Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Urban Outfitters reports results. The apparel chain is expected to reveal a rise in quarterly sales and profit, thanks in large part to sales from its Free People and Anthropologie brands.
The British foreign secretary visits Washington. In a speech at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, Jeremy Hunt is expected to urge Donald Trump to impose fresh sanctions on Russia and to call for stricter regulations on online advertising around elections.
The Eid al-Adha holiday begins. Muslims around the world will celebrate the “festival of sacrifice,” which traditionally lasts four days. Millions of Muslims are making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
While you were sleeping
Microsoft thwarted fresh Russian hacking attempts. Microsoft said that it had seized control of six internet domains created by Fancy Bear, a Russian-government affiliated hacker group. The domains, designed to target the Senate and conservative think tanks, could have been used to launch cyberattacks or steal user data, Microsoft said.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund bounced back with the stock market. The giant oil fund missed its benchmark in the second quarter but still made $20 billion after a rough start to the year. Oil and gas companies were the fund’s best performers.
Taiwan lost another ally to China. El Salvador became the third country this year to end its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in favor of China. Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen blamed the split on China’s ongoing attempts to isolate her country.
The Trump administration moved to replace an Obama-era coal pollution rule. Andrew Wheeler, acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, signed the “Affordable Clean Energy” rule, which would ease pollution controls on coal-fired power plants. It does not include any benchmark for carbon emissions.
The Australian prime minister narrowly hung onto his job. With popular support for his leadership in question, Malcolm Turnbull had called a vote among his fellow Liberal Party members—and won the ballot 48-35 (paywall). But the narrow margin of his win means that Turnbull will likely face more challenges in the months ahead.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Johnny Simon on the massive scale of Muslims’ yearly pilgrimage. “One of the largest migration events in the world—more than 2 million are expected to make the journey—its sheer size is appreciated best from above. Aerial photos show the seemingly unending parade of pilgrims and the infrastructure necessary to accommodate them, from seas of tents and buses to the massive Grand Mosque itself.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The 2008 financial crisis never really ended. It morphed into a political and geopolitical crisis as the responses to 2008 exposed the failure of both conservatism and centrist liberalism.
Asia Argento hasn’t wrecked the #MeToo movement. It is all too possible for someone to be both a victim and a perpetrator.
Diverse portfolios make rich investors richer in the long term. They actually see lower returns from the stock market than smaller account holders.
Surprising discoveries
Ants are efficient because they know when to take a break. The insects exit a worksite when it gets too crowded, leaving 30% of the colony to do 70% of the work (paywall).
Measles cases hit a record high in Europe. The World Health Organization is stressing the importance of immunization.
A pregnant New Zealand politician biked to give birth. Women’s minister Julie Anne Genter traveled “mostly downhill” to the hospital to get induced.
Comedian Jon Stewart rescued goats from the New York subway tracks. The former Daily Show host helped catch the goats, which were grazing on the N line.
The word “mmhmm” has a controversial past. Experts think it came to the US via the slave trade.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, grazing goats, and lazy ants 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 edited by Sarah Todd.