Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US unveils its latest consumer spending data. The Commerce Department figures are likely to show that July saw a fifth-straight month of solid growth in consumer spending. The Federal Reserve’s preferred reading of inflation is also expected to show an increase of 2.3% from the same period a year ago.
Campbell Soup tries to avert an investor battle. The soup and snack company will report the results of a strategic review, with a view to staving off activist investors pushing the company to sell itself. Campbell Soup has been struggling with falling profit as younger consumers drift away.
US retailers announce earnings. Athleisure apparel-maker Lululemon, with stock up over 70% this year, reports its second-quarter figures. Abercrombie & Fitch will also release its latest numbers, with investors looking for updates on its strategy of shrinking the size of its stores.
While you were sleeping
Panasonic became the latest company to flee the UK. The multinational electronics giant plans to move its European headquarters from London to Amsterdam in October to avoid tax issues when Britain leaves the European Union in March 2019. Panasonic’s CEO, Laurent Abadie, said he feared changes to the UK’s corporate tax regime could make Japan consider the country a tax haven.
Samsonite warned of the impact of the US-China trade war. The world’s largest luggage maker said that escalating tensions between the two countries were already starting to affect (paywall) its business in Asia. Despite that, strong performance of the firm’s high-end Tumi brand helped the company post 16.6% growth in sales in the first half of the year.
Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon had a heated debate. The New York gubernatorial candidates sparred for the first time (paywall). The former Sex and the City star labeled the current governor a “corrupt corporate Democrat,” while Cuomo attacked Nixon for her lack of political experience. Polls show Nixon trailing far behind Cuomo.
The IMF said it was studying Argentina’s request for help. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said it would consider speeding up Argentina’s bailout deal. President Mauricio Macri’s request for an early release of the $50 billion loan program prompted the biggest one-day decline in the peso since the currency was allowed to float in December 2015.
Lawmakers urged Donald Trump to sanction China over its Xinjiang crackdown. Bipartisan members of Congress sent a letter to the president suggesting he impose sanctions on Beijing, as millions of Uyghur Muslims in the region are reportedly being incarcerated in so-called “training centers.” The letter criticized the camps as a “high-tech police state” that violates “privacy and international human rights.”
Quartz Obsession interlude
Katherine Ellen Foley on the history of cholera treatment and learning from failures. “[A] Bavarian scientist named Max Joseph von Pettenkofer… believed the substance that caused cholera was transmitted only in certain populations—like those who were poor, behaved in certain ways, or were generally ‘unclean.’ Von Pettenkofer went above and beyond the scientific call of duty to prove his point. He drank a slurry of watery stool from someone who actually had cholera, to show that he wouldn’t get sick.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Studying blockchain at university isn’t pointless. Cryptomania may have cooled, but blockchain-linked expertise will still be in high demand in years to come.
Spanish flu helped create the modern Swedish welfare state. The epidemic highlighted rampant social inequality and brought about the political will to change it.
Louis CK is confused about atonement. Doing essentially nothing for several months (paywall) does not erase years of sexual misconduct.
Surprising discoveries
Women in Europe are increasingly drawn to right-wing populism. A new study argues that right-wing parties appeal to women by promising to bolster the welfare state.
Low-carb dieting may be dangerous. New research suggests that people who eschew foods like pasta and potatoes are at greater risk of premature death.
A lot of Europeans want to get rid of daylight savings time. The European Commission says a majority of the 4.6 million people who responded to an online consultation want clocks to stay the same year-round (paywall).
Airplane bathrooms are shrinking. Delta claims slimmer bathrooms are necessary (paywall) to accommodate features like larger overhead bins.
People with smutty-sounding names are out of luck online. The internet freezes out people with surnames like Dickman, Weiner, and even Sporn.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, pasta, and daylight savings rants 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 Edmund Heaphy and edited by Sarah Todd.