Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The EU summit begins in Brussels. The meeting comes shortly after UK prime minister Theresa May survived a leadership challenge, though she reminds in a bind over how to get support from parliament for her Brexit deal to pass. The EU has said that it won’t renegotiate provisions relating to the Irish border in the withdrawal agreement.
Marina Butina is expected to plead guilty in a US federal court. The alleged Russian spy had cut a deal with prosecutors, who are trying to investigate how Butina fits into a broader pattern of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections.
Nissan’s board meets to determine ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn’s future. CEO Hiroto Saikawa’s head could be on the chopping block as well, along with other executives’, in the fallout from Nissan being indicted by Japan.
Virgin Galactic takes a giant leap toward space tourism. It will try to send a rocket-powered plane up to 50 miles (80 km) into the atmosphere, to what’s considered the edge of space, closer to leaving Earth than ever before. If it succeeds, it could move Richard Branson’s company ahead of its competition, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin.
While you were sleeping
A second Canadian citizen went missing in China. Ottawa said that Michael Spavor, a businessman living in northern China who frequently travels to North Korea, couldn’t be contacted after he had told Canadian authorities he was questioned in China. The news comes days after Canada confirmed the detention of former diplomat Michael Kovrig.
China resumed buying US soybeans. The purchase of 1.5 million tons of beans, valued at over $500 million, comes shortly after Donald Trump and Xi Jinping announced a trade-war truce. China imposed 25% tariffs on US soybeans in July, with buyers since turning to alternative sources for the commodity such as Brazil and Argentina.
Theresa May survived a leadership challenge. Members of the Conservative party voted to keep the prime minister as party leader, though almost 40% of them—mostly hardline Brexiteers frustrated with May’s compromises with the EU—cast a vote of no confidence. May said she would not contest the next general election in 2022.
The Trump administration mulled deporting thousands of Vietnamese refugees. The immigrants, who have been in the US for decades following the end of the Vietnam War, had previously been protected by an agreement between the two countries. Trump officials are now re-evaluating the terms of the deal.
Obsession interlude
Is “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” problematic in the #MeToo era? A handful of radio stations have stopped playing the holiday classic, but some feminists see it as a subtle anthem of empowerment. Also, did you know “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” played a pivotal role in the rise of Islamic fundamentalism? There’s bound to be talk tomorrow, so let’s see if “BICO” really can’t stay.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
The workplace needs humans and AI to survive. Humans working with machines give businesses the agility to survive the rise of automation.
Bill Gates needs to read more fiction. The genre is essential to gaining a better understanding of the world.
Theresa May is a zombie leader. She won’t be ousted before the Brexit deadline, but she no longer has the authority (paywall) of a leader who is able to secure a deal for her country.
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Surprising discoveries
Taylor Swift used facial recognition to track her stalkers at a concert. She knew they were trouble when they walked in.
A Russian robot turned out to be a man… A robot called Boris at a youth forum on robotics in Yaroslavl was in fact a person wearing a robot costume.
…While a robot in Japan makes fried chicken. Convenience-store chain Lawson is deploying a chicken-cooking robot in its stores amid a crippling labor shortage in the country.
An Indian girl reported her father to police because of a toilet. The 7-year-old said her dad promised to build her a toilet so that she would no longer have to defecate outside.
Up to 23 billion tons of organisms could be living in Earth’s netherworld. The amount of living matter far below the ocean surface is hundreds of times more than the carbon mass of all humans on the planet.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, robot costumes, and deep-earth specimens to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Isabella Steger and edited by Alice Truong.