Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Angela Merkel faces tough questions. The German chancellor’s summer press conference will be focused on the spate of violent attacks by refugees in the country in recent weeks. Merkel is expected to field questions about her open-door refugee policy, Germany’s plans for dealing with Brexit, and the political situation in Turkey.
The UK’s first nuclear power plant for 20 years gets the go-ahead. Despite years of false starts and a vote to leave the European Union, France’s state-owned utility EDF is expected to approve the investment to build a new power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset at its board meeting today.
Earnings galore. Alphabet, Amazon, CBS, Cigna, the New York Times, Royal Dutch Shell, and Volkswagen are among the many firms reporting quarterly financial results.
While you were sleeping
US Democrats bolstered Hillary Clinton… At the Democratic National Convention, president Barack Obama praised Clinton’s toughness. Vice president Joe Biden said Trump doesn’t have a clue about the middle class. Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine spoke Spanish, including “somos américanos todos” (“we’re all Americans”), to create a sharp contrast to Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
…while the Donald hosted a tame Reddit AMA. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump limited himself to answering questions on topics such as NASA and media bias with bland one- and two-sentence answers. Lots of controversial questions were banned and the session was heavily moderated.
Renault reported a robust half-year. The French carmaker saw profit rise by 8%, to $1.74 billion, in the first six months of the year, powered by its SUV and minivan models, rising margins, and improved demand in the European car market (paywall), which itself grew by over 9% in the first half of 2016.
Lloyds increased its job cuts on Brexit-fallout fears. The UK’s biggest retail bank will cull 3,000 more jobs—on top of the 4,000 cuts it announced earlier this year—as it reported a 100% rise in pre-tax profits for the first half of the year. CEO António Osório said he expects a “deceleration of growth” as a result of the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
Adidas enjoyed energetic sales growth. The German sporting goods company reported a 21% surge in sales in the second quarter, buoyed by the Euro soccer championships in France this summer. Its second-quarter profit doubled to $323 million.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jenni Avins on the fetching fashion choices of Hillary Clinton’s husband. “Bill’s stately-but-approachable appearance and middle-of-the-road fashion choices make him a terrific candidate for the supporting role of first spouse of the United States. (He was also the 42nd president of the United States.)” Read more here.
Matters of debate
There’s nothing crueler than a self-made man laying into an heir. At the DNC, Michael Bloomberg really let Donald Trump have it (paywall).
The Philippines’ South China Sea problem isn’t just about China. It has one of the “weakest and rustiest“ navies in southeast Asia.
Autonomous cars should follow the lead of autopilots. That means making sure drivers recognize the limits of technology (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Serbia has the world’s most expensive cheese. The delicacy comes from donkeys that yield only 300ml of milk a day.
The Zimbabwean vice president has stayed for the last year in Harare’s best hotel. It only cost the impoverished country’s taxpayers $1,000 a night (paywall).
Scientists are looking everywhere for new antibiotics. Turns out they were right under (or in) our noses all along.
There’s a meatless burger that “bleeds.” The magic ingredient is plant-based heme, an iron-rich molecule that makes blood red.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is incredibly noisy. Sound waves from giant thunderstorms are so intense that they heat the entire planet.
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