Susan Howson.