Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
OPEC+ meets in Abu Dhabi. The bloc of petroleum-exporting nations and its partners should provide hints at how far the group will go to shore up prices. It comes on the heels of an OPEC demand forecast downgrade for 2019 and 2020.
The ECB announces a rate cut. At the European Central Bank’s meeting, the least contentious course of action is expected to be a cut of 10 to 20 basis points in the deposit rate, to prop up Europe’s economy. Bank president Mario Draghi will hold a news conference after the announcement.
The Frankfurt Motor Show begins. This year’s expo will highlight sustainable vehicles, such as Porsche’s first all-electric sports car and BMW’s new hydrogen-powered car. Chinese manufacturers, particularly electric battery suppliers, will have a big presence.
While you were sleeping
The UK tried to downplay a worst-case no-deal Brexit forecast. A vote in parliament on Monday forced the government to yesterday make public a contingency plan called Operation Yellowhammer, which says that a no-deal departure from the European Union increases the risk of riots, higher food prices, and fuel shortages.
Donald Trump postponed an increase in China tariffs. In a “gesture of goodwill,” the US president said he agreed to a delay requested by Beijing in light of upcoming Oct. 1 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of its founding. The increase of import taxes from 25% to 30% on $250 billion worth of goods is now set for Oct. 15.
The US Supreme Court let Trump’s new asylum restrictions take effect. The new rules bar people from seeking asylum at the US southern border if they first traveled through another country where they could have sought it. The move will halt most Central American migration while legal challenges to the new rules continue.
Purdue Pharma reached a tentative deal to settle opioid lawsuits. About two dozen states may be close to agreeing to a settlement that would see the OxyContin manufacturer, owned by the Sackler family, go into bankruptcy. A new company under different ownership would sell OxyContin and other drugs, with profits going to plaintiffs, who would get $12 billion over time.
Yahoo Japan made a $3.7 billion bid for Zozo. Taking a majority stake in the online fashion retailer will make it more competitive with Amazon and Rakuten. The site’s colorful founder Yusaku Maezawa, who last year paid to be Elon Musk’s first Moon tourist, announced in May he was broke. He will step down as CEO today.
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Matters of debate
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Storm is the hero we’ve been waiting for. Forget Black Panther and Luke Cage, the X-Woman is the comic world’s overlooked trailblazer.
Hong Kong’s protesters should be open to a partial victory. Both sides need to compromise to move the fraught debates about Hong Kong’s future off the streets.
Electric vehicles won’t stop climate change. Even if the number of EVs in the US jumps tenfold, it will hardly dent oil demand.
Surprising discoveries
Scientists reconstructed a “lost continent.” Remnants of Greater Adria can be found in Italy, Turkey, Greece, the Alps, and the Balkans.
A new device can mass-produce “synthetic” human embryos. While embryoids are important for the study of human development, the method raises ethical questions.
Planes are keeping track of your bathroom use. Sensors track all sorts of flyer behavior to help airlines plan, save, and find things to charge money for.
Exoplanet forecast: rain. A rocky planet twice the size of Earth has water vapor in its atmosphere—good conditions for possible life forms.
Your credit card sounds awful. Square’s card reader converts the magnetic strip’s information into dissonant noise to send it through a headphone jack.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, extraterrestrial weather updates, and credit card jams 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.