Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Brazil picks a president. Far-right populist Jair Bolsonaro is widely expected to defeat his left-wing opponent Fernando Haddad in the nation’s final presidential vote on Sunday.
The last GDP report before the midterms. US economic growth data is expected to be good, if not as strong as in the previous quarter. Forecasts range from a low of 2.13% to a high of 3.9%.
US consumer confidence. The University of Michigan’s October consumer-sentiment reading ticked down a little (paywall) in early October, but it’s still high. The Wall Street Journal expects a final reading of 98.5.
The EU turns its clocks back by one hour on Sunday. It may be the last time the bloc uses Daylight Saving Time, after citizens voted to abolish it earlier this year.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump is considering shutting the southern US border. The New York Times reported (paywall) that the president could decide to block crossings at the southern border, including for asylum applicants, as a caravan of Central American migrants approaches. It would be another sweeping use of executive power to play to his anti-immigration base.
Dalian Wanda may dial down its Hollywood dreams. Reuters reported that the company, owned by billionaire Wang Jianlin, is exploring the partial sale of its Legendary Entertainment film studio, to reduce its offshore holdings—something Beijing has been pressuring Chinese companies to do. Dalian Wanda said the news was “inconsistent with the facts.”
Heathrow airport raised a big pot of money to weather Brexit. Europe’s busiest airport has raised £1.6 billion ($2 billion) from global investors to fund its expansion and create a buffer for when Britain leaves the EU. Meanwhile, British Airways’ owner IAG posted upbeat earnings for the quarter, with higher fares offsetting rising fuel costs.
European stocks caught a tech cold. US stock futures dropped and EU markets opened lower on Friday on the back of revenue misses from tech bellweathers Amazon and Alphabet on Thursday. Amazon stock fell more than 7% in late trading, which could put Microsoft on track to overtake it by market cap today.
A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Greece. The 6.8-magnitude quake hit near the tourist island of Zakynthos, and tremors were felt 175 miles away in Athens, and Italy. A few minor injuries were reported, and the island sustained a little damage.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Leah Fessler, Khe Hy, and Oliver Staley on the art of delivering feedback: “We really do want to know how we’re doing. We want to know it often, we want it personalized, we want it conversational, and, perhaps surprisingly, we want it in the morning. But we also fear it, for good reason. Poorly delivered feedback can wreak havoc. At its best, it stirs confusion. At its worst, it breeds fear, resentment, and revenge.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
It’s a terrible time to win the lottery. More money means more problems in this interest rate environment.
Megyn Kelly’s “blackface” comments show her true colors. The Today host is a habitual racist who has never been a good fit for NBC News.
The strong US economy is not all down to Trump. US presidents get too much credit and too much blame for economic performance, ignoring the myriad forces that shape it.
Surprising discoveries
Dolphins modify their speech to get around noisy humans. Simpler, piercing calls at much higher frequencies help them cut through ocean clamor.
A male penguin couple welcomed their baby. Sydney’s Sea Life Aquarium gave them an egg to foster earlier this month—now they have a baby sub-Antarctic Gentoo chick.
The world’s billionaires made more money in 2017 than in any year in recorded history. A UBS report says billionaires become 20% richer last year.
Uber and Lyft are making streets deadlier. Since 2011, the ride-hailing services have caused an estimated 3% increase in US traffic deaths.
Coffee shops look the same everywhere. Cities from Mumbai and São Paulo to Seoul and Lagos are adopting a generic Brooklyn look.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, baby penguins, and rowdy dolphins 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 Jackie Bischof.