Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China’s industrial firms report profits as trade tensions rise. Profit growth had already showed signs of easing, falling to 20% in June from 21.1% in May. At the time, economists were unsure how much impact trade had, but expect any slowdown in export growth to be more pronounced in the second half of the year.
The UN will publish its findings on the Myanmar crisis. Saturday marked the one year anniversary of the start of the conflict that drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes. Now, the UN will release a report by its independent fact-finding commission regarding alleged human rights violations.
The US Open…opens. The fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year begins in New York City. American Sloane Stephens and Spaniard Rafael Nadal will attempt to become the first repeat champions since Roger Federer won the tournament five consecutive years from 2004 through 2008.
Over the weekend
US senator John McCain died. A celebrated war hero and former GOP presidential candidate, McCain spent his last year in treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer. The “maverick” left a legacy of voting against one’s party when necessary, forming relationships across the aisle, and sharply criticizing the president if deserved, even if that president is a fellow party-member.
Elon Musk said never mind about going private. The Tesla CEO announced late Friday evening that the electric car maker will stay public after all. Writing on the company’s blog, he indicated that he’d accepted investors’ concerns that it would be extraordinarily difficult to buy out or bring along existing shareholders. Instead, Musk vowed to focus on ramping up Model 3 production and Tesla’s profitability.
The Pope asked Ireland for forgiveness. An emotionally fraught visit to a country struggling to again trust the Catholic Church ended in a penitent prayer by Pope Francis, who admitted that officials could have done much more to combat sexual abuse, mistreatment of unwed mothers and their children, and other issues.
Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as Zimbabwe’s president. After a constitutional court ruled Friday that the divisive July election was legitimate, Mnangagwa officially became the country’s new leader. Hours before, concerned US watchdogs argued Zimbabwe lacks a “tolerant democratic culture” towards its election process.
Didi Chuxing stopped its Hitch service. A driver was found to have raped and killed a woman passenger—the second such incident since May. The world’s biggest ride-sharing service (by number of trips) hit the brakes and blamed its own customer service processes for not acting quickly enough on another passenger’s complaint against the driver.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Gwynn Guilford on emerging economies’ dependence on debt. “The financial conditions and innovations that gave rise to the first truly global crisis, in 1825, are in many ways similar to the conditions that have led Turkey and Argentina to their current precarious states.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Free tampons are the mark of an evolved civilization. Scotland’s decision to provide feminine products to students should make other countries ashamed of falling so far behind.
Software should encourage us to stop and think. From impulse buys to knee-jerk reactions, we’re using technology to make the world more haphazard.
Don’t have an IPO, Aramco. Saudi Arabia should focus on weaning itself off oil first (paywall), then attract investments in a more stable economy.
Surprising discoveries
People still aren’t wearing sunscreen. Despite widely available research, no one’s applying enough SPF, and deadly melanoma is on the rise.
Madame Tussaud’s gives up on Australian leaders. The prime minister turnover is so rapid, the museum’s Sydney outpost can’t make wax figures fast enough.
India’s badminton star out-earns the world’s best tennis players. Pusarla Vankata Sindhu took home $8.5 million last year, demonstrating India’s growing economic power.
Sports teams are betting on pink. Painting the opponents’ locker rooms with the color is hoped to lower testosterone and decrease aggression.
Lincoln’s iconic hat may save his museum. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum may have to part with the famed stovepipe to pay its debts.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, powerful SPF, and incomplete wax figures 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 and edited by Matt Quinn and Susan Howson.