Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Hong Kong likely bans face masks. Chief executive Carrie Lam plans to wield emergency colonial powers to stave off the tide of protests by forbidding the wearing of face masks—often used by demonstrators—at public gatherings.
The US and North Korea resume denuclearization talks. A North Korean foreign minister released a statement that the initial contact on Saturday will be the first of several working-level talks, marking the end of a stalemate between the two countries after an inconclusive summit in February and a summer spent exchanging criticisms.
Japan tightens its foreign investment strings. Shinzo Abe’s government will beef up regulations for foreign investors interested in industries Japan deems crucial to national security, like energy, aeronautics, and weapon manufacturing. Should the bill get the Diet’s approval, investors will have to apply before assuming a stake as small as 1% (down from 10%).
While you were sleeping
A fatal stabbing at Paris’s police headquarters. An employee in the technology department wielded a ceramic knife against five coworkers, killing four. The attacker was shot and killed by police; a motive has yet to be released.
Donald Trump asked China for investigative help. The US president doubled down on his urgings that Ukraine probe into the actions of former US vice president and current Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Trump then said China should begin its own investigation, just before trade talks between the two countries resume.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch got slightly smaller. For the first time, a floating boom created by nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup counted success as it began skimming plastics off the surface of the ocean. Despite its failed initial tries, a now-working prototype means that new booms will be employed posthaste.
Boris Johnson changed his tone. The British PM took a calmer approach with MPs when he addressed the House of Commons and urged them to support his new Brexit plan, which includes a Northern Ireland trade and border compromise. Irish PM Leo Varadkar said the deal still needed work, and European Commission president Donald Tusk said the EU would stand behind Ireland.
Instagram released its latest Snapchat competitor. The new image and video chat app, “Threads,” is meant for messaging privately between close friends and family—even notifying them of your phone’s battery life, for some reason. Snap shares sunk after the launch.
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Flying, right? The air, the food, the discomfort, the indignity of it all—but, happily, there are technological fixes for almost all of these micro-irritations. Some will be so slight that we scarcely notice them; others, like functional wi-fi, will be as transformative as the in-flight entertainment systems we now dismiss as commonplace. Get a glimpse into a not-so-odious future with Quartz tourism reporter Natasha Frost, as part of this week’s airline industry field guide.
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Cybernetics gave us cyberspace. The once-trendy, now obscure theory of communication was the brainchild of a prodigy and arose out of a wartime experiment in smart anti-aircraft guns, quickly becoming a popular phenomenon in the US and the Soviet Union. It influenced some of the most important figures in art, business, anthropology, and technology—including one of the first visionaries of the internet (and also Brian Eno). Only connect at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Erotic thrillers should be directed by women. Females play the most important characters, yet female voices are missing from Hollywood production.
Negative rates are good for society. The president of the European Banking Federation says his peers should stop moaning and think about other people, for a change.
Tall people are higher on the ladder. It may not be about having an easier time of it as a teenager after all, but instead, stronger cognitive skills.
Surprising discoveries
The most decorated Boy Scout. The organization offers 137 badges—this Texan teen has 138, a rare feat.
Twins lost their winning streak. The rate of twin births in the US has decreased 4% in recent years, following a rise that lasted three decades.
One out of every 833 men have breast cancer. Stigma makes it go undetected longer, which increases the chance of fatality.
Doctors don’t know how to treat teen vapers. They tend to prescribe off-label nicotine replacements, in part because there’s no precedent.
Fungi can propel cancerous tumors. Common fungi can attach itself to the pancreas and assist tumor growth—but that’s useful for modern medicine to know.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, merit badges, and female-led erotic thrillers 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 Patrick deHahn and Susan Howson.