Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Tokyo contends with Typhoon Faxai. The storm has prompted train and ferry operators in the Japanese capital to suspend service, with many flights canceled and roads closed as well. Authorities have warned of mudslides, dangerous waves, and possibly record-breaking winds.
GM workers in South Korea go on strike… In the first full walkout since the US automaker acquired local plants in 2002, unionized employees will stay home for three days amid calls for higher pay and worries of further closures. GM shuttered a facility in Gunsan earlier this year.
…And so do pilots at British Airways. The vast majority of flights taking off from the UK today and tomorrow have been canceled due to the 48-hour strike. The pilots are demanding better pay and work conditions.
Over the weekend
China’s exports fell. Last month they were down 1% from a year earlier, surprising analysts who had expected an increase. Shipments to the US plummeted 16% year-on-year, while imports from the country fell 22.4%. US-China trade talks are expected to resume next month.
Hong Kong protesters asked the US for help. Demonstrators waving American flags marched to the city’s US consulate, calling for the passage of a bill in Washington that would require an annual check to ensure Hong Kong is still autonomous enough to justify its special trade status.
Russia and Ukraine made good-will gestures. The two sides exchanged dozens of prisoners Saturday in a step toward reopening dialogue. Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has promised to defuse tensions with Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014.
Another Republican announced a US presidential bid. Mark Sanford, a former governor and congressman from South Carolina, announced he’ll battle Donald Trump in the GOP primary. He’s the third Republican to make such a challenge, and will be focusing on the ballooning federal deficit.
Ties to Jeffrey Epstein spurred another high-profile resignation. Joichi Ito, head of the MIT Media Lab, quit one day after a New Yorker article showed the Lab had actively covered up contributions from the disgraced financier and hadn’t admitted to the full extent of the relationship.
Quartz Obsession
Oodles of noodles. Born out of necessity in 1950s post-war Japan, instant noodles were once considered a luxury item. Now known as a cheap staple for college students or anyone trying to stretch a paycheck or prison commissary fund, instant noodles are one of the most popular packaged foods on the planet—and they’ve even been to space. The Quartz Obsession digs in.
Matters of debate
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We should just accept that climate change is inevitable. Doing so will help us to better prepare for ecological disasters.
Legacy college admissions have to end. Getting a one-up into a university that someone else in your family attended is just “a form of property transfer from one generation to another.”
Fashion weeks have lost their original sense of purpose. What’s the point of them when fast-fashion brands just knock off designs and Instagram gives us access year-round?
Surprising discoveries
There’s a 40th-anniversary-edition Walkman, kind of. The screen of Sony’s new audio device mimics the turning of a cassette tape.
A Paris court ruled that a sex-induced death was a workplace accident. Even though the incident happened after hours during a business trip, his company was still deemed responsible for his well-being.
Many American landmarks were built by slaves. They include the White House, the Harvard Law School building, and the eponymous wall that Wall Street is named after.
The language you speak affects how quickly you get a point across. “Information density” and talking speeds vary among the world’s tongues.
We’ve got hedonism all wrong. The ancient Greek notion is less about consumerism and gluttony and more about simplicity and satisfaction.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, instant noodles, and cassette tapes 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 Steve Mollman and Georgia Frances King.