Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Japan–US summit. Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday that negotiations with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer have concluded, and that the two nation’s chiefs can expect a smooth sit-down today at the UN General Assembly.
Donald Trump’s controversial Ukraine transcript could see the light of day. The US president announced via Twitter that he had authorized the release of his July phone call with with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. A whistleblower flagged the content of the call, in which Trump discussed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, as unethical and potentially illegal.
Parliament’s back in session. A landmark decision by the British supreme court found prime minister Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of the nation’s governing body illegal and its effect on democracy “extreme.” Johnson disagreed, but said he would respect the ruling, and speaker John Bercow told the press parliament would resume this morning.
While you were sleeping
House Democrats announced an impeachment inquiry. Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a highly-anticipated press conference to launch the official process to impeach Trump after a critical mass of Democrats called for action against the president. Now, congressional committees will combine their investigations into the best case for impeachment they can muster, which the House must vote to approve. The Republican-controlled Senate would then likely acquit Trump, leaving him in office.
Boris Johnson faced calls for resignation. Following the unanimous decision by his nation’s highest court—read by Lady Brenda Hale—that his prorogation advice to Queen Elizabeth had been unlawfully misleading, the British PM faced calls from the opposition to step down.
WeWork chief Adam Neumann resigned. The company’s board forced its controversial founder out after investors lost faith in him. WeWork has lost billions since its founding, and after a badly botched IPO attempt, it is reportedly considering laying off thousands of employees.
Indonesian protests heated up. Thousands of students outside the parliament building in Jakarta were met with water cannons and tear gas as they protested new laws penalizing extramarital sex, abortion, and “black magic.” On Friday, president Joko Widodo had ordered a delay on the criminal code’s vote.
A deadly earthquake struck Pakistan. The 5.8 magnitude quake collapsed buildings near the city of Mirpur, killing at least 19 and injuring more than 300. Tremors reached as far as Islamabad and Delhi.
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The debate around 5G’s safety is getting in the way of science. A small yet vocal cadre of scientists believe that the radio waves used for cellular communication are not just understudied, but potentially a threat to human health. One problem: The vast majority of scientists disagree. As part of this week’s 5G field guide, Gwynn Guilford takes a look at a dichotomy that’s anything but productive for public health.
Quartz Obsession
Is the writing on the wall for penmanship? Now that we type, swipe, or dictate most everything but checks (assuming you still use those), defenders are making the case that cursive is good for us. But we’ve been having this debate since the invention of the typewriter. Read on at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Don’t legitimize Narendra Modi. The Gates Foundation’s decision to give him an award papers over his demonization of religious minorities and his crackdown on the press.
“Hot desking” is dehumanizing. Unmoored from a stable workplace, we lose a piece of ourselves.
Free speech isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In the age of social media, sometimes you have to curb speech to preserve the right to pay attention.
Surprising discoveries
A submarine was caught smuggling $165 million in cocaine. The US Coast Guard intercepted the 40-foot submersible in the Pacific Ocean.
A French chef sued the Michelin guide over a cheese snafu. The inspector allegedly stripped the restaurant of a star after mistakenly identifying the dairy in his souffle.
A website will help you launder your Wikipedia citations. The tool turns any wiki article into a “real” academic paper that will look more legitimate in a works cited page.
A Renaissance masterpiece turned up in a kitchen. Its 90-year-old owner had the $6.6 million painting from early master Cimabue hanging above her hotplate.
Your work emails show how you really feel. One startup aims to decipher employees’ moods from the way they use prepositions and pronouns in professional messages.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dubious citations, and mysterious kitchen art 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 Susan Howson, Max Lockie, and Nicolás Rivero.