Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Parliament resumes. After a landmark decision by the British Supreme Court found prime minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of the nation’s governing body illegal, House of Commons speaker John Bercow said parliament would reconvene this morning. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to hold Johnson “accountable” and called for his resignation.
Iran’s president addresses the UN. Hassan Rouhani will present a security proposal for the Gulf, called the “Coalition of Hope,” which excludes the US. Iran has come under fire from the US and its allies, who blame it for attacks on Saudi oil facilities earlier this month.
A possible Japan–US trade deal. Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that negotiations over a deal with the US have concluded following disagreements over auto tariffs. Leaders of the two countries could meet today at the UN General Assembly to announce that a deal has been reached.
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 his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. A whistleblower flagged the content of the call, in which Trump discussed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, as unethical and potentially illegal.
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. 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.
Adam Neumann was ousted from WeWork. Its board announced that the 40-year-old would step down as CEO, though he remains as non-executive chairman of parent company We. WeWork has lost billions since its founding, and after a badly botched IPO attempt, it is reportedly considering laying off thousands of employees.
Plácido Domingo left the Met after allegations of sexual misconduct. The Spanish opera singer was due to play the main role in Verdi’s Macbeth at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Met’s announcement comes as two US arts organizations investigate the singer’s behavior, including allegations of groping and unwanted kissing.
California told everyone to stop vaping. The warning comes after the state’s health department said 90 people were hospitalized and two died from complications relating to e-cigarettes in California. Massachusetts also ordered a ban on the sale of all vaping products for four months as federal and state agencies search for the cause of the lung illnesses.
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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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“Hot desking” is dehumanizing. Unmoored from a stable workplace, we lose a piece of ourselves.
Too much speech is a way of repressing speech. Social media feedback loops shaped by trolls and bots make it hard to listen.
The fall of Adam Neumann is the logical endpoint of Silicon Valley’s unicorn bubble. It was inevitable in a culture that fed the cult of the founder, with money going to people rather than ideas.
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 restaurant may have lost a star over a soufflé falsely suspected of harboring English cheese.
A website will help you legitimize your Wikipedia citations. The tool turns any Wikipedia article into a “real” academic paper.
A Renaissance masterpiece turned up in a French kitchen. Its 90-year-old owner had the $6.6 million painting from early master Cimabue hanging above her hotplate.
Greta Thunberg clapped back at Trump. The teen activist embraced the president’s apparent mockery of her by changing her Twitter bio to read: “A very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, permanent desks, 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 written by Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.