Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China opens the world’s longest sea bridge between the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau. President Xi Jinping plans to attend an inauguration of the 55 km (34 mile) Y-shaped span. It also includes an underwater tunnel and two artificial islands, and will primarily be used by buses and trucks.
India’s supreme court rules on a proposed fireworks ban. Judges will weigh the interests of the country’s large fireworks industry against the health of its citizens. Fireworks, especially around the festival of Diwali, are a major contributor to India’s air pollution.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan reveals the Saudi Khashoggi cover-up. Turkey’s president said he will disclose “in full nakedness” (paywall) what his government knows about the killing of the exiled Washington Post columnist in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He’s scheduled to give a televised speech to parliament.
While you were sleeping
Netflix plans to borrow $2 billion to pay for more programming. The company’s junk bond offering, denominated in dollars and euros, will push its total debt load above $10 billion (paywall) for the first time. Netflix, riding high after dazzling quarterly results and a surging stock price, expects to burn about $3 billion this year to pay for new original series and movies.
Another founder left Facebook… Brendan Iribe, the founding CEO of VR unit Oculus, resigned amid reports that Facebook is shutting down the “Rift 2” PC-powered headset. In recent months, the former leaders of Facebook acquisitions Instagram and WeChat have also left the company.
…And an embattled Uber executive resigned. Head of corporate development Cameron Poetzscher was accused of sexual misconduct (paywall), including charged remarks about female coworkers and a consensual affair with a colleague. Poetzscher negotiated many of Uber’s biggest deals, including a $7.7 billion investment by SoftBank and the sale of its assets in Southeast Asia.
Donald Trump threatened to cut foreign aid to Central America. The US president blamed Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador for not stopping a caravan of 5,000 to 7,000 Honduran migrants heading toward the US border. The three nations receive up to $182 million (paywall) a year in US aid.
A weed vaping company raised money at a $5 billion valuation. Pax, founded by the same team behind the tobacco vaping startup Juul, raised another $20 million from venture funds (paywall). Its flagship internet-connected vaping device has far less negative buzz than its corporate cousin.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Annabelle Timsit on the small Virginia town that banded together against the opioid epidemic: “The answer, it turns out, comes down to the vision of its community leaders—including dedicated doctors and nurses, a tireless public defender, a determined chief of police, a few frustrated judges, and an addict-turned-pastor devoted to helping his community recover.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Waking up early is the best life hack. It lets your brain get in gear and makes you look like a real go-getter.
Jair Bolsonaro is using Nazi tactics. The Brazilian presidential frontrunner uses fascism and misogyny to fuel his campaign.
Don’t blame bias on hiring algorithms. Blame the biased companies that blindly use the systems.
Surprising discoveries
Hearing aids can halt cognitive declines. New research suggests that dementia is closely linked to sensory impairments.
NASA found a rectangular iceberg in Antarctica. Contrary to popular belief, nature is full of 90° angles.
The long stream of alien characters from The Matrix is made up of sushi recipes. Production designer Simon Whiteley created the “digital rain” from his Japanese wife’s cookbooks.
Purple urchins are threatening California’s seaweed forests. Climate change and the loss of the urchins’ natural predators have caused a 93% reduction in kelp (paywall).
Actors are scanning themselves for post-death career planning. The entire Star Wars cast, and many other A-listers, have conducted hi-rez 3D facial scans.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, junk bonds, and oddly shaped ice 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 Adam Pasick.