Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
New US tariffs on China could go into effect. Donald Trump may announce tariffs of about 10% on some $200 billion worth of Chinese goods as early as today. That’s below the 25% tariffs the administration had been weighing. China’s stock markets closed at their lowest level since 2014 on Monday.
FedEx posts quarterly earnings. The shipping giant, which ended its fiscal year on a positive note, is expected to report healthy numbers ahead of the peak holiday season. Investors will want to know of any negative effects so far from the various US tariff wars.
HBO goes up against Netflix at the Emmys. For the first time in 17 years, HBO is not the network with the most Emmy nominations, with Netflix narrowly beating the premium cable channel.
Who is SpaceX sending moonwards? Elon Musk’s company said it would announce details on Monday evening about the first passenger who has signed up to travel around the moon on SpaceX’s new BFR rocket.
Over the weekend
Typhoon Mangkhut wreaked havoc in Southeast Asia and China… The powerful storm killed over 60 people in the Philippines and caused significant damage to crops in a key agricultural area. In Hong Kong, it shattered windows, ripped up trees, and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
…While Hurricane Florence ravaged the Carolinas. The enormous storm claimed at least 17 lives, with hundreds of thousands of people left without power. However, citizens have been told that the “worst is yet to come” and to be on high alert for sudden flooding (paywall) over the next few days.
The woman accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault went public. Professor Christine Blasey Ford confirmed she wrote a confidential letter alleging that US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her over 30 years ago. Kavanaugh has denied wrongdoing (paywall).
Amazon investigated staff bribery claims. The online retailer is looking into allegations that its staff accepted bribes to delete negative reviews (paywall) and reinstate banned accounts, as well as leaked confidential sales data. The Wall Street Journal reports that the abuse of the system was particularly “pronounced in China.”
Time magazine was sold, again. Salesforce.com co-founder Marc Benioff and his wife bought the struggling publication for $190 million, eight months after magazine publisher Meredith completed its acquisition of Time Inc.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Dan Kopf on the epic rise and fall of the name “Heather.” “At its peak in 1975, more than 24,000 girls were named Heather, making it the US’s third most popular girls name, after Jennifer and Amy. In 2017, it was the 1,129th most popular name, given to only 219 girls born that year. Jennifer and Amy also have fallen in popularity, but not nearly as sharply as Heather.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Postmodernism gets a bad rap. The much-maligned theory didn’t create the fake-news era, but it can help us describe the times we live in.
Drawing is the best way to learn. It fosters close observation, analytical thinking, patience, and even humility.
New Zealand is becoming more integrated. The increasing popularity of learning Maori (paywall) suggests indigenous culture is now an essential part of the country’s identity.
Surprising discoveries
Nearly 90% of Japan’s centenarians are women. The nation just reached a record high of 69,785 people aged 100 or older.
The latest iPhones cost way more in Germany. Expect a price change of over 130% for the Xs, Xs Max, and Xr models compared to in the US.
A new marathon world record was set. Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge ran the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds, smashing the previous record by 1 minute 18 seconds.
Fortnite is breaking up marriages. Two hundred divorce petitions filed in the UK since the start of this year cited the video game as a reason for the separation.
Negative feedback is best delivered in the morning. Self-control fades and defensiveness increases later in the day.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Maori songs, and marathon records 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 Jill Petzinger and edited by Sarah Todd.