Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Google unveils its latest products. The tech giant could announce the new Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones, the Pixel Slate tablet, and a smart display for its Home speakers at today’s event. Don’t expect a new Pixel smartwatch, as the timepieces appear to be falling out of fashion.
The world’s first Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit begins. The multi-day event in London aims to educate governments about best practices in addressing mental-health issues and combating stigma.
Trump makes an ethanol announcement. The president is expected to unveil a policy that allows the year-round sale of gasoline with a higher percentage of ethanol (paywall), according to the Wall Street Journal. The move would please farmers—and annoy oil companies.
While you were sleeping
The IMF lowered its growth forecast for the world. The organization revised its estimate (paywall) for global GDP growth this year from 3.9% to 3.7%, warning of trade protectionism, lower capital flows to emerging markets, and political risks.
Hurricane Michael intensified as it moved towards the Gulf Coast. On Monday evening, the National Hurricane Center said the Category 1 storm will be a “dangerous major hurricane” by the time it hits the US tomorrow. It warned that Michael could cause “life-threatening flash flooding from the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region into portions of the Carolinas.”
The White House turned up the heat on Saudi Arabia. After Turkish officials said that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, secretary of state Mike Pompeo called for Riyadh to start a thorough and transparent investigation into the matter.
Indonesia ordered foreign NGOs to leave Sulawesi. The government told foreign aid workers, who arrived after an earthquake and tsunami devastated the island on Sept. 28, to leave immediately, raising concerns that aid to desperate people will stall. The death toll stands at around 1,900, with 5,000 still missing, presumed dead.
Trump dissed Taylor Swift. The president said on Monday that he likes the pop star’s music “25 percent less” since her endorsement of Democrat Phil Bredesen in Tennessee’s Senate race. Vote.org said yesterday that Swift’s political coming-out caused a spike in voter registration in her home state.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Ruonan Zheng on the Chinese overseas students who are recruited by brands as micro-influencers: “’This is the spot for shopping luxury,’ said Qian Qian, a graduate student at Northeastern University. I noticed her Dior earrings as she joked that the best source of entertainment in Boston was to spend a day at Copley and be surrounded by her favorite labels, such as Dior, Burberry, and Tiffany’s. Qian was one of the 16 Chinese students in attendance ‘recruited’ by the event organizer Gold Linq, a Los Angeles-based consultancy that manages outreach to the Chinese market for Simon Shopping Destinations across its different properties.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Mike Pence’s tirade against China marks an inflection point. The vice president’s speech frames the US-China trade war in the ominous context (paywall) of Beijing’s quest for global domination.
Human empathy can’t—or won’t—keep up with the tsunami in Indonesia. ”Compassion collapse” means that people often care more about the tragedies of individuals than of many people.
Optimism is essential if we’re to fight climate change. The belief that saving the planet is too costly or difficult leads many to ignore or deny the problem.
Surprising discoveries
Facial-recognition technology can monitor salmon. A 3D scanner identifies each fish based on the pattern of spots on its face—and singles out those carrying deadly sea lice.
Dirty dishes reveal what ancient civilizations ate. Food scraps on 8,000-year-old ceramic shards found in Turkey include barley, wheat, peas, and tea.
Indian authorities are using Calvin Klein’s Obsession to catch a tiger. The perfume contains a compound originally found in civet cats that drives big cats wild (paywall).
Singapore Airlines has the world’s longest flight once again. Discontinued in 2013, the 19-hour trip from Singapore to New York relaunches on Oct. 11.
Fitness trackers think inanimate objects have a pulse. Xiaomi’s Mi Band 3 mistakenly detected a heartbeat on a roll of toilet paper.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, salmon IDs, and bottles of Obsession 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.