Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Italian prime minister could face a vote of no confidence. Giuseppe Conte has been summoned by parliament after one of his coalition government’s key members, the far-right League Party, withdrew its support. League leader Matteo Salvini is pushing for a vote of no confidence in a bid to force fresh elections that could see him get Conte’s role.
The US makes its case against Iran at the UN. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresses the United Nations Security Council about the Middle East. He’s expected to focus on Iran following the recent attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Syrians in Istanbul face deportation. Many of the 600,000 to 900,000 Syrians in Turkey’s largest city were originally registered in a different Turkish province after fleeing violence in their home countries. Those migrants now face a deadline to return to the province where they registered, or face deportation.
While you were sleeping
Facebook and Twitter banned Chinese troll accounts. Twitter said it found a “significant state-backed information operation” targeting the Hong Kong protest movement, leading it to take down 936 accounts. Facebook took down five accounts, three groups, and seven pages. Meanwhile Hong Kong’s chief executive said she would pursue dialogue with Hong Kongers, but made no concessions to key protest demands.
Boris Johnson told the EU he won’t accept the Irish “backstop.” The earlier negotiated effort to keep a porous border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Britain leaves the European Union undermines the country’s sovereignty, the prime minister said in a letter to the European Council, offering to make “alternative arrangements.”
An El Salvadoran woman was acquitted of murdering her stillborn child. Evelyn Hernández had served nearly three years of a 30-year sentence after being suspected of having an abortion and convicted of murder under the country’s harsh abortion laws. A retrial ordered earlier this year has set the 21-year-old free.
US state attorneys general plan to open an antitrust probe of tech firms. The scrutiny by a group of states—possibly as many as 20—of whether US tech giants have become monopolies that stifle competition (paywall) would be separate from probes planned at the federal level by the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission.
Quartz Membership
We were promised self-driving cars, but what we got were delays. In our latest Quartz member exclusive, reporter Michael J. Coren begins his week-long exploration of autonomous vehicles with a state of play on carmakers’ struggle to design algorithms that can navigate the full complexity of the open road.
Quartz Obsession
Before email there was the fax machine. Early adopters in 1980s Japan used faxes like letters, but faster. They were a personal, fun, and image-rich way to communicate. And there are some industries in which they’re still crucial today. The Quartz Obsession dials it in.
Matters of debate
Your phone number is a better ID than your real name. That means you should be careful about sharing it, even when it’s inconvenient.
Stopping food waste is a data problem. Better inventory systems could cut down the 1,250 calories of food wasted per person every day.
You should buy your makeup used. Resale marketplaces like Mercari are making it easier for consumers to experiment with otherwise expensive brand names.
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Surprising discoveries
The sound of your name may change how people perceive you. Kirks and Kates seem more outgoing—but less agreeable—than Annes and Owens.
Scientists made a pure carbon ring. The never-before-seen circle of 18 atoms has long been theorized, and may prove useful in microscopic electronics.
Plastic “nurdles” are an environmental disaster. The lentil-sized pellets tend to escape, polluting the environment before they’re ever used in products.
An auctioneer made a $70 million pronunciation error. Sotheby’s failed to sell the world’s oldest “Porsche” after the disappointed crowd realized the bidding was actually at $17 million.
Plague-infected prairie dogs shut down Colorado parks. Worried that fleas would spread the disease to humans and their pets, officials closed wildlife refuges near Denver.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, carbon rings, and gently used makeup 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 Tripti Lahiri and edited by Mary Hui.