Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The UK releases labor-market data. Companies are struggling to fill open positions amid a steep fall in the number of people coming to Britain from the European Union, yet wage growth has remained weak. Analysts don’t expect much improvement when the Office for National Statistics releases the latest figures today.
Can the German economy stay the course? Europe’s largest economy has been humming along despite the uncertainty caused by US tariffs and sanctions—so far. Quarterly GDP is expected to climb by 0.4%, from 0.3% the previous quarter, driven by private consumption and construction.
Japan returns the remains of World War II forced laborers to South Korea. Thirty-five sets of remains will be repatriated a day before the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from decades of Japanese colonial rule. About 2,770 such sets are still in Japan.
While you were sleeping
Facebook signed another big sports deal. Beating out Sony, it secured the rights to stream matches of La Liga, Spain’s top soccer league, to viewers in India, Pakistan, and other South Asian nations. In March it also signed a deal with Major League Baseball in the US, as social networks race to acquire sports-streaming rights.
Donald Trump signed a $716 billion defense bill into law. The legislation, cleared by the Senate earlier this month, calls for doing more to counter China’s assertive moves in the South China Sea, among other things. The bill was named after ailing senator John McCain, a frequent Trump critic whom the US president omitted mentioning.
Elon Musk said he’s working with Goldman Sachs and Silver Lake on taking Tesla private. The CEO said the firms are acting as legal advisors, and that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund had approached him “multiple times about taking Tesla private.”
China’s economy showed more signs of slowing. Fixed-asset investment growth fell well short of expectations for the January-July period, as weakening domestic demand and faltering business confidence took their toll. Retail sales also missed expectations, rising 8.8% in July from a year earlier, below an expected 9.1%.
Ontario made a last-minute switch on its marijuana policy. Canada’s most populous province ditched plans for government-run cannabis outlets in favor of private shops. Recreational marijuana becomes legal nationwide on Oct. 17, but the change means stores in Ontario won’t be ready by then. Online sales, however, will start on the first day of legalization.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Isabella Steger on South Korea’s spy-cam problem. “Since May, tens of thousands of women have turned out on the streets in South Korea to protest against spy cameras (molka) and urge tougher punishment for perpetrators—the biggest-ever women’s protests in South Korea… Many women inspect public bathrooms for hidden cameras when they use them.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Creating a Space Force isn’t ridiculous. It would bring welcome attention and resources for an increasingly important domain.
Open-floor plans are not sustainable. Not only do walled rooms maintain privacy, but closed kitchens in particular can help save energy.
Overpaying CEOs is a terrible way to motivate them. Long-term rewards lose their power.
Surprising discoveries
Millennials love to hate mayonnaise. The rise of identity condiments makes the staple sauce seem too bland.
An 11-year-old hacked Florida’s voting systems in under 10 minutes. Emmett Brewer’s feat highlights worrying faults in US election software.
Peppa Pig will shed her “gangster” persona to return to China. The formerly censored cartoon character will be featured onscreen, possibly as a way to boost fertility rates.
UK shoppers buy and return outfits just for Instagram. After the “outfit of the day” makes it online, 9% of Brits return it back to the store.
A smartphone app is officially a contraceptive. Natural Cycles, which uses body temperature to determine a woman’s fertility, can now market itself as legitimate birth control in the US.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, contraceptive apps, and foolproof voting systems 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 Steve Mollman and edited by Isabella Steger.