Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Democratic presidential candidates deliberate in Detroit. The first of two debates in this latest round, hosted by CNN, will kick off at 8 pm EST. Front-runner senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont will face off alongside eight other candidates.
The US and China return to talks. Trade representatives from both nations meet over two days in Shanghai, starting with dinner at the Fairmont Peace Hotel. Expectations are low for any resolutions to be reached from this round of discussions.
Earnings spotlight on Apple. It has had a rough year so far as it navigates slowing iPhone sales and a transition to services offerings. A snapshot of pharma performance also comes to us via Eli Lilly, Merck, and Bayer. The German multinational today reported a dive in earnings in the face of mounting lawsuits related to its Roundup weed killer.
While you were sleeping
A hacker stole data from over 100 million US and Canadian customers. Sensitive information including Social Security and bank account numbers from credit applications was compromised in one of the biggest-ever data breaches. A 33-year-old suspect has been arrested on a single count of computer fraud and abuse.
A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty in a Swedish court. American rapper Rakim Mayers is facing assault charges following a confrontation in Stockholm earlier this month, despite Trump’s attempts to intervene in the case. His lawyer insists Mayers acted in self-defense.
Hundreds held a vigil for victims of the latest US mass shooting. They mourned the three people, including two children, killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in northern California over the weekend. The 19-year-old gunman, who was shot dead by police at the scene, used a semiautomatic rifle he purchased legally.
Hong Kong demonstrators caused commuting chaos. The latest protest against an extradition bill, which has morphed into a wider movement, disrupted train services during rush hour this morning. Beijing responded to the unrest yesterday, pledging support to the city’s government.
Huawei and Sony looked up. The Chinese telecom giant posted a large bump in half-year revenue, despite the US-China trade spat and a decline in the smartphone market at home. Japan’s Sony also posted a rise in earnings, with healthy demand for its image sensors used in smartphone cameras offsetting a weaker games business.
Quartz Obsession
Need a break? Try a fika. The Swedish coffee ritual is a deliberate respite from work to catch up with friends, family, or colleagues on anything but their jobs—and it seems to make Swedes more productive. But once it becomes a conscious productivity hack, it becomes a chore, defeating the purpose of the fika. Meditate on the contradiction at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Transhumanism needs its own annual prize. An award could help democratize the movement to conquer death.
Leave the hairdryer; take the conditioner. There are some things you just shouldn’t swipe from a hotel room.
Hollywood can still make good movies. Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood shows that films can take risks and turn a profit.
Surprising discoveries
Greta Thunberg is sailing across the Atlantic to attend climate conferences. The young Swedish activist was offered an “emission-free” ride aboard the Malizia II.
Slipping on banana peels is no joke. They caused serious injuries to pedestrians in 19th century New York.
Half a billion people in China watched the NBA’s latest season. That’s more than one-third of the country’s population, nearly triple that of the 2014-15 season.
Saudi Arabia wants to build a Jetsons-style future city. The $500 billion proposal includes an artificial moon, flying taxis, and a robot dinosaur theme park.
Robotic contact lenses are here. The devices allow users to zoom in by blinking, and may pave the way for prosthetic eyes.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, emission-free transport offers, and fika invites 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.