Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Amazon tempts shoppers with Prime Day discounts. The e-commerce giant’s quarterly sales have more than doubled since launching the annual event in 2015. Minnesota warehouse workers will mark the day with a work stoppage strike over pay and safety concerns.
Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson debate. The final candidates to be Britain’s next prime minister will face off for the second time in a showdown organized by The Sun tabloid newspaper.
A New York court decides Jeffrey Epstein’s bail. The American financier, who faces charges of sex trafficking of minors, is seeking to use his home and private jet as collateral for bail. Federal prosecutors have accused Epstein of witness tampering, and want bail denied.
A busy week of earnings kicks off. Nearly 60 companies on the S&P 500, including major banks, will report this week, starting with second-quarter earnings from Citigroup today. The bank’s shares have surged nearly 40% this year; investors will look for signs of how robust international business is amid the ongoing trade war.
Over the weekend
Donald Trump tweeted racist attacks against congresswomen. The US president told a group of four progressive Democrats, all US citizens, to “go back” to the “crime-infested” countries they came from. Separately, nationwide Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting hundreds of undocumented immigrants and expected this weekend appear to not have taken place.
China reported its slowest economic growth in 27 years. The country’s second-quarter GDP growth slumped to 6.2%, showing a further loss of momentum amid increasing pressures from the trade war with the US.
Huawei planned to sack hundreds of US workers. About 850 workers at its R&D subsidiary Futurewei Technologies could be affected, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the tech giant grapples with its US blacklisting. CEO Ren Zhengfei recently said the blacklist could cost Huawei $30 billion in revenue over the next two years.
Police fought protesters in Hong Kong… In the sixth consecutive week of protests that began in opposition to a much-maligned extradition bill, a peaceful rally in the suburban district of Sha Tin on Sunday ended in clashes with police in a luxury shopping mall.
… while clashes broke out in Paris. Bastille Day celebrations, attended by key EU leaders including French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel, were marred by violence between anti-government protesters and police.
A weekend of cricket and tennis. At Wimbledon, Romania’s Simona Halep defeated Serena Williams, while Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the men’s tournament. Meanwhile, England clinched a dramatic victory over New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup, becoming world champions for the first time.
Membership
The new philanthropy. Amid growing inequality and skepticism about the motives of billionaires, a new philanthropy is taking shape. Evidence-based and results-driven, donors are rethinking where and how they give. This week, Quartz reporter Natasha Frost will dive into the “lives saved per dollar” approach of large and small foundations, starting with her state-of-play memo today. We’ve also published a new episode in our popular Because China video series, focused on China’s role in rebuilding Greece’s economy and the toehold in Europe that it provides to China in turn.
Quartz Obsession
Black Sabbath invented heavy metal 50 years ago. It’s a small miracle that the Birmingham band made it big—what with an original name like the Polka Tulk Blues Band, and guitarist Tony Iommi’s two missing fingertips. The musical genre they helped establish would spawn a horde of subgenres, all ready to come at you with their horns out. Get thrashing with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Productivity gurus are ruining walking. Don’t treat it as a creativity hack—just go on a stroll for its own sake.
On Amazon Prime Day, cancel your account. Cut out impulsive shopping to feel better about yourself.
Safe spaces are still lacking. Pride month reminded us of their scarcity, particularly in the workplace.
Surprising discoveries
Etsy is the internet’s tropical fruit stand. The website known for its DIY artsy merchandise also sells rare-to-America fruits like mangosteens and rambutans.
People are turning to cows for therapy. At one bed-and-breakfast in New York, hour-long “cow cuddling sessions” cost $75.
Neanderthals were mostly right-handed. Ancient tools and the skeletal record suggest that our hominin ancestors had a rate of right-hand dominance similar to our own.
An endangered flower might be easier to save than first assumed. New photos prove that multiple moth species can pollinate the iconic ghost orchid.
A book vandal is on the loose in England. The literary defacer has been ripping pages in books at a library and a charity shop in Kent, before returning them to the shelves.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, hard-to-find fruit, and ghost orchids sightings 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.