Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Mike Pence and crew head to Turkey. A high-level entourage led by the US vice president is planning to meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to negotiate a cease-fire between Ankara and Syrian Kurdish forces. Erdoğan has already rejected the idea.
There is still no Brexit deal. EU and UK officials are resuming talks in the hope of reaching a deal that can be agreed by leaders at a key summit on Thursday and Friday. As it stands, Britain leaves the EU without a deal on Oct. 31.
The US earnings season continues. Four major US banks posted results yesterday—JPMorgan beat expectations while Goldman lagged behind. Today is Bank of America’s turn. Later in the day, Netflix posts its results.
While you were sleeping
Trump made an insensitive offer to grieving parents. During their visit to the White House, the US president gave Harry Dunn’s parents a chance to meet the American woman suspected of killing their 19-year-old son, saying she was in a room next door. They rejected the offer, saying they felt “ambushed.”
Democratic presidential hopefuls attacked Elizabeth Warren. In the longest debate yet, the spotlight was on Massachusetts senator Warren, not on former VP Joe Biden. Influential millennial lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is endorsing Bernie Sanders.
China threatened the US with “strong countermeasures.” That was a reaction to the US House passing legislation to support Hong Kong. It’s now headed to the Senate, where it needs to be approved before being signed into law by Trump.
Asos profits plunged. The fashion retailer posted disappointing results, with profit for the year dropping 68%. Over the past year, Asos tried to modernize its operations and expand to the US, but it says that it was not “adequately prepared for the additional complexities”.
Huawei’s revenue rose in 2019 despite the US ban. The tech giant was blacklisted earlier this year due to its closeness with the Chinese government and fears of spying, but the company said revenue increased by 24% in the first three quarters of this year.
Quartz Membership
Sign up for your free trial.
Apple has a bit of a growth problem. The company is generating a ton of money every quarter—nearly $54 billion in the last reported quarter alone!—but it seems to have hit a plateau in terms of expanding revenues. These 12 charts outline the latest trends and upcoming challenges as Tim Cook nears a decade behind the wheel of the tech giant.
Quartz Obsession
It was a welcome mat for the internet. As the first easy-to-use web browser, Netscape Navigator quickly became the dominant portal to the World Wide Web after it was released in October of 1994. Its $3-billion valuation kicked off the first Silicon Valley IPO rush just a year later. The Quartz Obsession does a search for the last vestiges of our first favorite browser.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation on the Quartz app!
Is there a European way of life? There seems to be no agreement in the EU over what that means.
Would you eat your pet lamb? A UK show, called Meat the Family, asks participants to care for farm animals for three weeks. They can go vegetarian—or they have to eat their new friends.
Did LeBron James mishandle the China controversy? The NBA star “failed” when he criticized a team manager’s support of Hong Kong protesters.
Surprising discoveries
Clear is a color. Xerox, the venerable documents solutions company, has named clear—as in transparent—its first-ever color of the year.
The virtual Mona Lisa. A new Louvre show dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci will present the painting to some viewers using virtual reality.
“Lean In” is “the biggest systemic barrier to gender parity.” Women, particularly those of color, get stuck getting their first promotion to manager.
Dublin is trying to repatriate James Joyce’s remains. The city wants to bring the bodies of the author and his wife back from Zürich, fulfilling the author’s last wish.
Apple’s graphics have ancient roots. Designer Susan Kare found inspiration in everything from hieroglyphics to street signs.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, copies of Ulysses, and clear paint 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 Luiz Romero and Hasit Shah.