Good morning, Quartz readers!
Please note that there will be no Daily Brief on Nov. 28.
What to watch for today
The European Union signs off on its new executive. After delays over unsatisfactory candidates, the European Parliament is expected to approve the new European Commission, which will be headed by Germany’s former defense minister.
Turkey resumes the trial of the “Istanbul 10.” Human rights defenders, including the former director for Amnesty in the country, are being prosecuted for being members of a terror organization, an allegation the NGO has dubbed “absurd.“
Namibia elects a president. Incumbent Hage Geingob, whose party has ruled for nearly three decades, is contending with discontent over the country’s ongoing recession. He faces off against independent candidate (and former dentist) Panduleni Itula.
While you were sleeping
The first bodies of the UK trafficking victims returned to Vietnam. Sixteen of the 39 bodies of migrants who were found dead in a truck in England have been repatriated—the costs of which will be billed to their grieving families.
The FAA pushed back against Boeing’s timeline. The US aviation regulator has said it will retain full control (paywall) of the process of returning 737 Max planes to flight, rather than allowing Boeing to conduct the safety checks, which could dash the aviation giant’s hopes of seeing the grounded plane fly again this year.
Donald Trump said the US will label Mexican drug cartels as terrorists. The US president’s remarks came after the killing of nine American members of a Mormon family living in northern Mexico, and appear to have caught America’s neighbor off-guard. Its foreign ministry said it was reaching out for more information.
Bolivia appointed its first US ambassador in more than a decade. The two countries expelled each other’s envoys in 2008, as ties worsened after the election of socialist Evo Morales. The country’s first indigenous leader sought asylum in Mexico this month after protests against his disputed election to a fourth term.
Quartz Membership
Sign up for your free trial.
Just 20 years ago, suggesting someone visit a “life coach” would have earned you raised eyebrows. Today, life-coaching practitioners can be found practically anywhere. They’re considered part of a wider expansion of “wealth work”—jobs that have appeared to serve the increasingly wealthy American middle class.
Quartz Obsession
Movie-theater popcorn is a cinema staple. But it wasn’t always so. Street vendors used to sell popcorn outside theaters that frowned on snacking. Now the iconic treat anchors movie concessions, where its price rose by more than 600% between 1929 and 2009. Chew on more popcorn fun facts with today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of Debate
It’s time to start saying “y’all.” Since we let “ye” fade away, “y’all” is the only available gender-neutral second-person plural pronoun.
Smartphones won’t bridge the digital divide. Mobile internet service is expensive and limited by data constraints.
Capitalism created America’s doggie obsession. It has rebranded them as people, only better.
Surprising discoveries
An early effort at regulating AI was an utter failure. A New York City task force fell into disarray after participants couldn’t even agree on what counts as “AI.”
Britain still admires the same accents it did 50 years ago. The Queen’s English rules, while Indian English accents and “industrial urban” ones rate poorly.
Cellphone data shows voters in black US neighborhoods wait longer. Having more resources could be why people in white areas get to vote more quickly.
A teen disguised her critique of China’s Uyghur oppression as a makeup tutorial on TikTok. The Chinese-owned platform promptly banned her.
An ousted pizza CEO had a cheesy meltdown. The Papa John’s founder lambasted the quality of its pies since his departure—after eating 40 of them in 30 days.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, leftover pizza, and gender-neutral second-person plural pronouns 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 written by Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.