Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Western Japan braces for Typhoon Jebi. More than 600 domestic flights were cancelled, and major tourist sites in Kyoto and Osaka were closed as the storm—the strongest of its kind in 25 years—approached the Sea of Japan on Monday night.
Bank of England’s governor Mark Carney gets grilled by MPs. The meeting was scheduled to discuss the bank’s rate hike last month, but he’ll likely also be asked about how long he plans to stay in his post.
Brett Kavanaugh’s US Supreme Court confirmation hearings begin. Republican and Democratic senators are expected to question Kavanaugh about contentious past cases, in particular Roe v. Wade, which made abortions legal 45 years ago.
While you were sleeping
Argentina imposed a temporary tax on exports. The move, along with new austerity measures, should persuade the IMF to speed up disbursements of a $50 billion bailout package for the country, which is caught in a currency crisis.
The UN found that migrant crossings to Europe are becoming deadlier. Although fewer people are making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, the likelihood of surviving is much lower.
Turkey’s central bank promised to calm inflation. Officials signaled they will hike interest rates at the bank’s mid-September meeting in response to an 18% jump in inflation year over year, in August.
US markets were closed for the Labor Day holiday. But investors remain nervous about stalled NAFTA talks and the possibility of more US tariffs on China.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Lynsey Chutel on how Namibian farmers’ shoes became hip. “Originally designed for farmers and settlers who had to trudge for hours over harsh, dry scrubland of southern Africa, veldskoene (Afrikaans for “bush shoes”), are finding a new home in the cupboards of young urbanites in Africa and around the world.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Trump’s policies are denting the dollar’s clout. The US president’s trade wars and sanctions will drive the world towards the euro and renminbi, says Jeffrey Sachs.
Don’t go on a Vietnam food tour named to honor Anthony Bourdain. The late chef was ambivalent about the ways mass travel can change the nature of the places he so loved.
Now that it’s partisan and predictable, the US Supreme Court’s existence is harder to justify. The institution that was supposed to pride itself on “not doing,” has instead inserted itself into our deepest (paywall) debates, becoming a political trophy.
Surprising discoveries
AI can predict a city’s obesity levels by analyzing its buildings. Using satellite images, Google Street View, and health data, researchers trained an algorithm to estimate obesity rates without examining its inhabitants.
Paleontologists found two new dinosaurs that could be evolutionary “missing links.” The flesh-eating dinosaurs named Xiyunykus and Bannykus lived between 90 and 160 million years ago.
Microwave weapons may be behind mysterious “sonic attacks” in Cuba. Previously discarded as unlikely, microwave technology is now the leading suspect in unexplained events that caused concussions in American diplomats two years ago.
The 10,000-step daily goal we live by is totally arbitrary. The popular setting for wearable fitness tech originated with a Japanese marketing campaign in the mid-sixties.
Young girls are most drawn to meals when different types of foods are served in discrete sections. Researchers found seven and eight year-old girls do not want their potatoes touching their peas, but boys were indifferent.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, bush shoes, and pedometer goals 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 Lila MacLellan and Ana Campoy.