Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Alcoa releases third-quarter earnings. Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are expected to have taken a toll on Alcoa’s results (paywall) in the last quarter, predicted to be its weakest since 2016.
US Bancorp reports results. A modest increase in lending is expected to boost third-quarter earnings, as big banks continue to cheer the markets by beating estimates this quarter.
The Fed might hint at another rate hike. The Federal Reserve will release minutes of its September meeting, which will likely reinforce expectations of another rate increase as soon as December.
While you were sleeping
Canada became the second country after Uruguay to legalize recreational weed. The first recreational cannabis was bought legally at midnight Wednesday on Newfoundland island. Canada is expected to announce pardons today for people who have been charged with simple possession of 30 grams or less.
Mike Pompeo landed in Turkey to discuss Jamal Khashoggi. After meeting the Saudi king and crown prince on Tuesday, the secretary of state met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. On Tuesday, Turkey released passport scans of seven men (paywall) it alleges were part of a Saudi hit team that murdered the journalist—while Trump criticized the rush to judge Saudi Arabia.
Ted Cruz faced off against a fiery Beto O’Rourke. In the debate ahead of midterms, Democratic candidate O’Rourke, who’s fallen behind the Republican incumbent in a tight Senate race, called Cruz “dishonest.” Cruz suggested O’Rourke is too liberal for conservative Texas. The race has been closely watched as an indicator of Democrats’ chances of making a dent in Republican strongholds.
The EU threw Britain a bone on Brexit. Diplomats said chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier is prepared to add a year to the post-Brexit transition period—until the end of 2021—to allow time to strike a trade deal. Theresa May faces tense talks in Brussels today, mostly about the issue of the post-Brexit Irish border.
Chief Justice John Roberts stressed the political independence of the high court. Speaking at the University of Minnesota Law School, Roberts alluded to the rancor surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, saying that the judiciary “requires independence from the political branches.”
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 Americans need to vote. Baby boomers, responsible for climate change and many other problems, are far more likely to vote than millennials.
Xi Jinping is destroying the mechanisms that helped drive China’s stupendous economic rise. Instead, he’s creating a giant police state.
Surprising discoveries
Julian Assange has morphed into Ecuador’s teenage son. Holed up in its London embassy since 2016, Assange has been told to clean his room and take care of his cat—if he wants his internet privileges back.
You can buy admission to big, fat Indian weddings. Join My Wedding is catering to international tourists curious about the opulent, multi-day affairs.
For the first time in 25 years, no one was shot last weekend in New York City The peace was short-lived after a shooting was reported Monday afternoon.
Facebook could use its in-home camera for targeted ads. Despite an earlier denial, the company admitted its Portal device can track who you call and what apps you use.
A wild-eyed orange mascot is the new face of Antifa. The Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot Gritty has been meme-ified into a leader of the antifascist and American socialist movements.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, embassy cats, and tickets to Indian weddings 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.