Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Boeing’s CEO talks strategy. Dennis Muilenburg, who is trying to steer the company out of a months-long crisis, will speak at the Bernstein investor conference. The International Air Transport Association said today it could take until August for the company’s grounded 737 Max 8 airlines to return to service.
American and Chinese news anchors debate trade. Trish Regan from Fox Business and Liu Xin from CGTN—the overseas arm of China’s state broadcaster CCTV—will talk tariffs and technology on Regan’s primetime show.
Israel’s parliament votes on dissolving itself. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struggled to form a new governing coalition, and a deadline to do so expires tonight. If a bill to dissolve the parliament wins final approval, Israel would be forced to host a new election, despite having just held a national vote last month.
Fashion giants take stock. PVH Corp is expecting an earnings bump from its Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brands, while Capri Holdings, formerly Michael Kors Ltd., may see a decline, despite its purchase last year of Versace. Abercrombie & Fitch and Canada Goose also report today.
While you were sleeping
John Bolton lobbed some big accusations at Iran. Speaking during a visit to the United Arab Emirates, president Trump’s hawkish national security advisor said there was “no reason” for Tehran to walk from the 2015 nuclear accord, which the US withdrew from last year. He also blamed Iran for sabotaging oil tankers in the region.
Huawei asked a US court to throw out a ban on its equipment. The telecom giant said it had filed a motion for summary judgement asking for US legislation barring federal agencies from buying its products to be declared unconstitutional. The company filed suit against the US in March; this motion seeks a judge’s decision without going to a full trial.
China threatened to hit back at the US with rare earths. State media said it could cut exports of 17 metals used in everything from consumer electronics to military equipment, as a counter weapon in the escalating trade war. China produces more than 95% of the globe’s rare earth metals.
ArcelorMittal steeled itself against market deterioration. The world’s largest steel manufacturer announced production cuts (paywall) across its European plants in response to weak demand and cheap imports, causing the company’s shares to slide as much as 7.3%.
Venezuela released economic data for the first time since 2015. The numbers painted a grim picture: GDP contracted by 22.5% in the third quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Oil earnings also dropped, while inflation has skyrocketed to 130,060%.
Brazilian police rounded up nearly 1,000 murder suspects. The massive, country-wide “anti-murder operation” is part of an operation which saw about 3,000 alleged criminals locked up in August. A drug war truce has contributed in part to Brazil’s homicide rate dropping significantly.
Membership
Influencing, a multi-billion-dollar industry, is mediated by tech giants and used by the world’s biggest corporations as a powerful marketing channel. But what’s fueling it is the labor of countless workers, who serve as de facto one-person publishers or advertising agencies. As part of our week-long examination of the influencing world, reporter Hanna Kozlowska reveals how much harder the job is than it looks.
Quartz Obsession
Cauliflower masquerades as steak and moonlights as rice. It’s vegan, paleo, and low carb. Crunchy when raw, it can be boiled into a mush, or roasted to perfection. It may just be all things to all people, and its popularity has rice producers in an uproar and farmers planting more of it than ever.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Disney still doesn’t get the Middle East. Harmful tropes make the Aladdin remake almost as problematic as the original.
Steak could stand in Impossible Burger’s way. Engineering an alternative to whole-muscle cuts might prove…impossible.
Are Hollywood studios obligated to take a political stance? While producers and writers are calling for boycotts in abortion-banning states, media companies have remained pointedly silent.
Surprising discoveries
Finns are taking lessons in small talk. They want to overcome their discomfort of casual chit-chat (paywall) with strangers.
The world’s rivers are swimming in antibiotics. Tainted waterways could be contributing to the rise of superbugs.
A man smuggled 4,700 leeches in his carry-on bag. A security dog sniffed them out, but who counted them?
Elephant seal dialects have all but disappeared. After years of intermingling they’ve lost their regional accents.
A third of teens sleep with their phones. Their parents’ device use may be even more problematic.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, leech-sniffing dogs, and cauliflower recipes 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 Adam Rasmi and edited by Jackie Bischof.