Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Trade war escalation. At midnight ET, the US will add new tariffs (paywall) on $200 billion in Chinese imports as Donald Trump seeks trade concessions from Beijing. In response, China will hit US exports with counter-tariffs of its own. After China pulled out of a Sept. 22 trade meeting, discussions appear stalled until after US legislative elections in November.
The Bank of Japan releases minutes from its July meeting. Aiming for a less rigid policy framework, the central bank decided to allow bond yields to move more flexibly around its target. But with some members dissenting, investors will look into the sticking points and ponder their implications.
Bill Cosby’s sentencing hearing begins. The 81-year-old entertainer faces up to 10 years in prison for each of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He’s been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 60 women.
Over the weekend
A train began testing Hong Kong’s independence. The high-speed rail link between Hong Kong and Guangzhou in mainland China opened to the public. Critics say that Chinese law enforced on the train and in stations violates the independence guaranteed to the former UK colony since its return to Chinese control.
Japan landed rovers on an asteroid. A space probe dropped two small rovers on the asteroid Ryugu, some 280 million km from Earth. The Hayabusa2 mission launched in 2014 and will attempt to bring a sample of the asteroid back home to help scientists understand the history of the solar system.
Porsche is done with diesel. The luxury brand’s parent Volkswagen has suffered legal and financial penalties since cheating on diesel emissions tests. Now the maker of the iconic 911 and the Cayenne SUV will focus on gas, electric, and hybrid engines, with an all-electric model called the Taycan expected in 2020.
US airlines avoided fee rules. Lawmakers unveiled a bill to keep the Federal Aviation Administration open, but dropped a proposal requiring fees for baggage or ticket changes be “reasonable and proportional.” Fliers can look forward to new rules that set minimum seat sizes and forbid passengers from being ejected from flights they’ve already boarded.
Trump aims to bar immigrants who use public benefits. A new US rule would deny permanent residency to immigrants who legally use public benefits, including Medicare and food assistance. Immigrant advocates fear children will be hardest hit if their parents remove them from public programs in order to keep their families together in the US.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Corinne Purtill on life advice from the inventor of Rubik’s Cube. “Rubik listens patiently. He smiles. You can tell he was a good teacher… ‘If you are not able to do something, that is true for the present, not for the future. All the time there’s a chance to go a step further. If something takes a while to be comfortable with it, that’s a much longer and valuable [goal] that you have achieved.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Apple’s new iPhones are bad for women. The bigger screens don’t fit in smaller hands, and they’re also too large for women’s pockets.
YouTube is failing its creators. The platform’s biggest stars are trapped in a constant cycle of content production—and burning out as a result.
Canapés are a deeply impractical party food. It’s hard to look suave while attempting to eat one-handed, standing up.
Surprising discoveries
Cows prefer to set their own schedules, too. Within a year of installing milking robots and an automatic feeding system, one Icelandic farm saw its 80 cows produce 30% more milk.
Galileo tried to trick the Inquisition. A newly discovered letter shows the 17th-century astronomer edited his words to sound less strident about Copernican theory.
Oranges taste better in the shower. Heat enhances the fruit’s flavor, and you get the pleasure of “full-body eating,” too.
Political ads against a US congressman feature his own siblings. Six of Paul Gosar’s brothers and sisters are shown criticizing their Republican relative’s policies.
Deep-sea life is mucking up plans for ocean mining. A stretch of Pacific seabed designated for mining turns out to be teeming with marine worms, red shrimp, and more.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, happy cows, and impractical canapés 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 Sarah Todd, Tim Fernholz, and Steve Mollman.