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What to watch for today
Angela Merkel visits Senegal. The German chancellor will also make stops in Ghana and Nigeria on a trip focused on security, migration, and boosting ties to a region where Germany lags as an investor. A day earlier in Cape Town, UK prime minister Theresa May announced plans to invest $5 billion in African economies.
The US releases GDP numbers. Economists are predicting a slightly lower reading for second-quarter figures than had previously been announced, but the 4% growth rate is still the fastest in four years (paywall). The second half of 2018 is expected to hit 3% growth, thanks to consumer spending and business investment.
BYD’s half-year earnings. The Chinese electric-vehicle giant has warned the figures from January to June aren’t going to be pretty, after Beijing began pulling back on manufacturer subsidies last year. The country is preparing to move over to a California-inspired credit system for EV makers instead.
The Venice Film Festival begins. Hoping to keep its position as the starting point for the Oscars, the festival rings in its 75th year with a celebrity-filled guest list, premieres by critically acclaimed directors, and… only one female filmmaker. It opens with a screening of the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man.
While you were sleeping
Puerto Rico dramatically raised the death toll from Hurricane Maria. An independent report commissioned by the territory’s governor found that 2,975 people died following the September storm, a number that is nearly 50 times higher than the death toll officials have been citing.
Nikki Haley says Myanmar’s military leaders should face justice. The US ambassador to the UN said the State Department’s own investigation, still under wraps, found hundreds of Rohingya who reported seeing killings and rapes. She said the findings were “consistent” with a UN report that said Myanmar had “genocidal intent,” but didn’t use the word herself.
The stage is set for a tough gubernatorial election in Florida. A staunch Trump ally will take on a liberal African-American who would be the state’s first black governor should he triumph in elections in November.
California voted to abolish cash bail. The bill attempts to even out a system that previously favored the wealthy, turning instead to an assessment process that determines each individual’s flight risk. Criminal-justice advocates say the way California plans to implement the new law will end up handing judges too much power.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Jenny Anderson on the entrepreneurs adapting the Airbnb model to child care. “Our current child-care system was built for the industrial age… Large child-care centers may make sense if parents work on a typical 9-5, inflexible schedule, with a drop-off period in the morning and a pickup at night. But parenting has changed, along with how and where we work.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Phone numbers are the most important identifier. They serve as today’s differentiators and means of authentication, so they’re a big target for hackers.
Gambling can weed out poor science studies. Online bettors are uncannily good at predicting which psychology and social studies can be replicated or not.
Air conditioners do great good at too high a cost. The cooling machines are essential to everyday life, but they need to become more energy efficient (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Shinkansen staff train by sitting by the track. An employee of Japan’s famed bullet train said the drill was “just like a public flogging.”
A lustful dolphin is harassing French swimmers. Local officials in Finistère had to ban swimming after the aroused animal became increasingly aggressive.
Entire Chinese cities support the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. China added as much battery-storage capacity in 2018 as all previous years combined.
South Koreans can’t smoke weed abroad. The government warned that criminal charges could ensue, even if the drug was used in countries where it’s legal.
Vanilla ice cream isn’t what it says it is. One in five contain no vanilla, cream, or fresh milk, according to a survey of brands on British shelves.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, legally obtained weed, and deceitful ice cream 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 Tripti Lahiri and Alice Truong.