Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Impeachment hearings resume. The House intelligence committee questions four witnesses, including former Ukraine special envoy Kurt Volker and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who listened in on (and raised the alarm about) the July 25 phone call between Donald Trump and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Leaders of the UK’s two main parties debate on TV. The first televised showdown between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn excludes leaders of smaller parties after the London high court dismissed a challenge from the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party.
Google Stadia launches. The new cloud-based service lets gamers stream top-tier titles without a console. It’s available from 12 EST with 22 games, but some features are still in the works, and heavy users may run up against data allowance caps from their broadband providers.
While you were sleeping
The US ended talks with South Korea. President Trump wanted Seoul to pay five times more than it currently pays for hosting nearly 30,000 US troops but the South Koreans balked. The breakdown raises new questions about one of the US’s closest military alliances.
The EU criticized the US for its new Israeli settlements policy. Europe’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said they remain illegal, while Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat hit out at the Trump administration for trying to “replace international law with the ‘law of the jungle.’”
The campus siege in Hong Kong continued. Dozens of protesters remained inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University, following increasingly violent altercations with police. Meanwhile, China condemned a Hong Kong court ruling that the government’s face mask ban was unconstitutional.
Two Western hostages were released by the Taliban. An American professor and his Australian colleague, who’ve been held by the militant group since 2016, were freed in exchange for three Taliban commanders. The swap was agreed by president Ashraf Ghani as a goodwill gesture.
EasyJet reported a 26% fall in pre-tax profits. But the British budget airline’s CEO said it’s still planning to move into the package vacation business, to try and take advantage of Thomas Cook’s collapse. EasyJet’s revenues and passenger numbers have risen.
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How ETFs shrunk the stock market. The number of US companies trading on the market has dropped by more than half since the late 1990s. Exchange-traded funds are increasingly dominant, and are making public markets an increasingly unfriendly space, especially for small companies. Our latest members’ field guide explores the problems caused by ETFs.
Quartz Obsession
African fintech is banking a continent. With around 66% of adults in Africa unbanked, the emerging industry has a huge opportunity to drive financial inclusion outside of traditional banking systems. However, there’s growing evidence that digital lending has led to a spike in personal debt. Check the receipts with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of Debate
Superheroes are the only way to sell female-led action films. “Captain Marvel” and “Wonder Woman” succeeded where “Charlie’s Angels” failed because men love comics.
VR is way too boring. Developers haven’t given users good enough reason to take a break from reality.
Conservation efforts should consider the human impact. The most radical proposals would displace millions of mostly poor people.
Surprising discoveries
A matchbox-size Charlotte Bronte book cost $660,000. She wrote The Young Men’s Magazine for her toy soldiers when she was just 14.
Apple flour makes cookies healthier. If you dry out the leftover bits from juicing an apple, you get a fiber-rich wheat replacement that tastes quite “acceptable.”
NASA found water on one of Jupiter’s moons. It’s a good sign that there’s a vast liquid ocean—and possibly life—under Europa’s icy shell.
An ultra-slippery toilet coating could be crucial during droughts. The spray makes the bowl practically self-cleaning, and allows you to flush with half the water.
The world is getting windier. The trend should hold for at least another decade, and boost renewable energy production.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, tiny books, acceptable cookies, and tips to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Rashmee Roshan Lall and Hasit Shah.