Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Election day in the US. The midterms will serve as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency, shaping the second half of his term. Democrats are expected to retake control of the House (paywall), while Republicans are favored to maintain control of the Senate.
CVS Health reports results. The drugstore giant is expected to give an update on its takeover of health insurer Aetna, which was given regulatory approval in October.
Papa John’s third-quarter earnings. The pizza chain is expected to deliver soggy sales figures today, and investors will be listening for news of potential buyers. Founder John Schnatter resigned in July following reports that he had used a racial slur on a conference call.
The US pipe-bomb suspect appears in court. Prosecutors will ask a judge to hold Cesar Sayoc, who is accused of mailing more than a dozen explosive devices to prominent Democrats, without bail.
While you were sleeping
Facebook took down dozens of suspicious accounts. Just hours ahead of the midterms, the social media giant said it had pulled the plug on 30 Facebook accounts and 85 Instagram accounts. US law enforcement had warned Facebook that the accounts might be linked to foreign entities, sparking concerns over election interference.
Donald Trump campaigned in Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri. The president made a last bid to drum up support for the Republican party in three state rallies, leaning heavily on anti-immigrant rhetoric (paywall). Fox News host Sean Hannity joined Trump onstage in Missouri, despite earlier tweeting that he wouldn’t appear.
Bill Gates launched a futuristic toilet in Beijing. Brandishing a jar of human waste at the Reinvented Toilet Expo in Beijing, the billionaire philanthropist unveiled a toilet that turns human waste into fertilizer and that doesn’t need water or sewers.
Toyota posted peppy third-quarter results. The Japanese automaker reported its second-strongest quarter since September 2015, posting an 11% growth in profit. Unlike some of its European and US rivals, Toyota saw healthy sales growth in China, although profitability improved in North America too.
Obsession interlude
Just about everything you thought you knew about bees is wrong. Only one of the 20,000-plus species of bees makes honey—and most don’t work in massive hives while serving the queen and the greater good. We can learn a lot from the loners—including the role of genetics in social behavior and potential lessons about autism. Go down the rabbit hole with solitary bees in today’s Obsession.
Matters of debate
Apple’s iPhone defies economic gravity. Its rise from $499 to more than $1,000 confounds expectations that prices of electronics tend to fall over time.
The world should be outraged over the death of Tuti Tursilawati. The Indonesian rape victim was beheaded by the Saudi Arabian government last week.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi are trying to trick US voters. The soft drink industry is attempting to avoid soda-tax initiatives with ballot measures that would prohibit cities from putting taxes on any groceries.
Surprising discoveries
McDonald’s is recruiting grandmas to flip burgers. The tight labor market has led US fast-food chains to look for workers in retirement homes (paywall).
Piranhas bark as well as bite. Scientists are able to identify the fish in murky Amazon waters by their underwater “barks.”
The US’s most expensive warship was delivered without elevators. The $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford needs them to load bombs from below deck onto fighter jets (paywall).
Llamas may unlock a cure for the flu. Scientists are using llama blood to produce a new antibody therapy that may work against all types of flu.
A man returned home two months after his funeral. The missing Kazakh man was declared dead after a DNA test found a corpse was 99.92% likely to be him.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, llamas, and burger-flipping grandmas 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 Sarah Todd.