Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Ryanair pilots go on strike. Several hundred pilots are expected to walk off the job on Friday, with union employees across Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands calling for better pay and working conditions. The low-cost airline expects to cancel one in six flights, and says it won’t change its business model.
Japan reveals Q2 GDP data. The second-quarter report should yield good news for the Japanese economy, with improved consumer spending and strong export activity despite slowing demand from Europe. Japan’s GDP growth for the year isn’t likely to match 2017’s rate, but should remain relatively steady.
State banks’ quarterly reports. The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to forecast (paywall) 3% economic growth for 2018 and 2019, mere days after holding interest rates. The State Bank of India has a grim quarterly loss on its books, with state-backed lenders holding more than 86% of the institution’s $150.2 billion non-performing loans.
The year’s last solar eclipse. Saturday’s cosmic event will only be a partial eclipse visible from Earth’s northern hemisphere, best seen from Siberia and northeast Canada. Other countries will see anywhere from 5% to 50% coverage from the Moon, but special filters and protective glasses should still be worn.
While you were sleeping
Tribune Media dumped Sinclair. The $3.9 billion mega-merger is dead, and Tribune is suing Sinclair for $1 billion over the latter’s failure to navigate regulatory waters with the FCC and Justice Department. A source at Sinclair told CNN that what remains of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox empire could step in as Tribune’s new buyer.
Millennials want to save MoviePass. Student-run investment group Triton Funds thinks it can rescue the movie-ticket subscription service from its embattled parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, and they’re teaming up with shareholders to make an offer.
The Space Force needs $8 billion. US vice president Mike Pence said that the “separate but equal” military arm should launch by 2020, along with a Space Command that will draft manpower from other parts of the US Armed Forces. Of course, that assumes Congress approves it in the defense budget.
An airstrike in Yemen murdered dozens. Many of the victims were civilians, including 29 children (paywall). The attack by Saudi-led coalition forces—one of several across the state to catch innocents in the crossfire—hit a school bus while aiming at missile launchers in the northwest city of Sa’dah, held by Houthi rebels.
Russia criticized new sanctions from the US. The Russian government promised retaliation over fresh penalties from the White House, levied in response to the Kremlin’s alleged poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Meanwhile, the ruble hit a two-year low (paywall) against the dollar as Russian stocks crashed.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Natasha Frost on airplane seats and the big squeeze: “If the reclining party and the to-be-reclined-upon party exchange a gift, like a drink or a snack, they’re much more likely to come to an agreement than if they exchange an equivalent amount of money. So if you’re going to make the ask, try offering to pick up a premium comestible at duty-free.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Bombs could help put out forest fires. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the same principle as blowing out a candle on a birthday cake.
The Oscars just got more elitist and racist. In an attempt to appeal more to the average Joe, the “best popular feature” will just ghettoize non-artsy films.
Short sellers may be right about Elon Musk. His financial plans are becoming weirder and weirder (paywall), which doesn’t typically signal a solid investment.
Surprising discoveries
Dads are at risk for postpartum depression. Social isolation, sleep deprivation, and stress affect all new parents, but fathers are less frequently diagnosed.
The cargo ship that couldn’t. A casualty of the US-China trade war, Peak Pegasus has been stuck in the Pacific with a hold full of soybeans.
Garnets contain mysterious tunnels. Scientists think the gem could host microorganisms let in by a weathering process, but even that’s just a guess (paywall).
Sixteen years of Verdi is too much. A woman played a piece from “La Traviata” all day, every day, until her neighbors finally complained.
China covets Finnish aloofness. Being “spiritually Finnish” is an identity taking hold among millennials without the luxury of personal space.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, jewel diggers, and arias 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 McKinley Noble and edited by Susan Howson.