Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The European Central Bank meets in Frankfurt. The meeting itself will likely be uneventful—expect the bank to keep rates on hold. But the press conference afterwards could shed light on Italy’s budget standoff and the ECB’s plans to reinvest maturing bonds.
Amazon announces earnings. The company is expected to report robust growth in e-commerce, ad sales, and cloud computing, but some investors are wary of its new $15 minimum wage and the US postal service’s proposed increase in shipping and mailing fees.
The US releases September data on durable-goods orders. In August, an increase in aircraft orders fueled demand (paywall) for long-lasting goods produced by American factories. But another key measure, non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, fell.
Super Typhoon Yutu ravages US Pacific islands. Threatening to become one of most intense storms ever recorded (paywall), Yutu is cutting a path through the Northern Mariana Islands, home to about 50,000 people. Extreme destruction is expected on Saipan and Tinian islands.
While you were sleeping
Bombs were mailed to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The Secret Service intercepted the explosives, which were in “suspicious packages.” Similar deliveries were sent to CNN, other prominent Democrats, and, earlier, philanthropist George Soros, fueling speculation of right-wing terrorism.
Tesla reported a surprise profit for the third quarter. The electric-car maker posted a profit of $312 million and revenue of $6.8 billion—well above expectations—despite manufacturing challenges and months of distractions centered around CEO Elon Musk. It had turned a quarterly profit only twice before.
Italy fined Apple and Samsung for slowing down phones. An antitrust agency said both companies—each fined €5 million ($5.7 million)—used software updates to reduce the functionality of handsets and prod consumers into buying new ones. It doubled Apple’s fine for not adequately explaining how to maintain batteries.
Cathay Pacific warned of a data breach. The airline said information on 9.4 million customers—including addresses, phone numbers, and passport numbers—was accessed without authorization. That follows British Airways reporting a similar breach last month.
The Saudi crown prince called Jamal Khashoggi’s murder “a heinous crime.” Speaking at Saudi Arabia’s “Davos in the Desert” investment forum, Mohammed bin Salman said the people responsible must be brought to justice. Many suspect that he himself ordered the killing of the journalist.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Dan Kopf on the real winners of a US-China trade war: “If China isn’t exporting as much stuff to the US, there is an opportunity for other countries to fill the void. There’s a Chinese proverb for this scenario: When the snipe and clam quarrel, it is the fisherman who profits. In this case, the fisherman may well be Vietnam or the Philippines.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Italy’s budget crisis is the biggest threat to the European Union. The European Central Bank’s apparent willingness to buy Italian bonds could spell disaster due to Italy’s precarious economic situation.
US college sports are affirmative action for affluent white athletes. Over 60% of student athletes are white, as the admissions process continues to favor those who can afford pricy equipment, private coaching, and high tuitions.
Waking up early won’t change your life. The real productivity lifehack is simply getting a good night’s rest so that you don’t need an alarm to wake you up in the morning.
Surprising discoveries
China’s young and rich are flaunting their wealth in a “falling stars” meme. Photos of women sprawled on the ground next to luxury cars and the contents of their designer handbags are all over Weibo.
A storm sank Hawaii’s East Island. Hurricane Walaka destroyed the tiny island, which was part of a chain of atolls that serve as critical nesting grounds for the endangered green sea turtle.
British police are being inundated with “Friends” jokes. Authorities are seeking tips, not TV references, as they search for the David Schwimmer look-alike who robbed a restaurant.
The Danes have a perfect word Americans can use if they’re sick of the midterm elections. Politikerlede denotes a dismay with governance and those who choose to do it for a living.
Families have been scattering the ashes of loved ones at Disney World for years. The practice is so common that Disney employees have an entire cleaning protocol (paywall), which includes a microfine vacuum cleaner.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, David Schwimmer sightings, and useful Danish words 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 April Siese and Steve Mollman.