Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
India and the US could make a military communications deal. Indian defense sources indicated that high-level talks this week between US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could result in an agreement that gives the two countries’ militaries secure communication lines.
The UK gives Skripal poisoning evidence to the UN. A spokesman for prime minister Theresa May said a security meeting has been called for Thursday afternoon to present its findings on the circumstances surrounding the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal. May has blamed Russia for the attack, and UK officials are calling for justice.
South Korea will open up about talks with North Korea. The Blue House will reportedly brief the press on a summit between South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to take place later this month. The US canceled its own recently scheduled visit with Kim, citing a lack of denuclearization progress.
While you were sleeping
Crypto markets plunged severely. At time of writing, more than $20 billion in market capitalization of crypto assets had been erased: bitcoin dropped by 6%, dipping below $7,000, and ether fell by 14%, approaching a one-year low. Keep up with more crypto news with Quartz’s new Private Key newsletter.
Pompeo arrived in Pakistan. The US secretary of state laid a “foundation” for working with newly-elected prime minister Imran Khan to repair relations after the US canceled $300 million in funding to Pakistan’s military. Pompeo spent only four hours in Pakistan before heading to India.
A flight was quarantined in New York. At least 19 people fell ill during a flight—whose passenger list, oddly, included 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice—from Dubai to the US. The city’s press secretary said all signs point to a strain of influenza, since the Emirates Airline flight carried travelers who had been in Mecca, which is currently experiencing an outbreak.
Facebook chief Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey appeared before Congress. The tech executives described how their social media sites would block bad actors and foreign interference, especially ahead of the midterm elections. But talk of potential regulation caused social media stock prices to fall.
The US trade deficit widened in July, prompting fears that trade could be a drag on the economy. The gap hit $50.1 billion, a five-month high (paywall), as exports of soybeans and civilian aircraft fell, while imports soared to a record high. The 9.5% increase was also the largest since 2015.
An anonymous op-ed spoke of a resistance inside the White House. An anonymous official, writing for the New York Times (paywall), called Donald Trump amoral, impetuous, adversarial, petty, and ineffective. The alleged advisor claimed a group of staff members were “steering the administration” until “it’s over.”
Quartz Obsession interlude
Heather Timmons on how Donald Trump built an invisible wall around America. “On a practical level, this barrier to entry makes the US’s higher-education system less diverse, and the country less welcoming to a global pool of talent and creativity. It also presents an existential crisis for America, critics say.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Facebook and Instagram should crack down on selfies. Tourists may still risk their lives or harm their surroundings, but a reporting system would help discourage the practice.
The New Yorker gave Steve Bannon everything he wanted. Inviting him to the magazine’s festival gave him an intellectual air; uninviting him created a free speech martyr.
Saving one sick orca is an expensive distraction. Pacific Northwest scientists should shift the focus to all ocean life.
Surprising discoveries
Scientists identified a “flexitarian” shark species. The bonnethead is the first known omnivore shark; it relies on plants for 60% of its diet.
Saturn’s strange hexagon threw astrophysicists for a loop. It’s either way bigger than scientists thought, or a doppelganger storm has spawned.
The BBC is slowing down radio programming. Radio 3 will soon be broadcasting the sound of herded cows, a forest hike, and other meditative, ASMR-like audio works.
A German solar-electric car uses lichen to filter the air. The specially treated lichen, which never needs to be misted, collects dust particles through electrostatic attraction.
Physicists designed a better radio antenna. This one is atomic, and it can resist interference, while picking up a wider range of signals than today’s metal rods.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, calming soundscapes, and mossy car parts 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 Susan Howson.