Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China showcases its authoritarian internet. The Wuzhen World Internet Conference begins under an unusual level of secrecy. The event’s founder, former internet czar Lu Wei, was taken down in an anti-corruption purge earlier this year.
Australia thaws its relations with China. Foreign minister Marise Payne will visit her country’s largest trading partner after a year-long freeze in diplomatic relations, dating back to the tenure of former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Indian financial markets are closed for the Diwali festival. Celebrations will also take place around the world, including at Disneyland in California.
While you were sleeping
Stormy weather and faulty voting machines wreaked havoc in the US midterm elections. Heavy turnout and wet conditions caused major delays at polling stations, with officials blaming damp ballots for jammed voting machines. Results for the election, which includes dozens of closely watched state, house, and senate races, will begin rolling in around 8pm ET (9am HK).
Facebook admitted some blame for the Rohingya genocide. The company published results from an independent review of its activities in Myanmar. It concluded that Facebook was “a means for those seeking to spread hate and cause harm,” and was used for “character assassinations, rumor-spreading, and hate speech against minority individuals” in Myanmar.
US regulators warned telecom companies to deal with robocalls, or else. Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai told carriers they have until next year to stop caller ID spoofing and spam marketing calls. If AT&T, Verizon, Google, and other carriers don’t stem the tide, they will face regulatory penalties.
France requested a “true European Army” to counterbalance the US, Russia, and China. President Emmanuel Macron’s call to action (paywall) came as he toured World War I battlefields ahead of the armistice’s 100th anniversary this week. Donald Trump has been a heavy critic of the NATO alliance and its members.
Foxconn’s Wisconsin plant will be partially staffed by robots and imported workers. Despite the factory’s heavily-subsidized status as a domestic job generator, the Chinese firm is struggling to find enough qualified employees in the tight US job market.
Obsession interlude
The world’s most famous symbol of willy-nilly destruction. When Kim Jong-un warned that his country had finished amassing its nuclear arsenal, he touted the shiny new “nuclear button” on his desk, ready to go. But the trope of the big red button—and the irresistible yet irrational allure we feel to push it—predates the nuclear era entirely. Go down this rabbit hole with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
The battle against income inequality begins with full employment. Janet Yellen says that’s about all that central banks can do.
Should we stop using animals for scientific testing? More primate experiments are being conducted than ever before.
Voting advocates should stop finger-wagging. Trying to shame or badger people into voting is likely to backfire.
Surprising discoveries
San Francisco fined a couple $2.5 million for illegal Airbnbing. The company, rather than fighting the move, says it doesn’t want scofflaws on its platform.
Participation in youth sports is down, and not because of screens. Expensive travel teams are driving a rift between young athletes.
Google’s top US election day search result was in Spanish. The country’s Hispanic population wants to know: “Dondé votar?”
Researchers created an artificial society to investigate religious conflict. The model found that two equally sized xenophobic groups that are in regular contact create “periods of mutually escalating anxiety.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, artificial societies, and “I voted” selfies 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 Holly Ojalvo.