Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A trade war chills Chinese factory activity. The country’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is expected to slip to 50.6, the lowest point since February 2018, and a separate private survey is expected to show that activity contracted for the first time since May 2017.
South Sudan’s rebel leader returns home. Riek Machar will come back to the world’s youngest country under a newly inked peace deal, which will once again make him the deputy of his bitter rival, president Salva Kiir.
The Bank of Japan’s interest rate decision. Economists don’t expect a change in the country’s benchmark rate, but are looking for guidance about whether the central bank will allow any yield fluctuation in government bonds.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump said he would try to end birthright citizenship in America. The US president told Axios that his legal advisers believed an executive order could end automatic citizenship for children born on US soil, despite explicit guarantees in the US Constitution.
Facebook reported third-quarter numbers. The platform’s earnings per share beat the projected $1.47 to land at $1.76, but active users and revenue fell short, the latter hitting only $13.73 billion instead of the estimated $13.78 billion. Last quarter, Facebook itself predicted that security and compliance costs, as well as a surge in hiring, would hurt revenue growth. Shares slipped 5% on the news.
Denmark accused Iran of an attempted assassination. The Danish government said a planned attack near Copenhagen against an Iranian dissident group was “completely unacceptable.” Danish security forces closed a number of the city’s roads, bridges, and ferries in a massive manhunt in September, resulting in the arrest of a Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent.
GE slashed its dividend and missed financial targets. The once-mighty conglomerate cut its shareholder payout to a single penny, failed to meet analysts’ modest expectations, and warned that US authorities were expanding their probe into its accounting. The beaten-down stock plummeted an additional 8%.
Notorious mobster James “Whitey” Bulger was killed in US federal prison. The longtime Boston crime boss was found dead after being transferred to a new facility in West Virginia, where he was serving a life sentence for at least 10 murders. Bulger eluded police for more than 16 years before being apprehended in 2011.
The special counsel’s office warned of a plot to discredit Robert Mueller. Prosecutors investigating Donald Trump’s ties to Russia said several journalists were approached by a woman who was offered money to make false claims that he sexually harassed her. Mueller’s office referred the claims to the FBI for investigation.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Sarah Shearman on the durable, biodegradable material that’s ready to bounce back: “The spongy yet resilient substance has practical uses that date back to Ancient Egypt. But for a while, it looked like the world was turning its back on cork. These days, when low-impact, natural alternatives to plastic are in demand, it could be in line for a revival.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Retweets are worse than likes. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey announced an intent to delete “liking” tweets, but it’s the other button that stifles healthy conversation.
African phone companies are evolving into conglomerates. As mobile voice earnings slow, telcos use brand loyalty to entice customers with a host of other services.
Job titles are a distraction. With Elon Musk calling himself the “Nothing” of Tesla, it’s clear that a C-suite title doesn’t necessarily bestow all the power.
Surprising discoveries
Pharrell says Trump isn’t “Happy” enough to play his song. The singer sent a cease and desist letter to prevent the US president from using his hit tune during rallies.
The world’s largest octopus garden is two miles deep. A thousand brooding octomoms are raising babies en masse off the coast of California.
Japan won’t “please please” Beatles fans. The country’s supreme court ruled that the government will continue to really have a hold on super-rare footage from a 1966 Tokyo show.
Paddleboarding witches took over an Oregon river. The coven stayed upright despite their spooky garb, which surely made an already tricky task even trickier.
The Paris catacombs have an underground society. “Cataphiles” do in-depth amateur explorations, often illegally, throughout the bone-filled network.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, octopus babies, and river witches 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 and Susan Howson.