Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Hillary Clinton makes her most important pitch. Clinton will make history as the first woman to accept a major party presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. She’ll also have a huge opportunity to win over Bernie Sanders supporters and Republicans who can’t stomach Donald Trump.
The Bank of Japan may expand its stimulus. Analysts expect the central bank to cut rates and increase the pace of asset buying, matching efforts by prime minister Shinzo Abe. Euro-zone bank stress tests and inflation data for Europe and North America are also due.
Pope Francis visits Auschwitz. During a five-day visit to Poland, the pontiff will pay tribute to the victims of the Nazi death camp, in a gesture intended to improve Catholic-Jewish relations.
While you were sleeping
Trump says he was “being sarcastic” when he asked Russia to hack Hillary Clinton. Many critics said the Republican nominee crossed a line by inviting a foreign adversary to subvert the US presidential election, but he is unlikely to face any legal consequences. Moscow, for its part, called hacking allegations a “colorful example of Russophobia.”
Alphabet and Amazon turned in excellent quarters. The Google parent’s earnings and revenue easily topped expectations, sending shares up by 5% in after-hours trading. Amazon posted its third straight quarterly profit, as its rapidly growing cloud computing unit contributed to a 31% increase in revenue.
Angela Merkel defended Germany’s refugee policy. The chancellor said recent attacks in Germany and elsewhere in Europe were “shocking, depressing and terrifying,” but vowed to maintain her country’s open-door policy. Asked if the prospect of a Trump presidency was giving her nightmares, she said: “I can answer that question with a clear, ‘No.’”
Syria’s Nusra Front militants announced their split from Al Qaeda. Leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani said in a video message that the move was intended to remove the pretext for bombings by the US and Russia. Washington called it a “rebranding exercise” that would do nothing to change its plans.
The studio where James Bond and Star Wars were filmed was sold. Pinewood Studios, located on the outskirts of London, has agreed to be acquired for £323 million ($425 million) by real estate investment fund Aermont. Pinewood also has studio facilities in Atlanta, Toronto, and Malaysia.
Quartz markets haiku
Good Google earnings
But the market seems to be
So very sleepy.
Quartz obsession interlude
Akshat Rathi on the science or spin behind a new Alzheimer’s drug: ”To understand the hype around TauRx’s ‘breakthrough’ drug we must understand just why Alzheimer’s is such a hard disease to treat … The drugs that exist to treat Alzheimer’s only relieve symptoms temporarily and they don’t work in all patients.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Hacking the vote could be next on Russia’s to-do list. US voting machines and election systems are woefully vulnerable.
3D printing is a “new industrial revolution.” New design techniques and on-demand manufacturing could change everything.
Voting with your heart is immoral. Fervent idealism makes voters value loyalty to a candidate over the consequences of their choices.
Surprising discoveries
Add sheepdogs to robot hit list. SwagBot, designed for farms, can herd animals on its own or with the help of drones.
The ice bucket challenge worked. The social media stunt funded a breakthrough in ALS research.
Silicon Valley banks are handing out no-money-down mortgages. That could spell trouble if the intertwined tech and real estate bubbles burst.
A skydiver is jumping out of a plane without a parachute. After falling 25,000 feet, he plans to land in a giant net.
African startups are taking advantage of Google’s blind spot. They’re creating sophisticated apps for dumb phones.
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