Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Canada legalizes recreational marijuana. The country will become the second in the world to make weed legal (after Ecuador) in a phased roll-out. In Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, cannabis users will initially only be able to order weed online, with delivery by mail.
Shinzo Abe visits France. The Japanese prime minister will sit down with French president Emmanuel Macron to discuss maritime security cooperation, in the second leg of his European tour.
Theresa May tries to find a “creative solution” to Brexit. European council president Donald Tusk told the UK prime minister to find a way to break the impasse over Ireland’s border—”a new version of the Gordian knot”—when she addresses 27 EU leaders. They will then discuss her proposal over dinner; she’s not invited.
While you were sleeping
Netflix earnings crushed expectations. The streaming giant, which has struggled to hit targets in recent quarters, added nearly 2 million more subscribers than analysts predicted. Its shares rose by about 15% in after-hours trading.
Saudi Arabia and the US tried to handle the Khashoggi crisis. Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed to a “thorough investigation” into the alleged murder of a Washington Post columnist in Istanbul, but denied any knowledge of his fate (paywall). US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who met with Salman and his father, will travel to Turkey, where officials say they found signs of a cover-up in the Saudi consulate.
A US judge approved Elon Musk’s settlement with securities regulators. Under the agreement, Tesla and Musk will each pay a $20 million fine, Tesla will find a new chairman along with two independent directors, and Musk will agree to vet all communications—presumably including tweets—with a new board committee. Tesla shares rose 5.5% on the news.
Uber considered a massive new $120 billion valuation for its IPO. The Wall Street Journal (paywall) reported that Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, which are vying to participate in the offering, suggested that the company assign a price tag that dwarfs its most recent valuation. An IPO could take place early in 2019.
Hurricane Michael’s death toll rose to 29, with more than a thousand missing. Rescuers identified 10 additional deaths from the powerful storm that hit Florida’s Gulf coast, but have been unable to locate an additional 1,135 victims. Across the southeast, power outages left more than 200,000 people without electricity.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on the late Paul Allen’s pivotal support for private space flight: “Wealth accumulated from his stake in Microsoft and real-estate investments in Seattle allowed him to invest in next-generation space concepts starting in the 1990s. … The leading firms of the new commercial space age, from SpaceX to fellow Seattle billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, may not look exactly like SpaceShipOne or Allen’s more eclectic investments in space technology. Nonetheless, he paved the way for a new approach to doing business in orbit.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The world could soon have three separate internets. The EU, US, and China are balkanizing what was once a universal human resource (paywall).
Young US voters need to vote before the olds destroy the world. Baby boomers, responsible for climate change and a host of other problems, are far more likely to vote than millennials.
A Saudi prince saved Donald Trump from bankruptcy—twice. The intercessions of Alwaleed bin Talal highlight Trump’s conflict of interest.
Surprising discoveries
The health effects of trauma can last for generations. Data from the US civil war can be explained by modern knowledge of epigenetics.
The “do not track” privacy tool is utterly worthless. Few major websites adhere to the voluntary code of conflict.
Bangladeshi farmers are switching to ducks to cope with cyclones. Unlike chickens, they can swim.
Facebook will use data from its in-home camera to target ads. Despite an earlier denial, the company admitted that its Portal device will track who you call and what apps you use.
An attempt to save journalism with the blockchain did not go well. Civil is going back to the drawing board after an attempt to sell a cryptocoin fell flat.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, journalism saviors, and internet reunification plans 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 Adam Pasick and edited by Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz.