Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump is in Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri. The president’s MAGA rallies have sought to energize the Republican base before Tuesday’s midterms, a referendum on his first two years that opponents are hoping will allow (paywall) Democrats to take back the House.
The US measures service-sector performance. After rising in September to its highest level since 2008, economists forecast another strong reading from the survey of non-manufacturing businesses, which provides insights into the country’s overall economic health.
The UN reviews Saudi Arabia’s rights record. The Human Rights Council’s periodic review of Riyadh’s policies is likely to include the Saudi investigation into dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death, curbs on freedom of expression, and the arrests of women’s rights activists.
Earnings season rolls on. More than 70 companies in the S&P 500 release their latest quarterly earnings this week. There’s a travel and leisure theme to the companies reporting today, which include Marriott, SeaWorld, Avis, and Booking Holdings (parent of Priceline, Kayak, and others).
Over the weekend
Renewed US sanctions on Iran took effect. Iran is already reeling from a financial crisis and president Hassan Rouhani has vowed to continue selling oil. The US has given eight countries, including India and China, exemptions (paywall) from the sanctions.
SoftBank reported bumper earnings amid anxiety about the future. The Japanese investment group made more than $6 billion in its latest quarter, thanks to buoyant valuations of the tech holdings in its Saudi-backed Vision Fund. At the earnings presentation, CEO Masayoshi Son addressed the killing of Jamal Khashoggi for the first time, saying that he condemned the murder but will maintain ties with the kingdom, upholding a “responsibility to the people of Saudi Arabia.”
China repeated its commitment to free trade. President Xi Jinping defended globalization and promised to do more to open the country’s economy at the start of a major trade expo in Shanghai today. Xi and Trump will discuss trade on the sidelines of this month’s G20 meeting.
The US and South Korea began a small military drill. Joint exercises were suspended after the summit with North Korea in June. On Friday, Pyongyang warned it could restart development of its nuclear program if the US didn’t end its campaign of “maximum pressure” and sanctions.
Berkshire Hathaway reported a $928 million stock buyback. Warren Buffett’s company said it made its first buyback since 2012, a possible signal that the legendary investor can’t find anything else worth buying at the moment.
Obama stumped for Democrats. The former president capped a weekend of Democratic rallies in Florida, Georgia, and Indiana—practically crossing paths with Trump—with an appearance in Chicago, 10 years to the day after being elected.
Obsession interlude
The ancient art of origami is helping scientists and engineers shape the future. The principles of paper-folding have paved the way for amazing breakthroughs, like ingestible robots. Come into the fold at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
No one can predict the result of US midterms. Neither polls nor pundits can accurately forecast the outcome of a political system gone haywire.
“Radical saving” is a fantasy. The FIRE (Financial Independent, Retire Early) movement relies on unrealistic assumptions about future market returns.
The next Saddam Hussein? In its dealings with Mohammed bin Salman, the US should learn from the mistakes it made backing another Middle Eastern leader.
Surprising discoveries
Young women are crowdfunding Kyrgyzstan’s space program. They hope to launch a mini-satellite by next year.
A newly discovered sauropod species was way off course. Fossils of the massive dinosaurs popped up in a part of Argentina that would have been a desert at the time.
New iPhones cost twice as much as you think. With cases, care plans, and accessories, a $999 phone could gobble up $2,000 pretty quickly.
A man set a world record for swimming around Great Britain. To complete the 1,780-mile swim, Ross Edgley spent five months at sea, ate 500 bananas, and lost part of his tongue.
Extreme crunch is the new ASMR video trend. The sound of people munching on raw vegetables triggers a strong sensory response in some people.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, radical saving plans, and lost dinosaurs 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 Jackie Bischof and Jason Karaian.