Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The FBI wraps up its investigation into Brett Kavanaugh. The bureau is expected to finish its probe into allegations of sexual-misconduct against the US Supreme Court nominee as early as today. The final report will be available to senators only.
Theresa May tries once again for an orderly Brexit. The UK prime minister will give the closing address of the Conservatives’ divisive annual conference, where Brexit hardliners have fought to eliminate ties with the EU.
Angela Merkel visits Israel to talk Iran. The two-day trip is the German chancellor’s first visit to the country in more than four years. She will likely be pressed on Berlin’s continued support for the Iran nuclear deal and its growing trade with Tehran. She will also receive an honorary degree from the University of Haifa tomorrow.
Two Chinese bishops take part in a synod at the Vatican. Guo Jincai and Yang Xiaoting are the first bishops from mainland China to attend the global meeting of bishops, following a historic deal reached last month between Beijing and Pope Francis.
The World Chess Federation elects a new leader amid allegations of Russian interference. The three-way contest, to be decided by 185 national delegates in Georgia, is between Russia’s former deputy prime minister; the current deputy president of the organization, who served under a president sanctioned by the US for allegedly working for the Syrian government; and an Englishman who remarked in 2015 that women weren’t suited for the game.
The Nobel Prize in chemistry is announced. The winner or winners will be unveiled at 11:45am local time in Sweden.
While you were sleeping
An investigation revealed Trump’s family dodged half a billion dollars in taxes. A report by the New York Times (paywall) detailed a pattern of tax avoidance and parental gifts that helped create the US president’s business empire. Tax filings by his father, Fred, showed Donald Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today’s dollars as a three-year-old and became a millionaire by the age of eight.
Ricin-laced mail was sent to the White House and the Pentagon. Authorities intercepted mail addressed to Trump, defense secretary James Mattis, and the navy’s top officer John Richardson that they suspect are linked to one another. Even trace amounts of ricin can cause nausea, internal bleeding, and organ failure.
Russia delivered air-defense systems to Syria. Russia’s defense minister said four S-300 launchers, along with radar and support vehicles, arrived in Syria, and that it will take three months to train Syrian personnel to operate them. The shipment, which the US said was “sort of a serious escalation,” comes after a friendly-fire incident last month in which Syrian forces downed a Russian plane.
Mike Pompeo will return to North Korea. The US secretary of state will travel to Pyongyang—his fourth trip to the country in less than a year—on Saturday in hopes of getting Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons. His Asia itinerary also includes stops in Japan, South Korea, and China.
Canada stripped Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship. The parliament voted to revoke the symbolic honor given to Myanmar’s de factor leader in 2007 for her alleged complicity in the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The decision came after the head of the Nobel Foundation called her actions “regrettable” but said her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize would not be withdrawn.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Allison Schrager on the secret behind the Ivy League’s high endowment returns: “In 1987, most of Yale’s portfolio—90%—was allocated to marketable American securities, like public stocks, bonds, and cash. Today only 10% of its endowment is invested in these kinds of assets. The rest is in hedge funds, private equity, foreign stocks, and real estate.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
It’s fine to be just so-so at your hobbies. People are so afraid of being mediocre (paywall) that it’s keeping them from pursuing leisure altogether.
DNA testing is a gateway to eugenics. More genetic data could result in parents choosing embryos for athletic abilities or even certain physical traits (paywall).
Cushy office perks are a trap. Catered dinners and unlimited-vacation policies designed to promote work-life balance often have the opposite effect.
Surprising discoveries
Lady Gaga fans are pretending to be middle-aged white women online. They’re creating fake accounts to trash the movie Venom because it shares the same premiere date as her upcoming film A Star Is Born.
Kim Kardashian is the most dangerous celebrity to search for. Cyber criminals are using interest in her to trick visitors to click on sites that install malware or steal personal information.
Wikipedia rejected an entry on a new Nobel laureate because she wasn’t famous enough. Prior to winning the prize, physicist Donna Strickland’s only mention on the site was in an article about her male co-inventor.
Emperor Akihito of Japan is a published expert on marine biology. He has authored 30 papers on fish and maintains a staff of private researchers at his palace.
Kuwait banned The Little Mermaid. Government censors decided Disney’s Ariel and Michelangelo’s David were both too revealing (paywall).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, royal fish research, and seashell bras 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 Alice Truong and edited by Isabella Steger.