Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Mike Pence outlines plans for a “Space Force.” The vice president will give details on the proposed new military branch, which Donald Trump suggested in March. It would still need congressional approval, and some lawmakers dislike the idea of creating another government entity.
Viacom reveals its third-quarter results. Increased competition from Netflix and Amazon have weakened the media network’s hold on the industry, but successful movie openings and a solid international subscriber base could give Viacom a boost.
Dropbox posts earnings. The cloud services firm, which went public in March in one of the biggest tech IPOs of the year, is expected to report revenues of around $300 million for the latest quarter.
While you were sleeping
Argentina rejected a bill to legalize abortion. After a divisive campaign in Pope Francis’s homeland, the senate voted against legislation that would have allowed abortion into the 14th week of pregnancy. It can’t be resubmitted until 2019.
Aldi ramped up the competition in the US. The German-owned discount supermarket is rolling out more fresh, organic products and easy-to-prepare food to take on its American rivals. Aldi has earmarked $5 billion to expand to 2,500 stores in the US by the end of 2022.
Suzuki, Mazda, and Yamaha cheated on emissions testing. Japan’s transport ministry said the three big carmakers had improperly cleared vehicles for emissions or fuel efficiency. The investigations came after improper testing was discovered at Subaru and Nissan.
Adidas sold more than 8 million jerseys during the World Cup. The soccer tournament boosted sales (paywall), even though its teams were beaten by Nike-sponsored ones. The German company’s second-quarter profits beat expectations and it reported double-digit growth outside Europe.
Ikea launched in India. After years of waiting for government approval, the iconic Swedish furniture chain opened its first store in Hyderabad, where it expects 7 million visitors annually. Ikea plans to invest $1.5 billion in 25 Indian outlets by 2025.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Annalisa Merelli on the Italian novel at the center of the meta-conspiracy theory behind QAnon. “Q, a 1999 novel, [was] conceived by the author as ‘a handbook of survival skills’ for people wanting to push against the status quo. Strangely enough, although the book was created by a left-leaning collective in Europe, two decades later, it is being linked to a right-wing US conspiracy theory.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
You are not original or creative on Instagram. Users need look no further than @insta_repeat, which creates collages of suspiciously similar images.
Silicon Valley needs to work with the US military. If tech companies want to do good, they should to help the US maintain its leadership (paywall) as a positive democratic force in the world.
Polemicists should be forgiven for saying things that break cultural norms. These writers are expected to advocate dicey ideas and they shouldn’t be fired for doing so.
Surprising discoveries
Armadillos are giving leprosy back to humans. The armored creatures are returning the favor after having contracted the disease in the 1960s.
Vilnius is marketing itself as the “G-spot” of Europe. City officials rejected pleas to delay the risqué campaign until after the Pope’s visit to the Lithuanian capital next month.
Bolivia’s presidential regalia was stolen from a military officer’s car. The bejeweled medal and sash, which date to the country’s foundation in 1825, were later found in a church.
Airbnb nixed its Great Wall of China contest. Public outcry prevented the company from turning one of the wall’s towers into a bedroom.
Burger King blesses the rains down in Africa. The chain will play Toto’s hit single 108 times in one of its London locations thanks to a successful Twitter campaign.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Vilnius travel tips, and literally any other Toto song 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 Jill Petzinger and John Detrixhe and edited by Eshe Nelson.