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What to watch for today
Mike Pence meets Ireland’s leaders. The US vice president landed at Shannon Airport on Monday, and will hold talks with prime minister Leo Varadkar and president Michael D Higgins today. Brexit and trade are expected to be on the agenda. Pence also visits Iceland and the UK later this week.
The UK parliament reconvenes amid chaos. MPs are expected to bring legislation to the floor that could delay prime minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans or flat-out forbid a no-deal departure from the EU. Johnson is threatening to expel rebel Tory MPs amid speculation of a snap election in October.
The Booker Prize shortlist is announced. The longlist of 13 contenders for the prestigious literary award includes Lucy Ellmann’s 1,000-page Ducks, Newburyport, an Ohio housewife’s stream-of-consciousness narrative. There is also The Testaments, the sequel to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The longlist will be whittled down to six.
While you were sleeping
Democrats are planning another Trump probe. The Washington Post reported that the House will investigate hush money payments to two women, including adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed an affair with the president. Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, is already serving a three-year jail term for breaking campaign finance law.
Hong Kong’s leader responded to an explosive leaked recording. Carrie Lam dodged questions at a news conference about a recording obtained by Reuters, in which she is heard saying she would resign if she could. She condemned the leak from a private lunch with business executives.
Hurricane Dorian left at least five people dead. The massive, slow-moving storm unleashed water and wind damage and submerged the main airport in the Bahamas. Downgraded to a Category 3, Dorian lingered over the Caribbean islands this morning, as it churns exceedingly slowly towards Florida.
Another deadly Taliban attack in Kabul. At least 16 people died and more than 100 were wounded from a late night suicide blast in the Afghan capital, even as US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad outlined a draft peace accord to end America’s longest war.
Xiaomi announced a $1.5 billion buyback. News that the Chinese smartphone maker is repurchasing shares caused its stock price to surge almost 7%. The company has lost about half its value since going public in July last year, hurt by a more competitive landscape in the low-cost smartphone market.
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How many big banks does the world really need? It’s been 10 years since the financial crisis, and a handful of American banking giants sit at what’s left of the big table. Kicking off this week’s field guide, Quartz’s John Detrixhe explores the industry’s struggles to figure out how to make money in a world where regulation and technology have changed the game.
Matters of debate
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Toothrism is the new tourism. Getting your teeth fixed may never have been such fun.
The binge-watching model of streaming is over. The most successful and buzzy shows are those that make their audiences wait weekly for new episodes.
Unsuccessful startups get too much credit. Treating failure as nearly inevitable only encourages poor planning.
Surprising discoveries
A Chinese stamp shows a separate Taiwan. The 1968 propaganda piece seems to fly in the face of 2019 propaganda.
Great white sharks aren’t messing with us on purpose. The sharks are not especially into people, but the sea creatures’ changing habits are putting them closer to human vacationers.
Ikea hide-and-seek is ill-advised. Police turned visitors away from a store in Scotland after more than 3,000 people threatened to show up for the game.
A Singapore shop’s closing sale has lasted two years. Misleading promotions like this one will soon be forbidden.
Japanese toilets are finally making a splash in the West. Sales of the electronic bidets are increasing, in part due to concern over the environmental impact of toilet paper.
Correction: Yesterday’s Daily Brief on Israel and Hezbollah exchanging fire should have read it was “the first cross-border clash between the longtime foes in recent years.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dental holiday snaps, and politically sensitive stamps to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Adam Rasmi, Susan Howson, and Rashmee Roshan Lall.