Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Japan braces for another typhoon. Hundreds of flights and bullet trains have been canceled in preparation for severe tropical storm Krosa. The storm is expected to drop up to 100 cm (39 in) of rain across Southwest Japan.
Walmart and Alibaba report earnings. All eyes will be on digital growth when America’s biggest retailer delivers its second-quarter report card later today. Alibaba’s stock has fallen about 15% since May, so tomorrow’s earnings statement will be crucial in proving to investors that China’s dominant ecommerce destination can beat back dual headwinds of the trade war and a slowing economy.
India celebrates 73 years of independence. Prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the removal of Section 370 special status protections for Jammu and Kashmir during his annual address to the nation.
While you were sleeping
WeWork picked a terrible day to file an IPO. US stocks went into a free-fall after the bond market indicated that a recession could be around the corner. The We company also sounded the alarm about a recession in its public S1 filing, warning that some of its clients—40% of whom work for companies with over 500 employees—could cancel their memberships. The rest of the filing mostly talked about CEO Adam Neumann.
Luckin Coffee and Tencent spilled their beans. Shares of Starbucks’s Chinese rival dropped over 16% after reporting disappointing earnings as the company struggles to achieve profitability from the 3,000 stores it’s opened in just two years. Tech giant Tencent also saw share prices fall over concerns about its slowing online advertising business.
The FDA endorsed a tuberculosis cure. The US agency approved the third drug in a regimen that can tackle the deadliest drug-resistant form of the disease, curing 90% of cases in a matter of months rather than years—though some worry the approval was rushed.
Nepal laid down new rules for prospective Everest summiters. After 11 climbers died or went missing in May, permits will only go to those who have already climbed a 6,500-meter Nepalese peak. Previously, anyone who paid the $11,000 permit fee could attempt the summit.
Huawei spied for African governments. The global telecom firm already has gear installed across the continent; now a Wall Street Journal report claims that Huawei has embedded staff in Uganda and Zambia to spy on political opponents.
Justin Trudeau was found in breach of ethics. A Canadian watchdog ruled that the prime minister flagrantly attempted to influence the country’s attorney general and minister of justice. The report comes at a crucial time, less than 10 weeks before Canada’s general election.
Quartz Membership
You know the theory: human labor doesn’t stand a chance against machines—after the “automation apocalypse,” only those with spectacular abilities and the owners of the robots will thrive. But you might want to also familiarize yourself with the competing theory: In the long run, we’re going to be just fine. In the latest installment of our field guide to the future of work: an optimist’s argument for how automation will impact jobs.
Quartz Obsession
The humble garbage can is a surprisingly powerful weapon in the war on trash. Yet what bins should look like, where they should be placed, and how trash should be sorted varies tremendously from city to city. The Quartz Obsession talks trash.
Matters of debate
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A part-time job doesn’t have to be a dead-end. Crafting a flexible career is possible if managers and employees collaborate.
The world is feeling the aftershocks of British imperialism. The troubles in Hong Kong and Kashmir are direct results of their colonial pasts.
Doctors should screen patients for drug use. A US panel recommends interviewing adult patients to better combat the opioid epidemic.
Surprising discoveries
Dr. Martens has a thriving vegan boot business. Sales of the company’s leather-free line have soared by “multiple hundreds of percent” in recent years.
Amazon knows when you’re afraid. The company’s facial recognition technology can now detect the fear you feel upon reading about it.
Elephants and whales could help cure cancer. Giant animals have evolved to avoid the disease, but we can’t study them if we don’t protect their populations.
A Leonardo sketch was hiding beneath a masterwork. Imaging techniques show an earlier, abandoned plan for Virgin of the Rocks.
Avocados are harmful to Americans’ health. Peeling and slicing the tricky fruit sent 8,900 people to US emergency rooms last year.