Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The Rio Olympics begin. The opening ceremony starts tonight at 8pm local time. Here’s how to watch the Games. With 206 countries, 28 sports, and 306 competitions, you can keep track of the news in Rio by signing up to our new, free Quartz Olympics Calendar. You will only get one alert a day.
The US jobs report. The economy is expected to have added about 180,000 jobs (paywall). That’s decent but would be less than last month’s sizzling 275,000 additions. The unemployment rate is forecast to fall to 4.8%.
Thailand goes to the polls under the military’s watchful eye. On Sunday, voters will weigh in on a referendum for a new constitution in the first big vote since a military coup in 2014. The country’s main political parties say the change would give the military a permanent veto over elected governments.
While you were sleeping
Hillary Clinton gained a nine-point lead over Donald Trump. The Democratic presidential candidate’s lead in the polls (paywall) jumped from 5 percentage points before the national conventions last month, according to the WSJ/NBC survey. Support for Trump has dropped to 38% in the wake of his post-convention missteps.
The ANC lost control of South Africa’s major cities. The ruling African National Congress—Nelson Mandela’s party—was rejected in local elections by urban voters fed up with sky-high unemployment, a stagnant economy, and government corruption. The opposition Democratic Alliance won Nelson Mandela Bay, and looks set to beat the ANC in Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.
The UK labor market went into “dramatic free-fall.” More Brexit bad news as the monthly report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation revealed the number of permanent job vacancies from recruitment companies in July fell at their fastest pace since 2009. REC boss Kevin Green placed the blame squarely on the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
Royal Bank of Scotland posted an eye-watering loss. The bank blamed “legacy issues” for its £2.05 billion ($2.68 billion) net loss (paywall) in the first six months of the year, as it set aside £1.32 billion for litigation costs. RBS—73% owned by the government since its bailout—also shelved plans to establish its Williams & Glynn unit as a standalone bank, and may now sell it, reportedly to Spain’s Banco Santander.
Allianz’s net profit fell by almost a half. Europe’s biggest insurer attributed the 46% decline in its second quarter net profit to an increase in natural disaster claims—European floods, Canada’s wildfires, and hailstorms in the US—as well to charges from the sale of its South Korean business, and lower investment income all round.
Quartz obsession interlude
Michael Coren on the technology being developed to hack our bodies. “Upgrades are not just for software anymore. Humans are steadily gaining access to technologies that enhance our brains and bodies. But most Americans see this as yet another way for the haves to get a leg up over the have-nots.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Charisma is a dangerous talent. It’s a much-admired personality trait, but it’s bad for democracy.
Barack Obama has poignant, feminist advice for dads. He calls attention to his own journey to escape claustrophobic gender norms.
Swearing brings people together. Swearing in front of someone is a matter of trust.
Surprising discoveries
A medical startup is charging $180 for peanut butter… The precisely measured doses are designed to prevent peanut allergies.
…and a Michelin-starred restaurant is selling $2 meals. It’s a Singaporean food hawker that sells award-winning soy sauce chicken and rice.
Peru’s new president’s first cabinet meeting was a workout. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski led his ministers in a fitness session in front of the government palace.
Archeologists have discovered 3,000-year-old ball of thread. It was in a Bronze Age village in eastern England that was abandoned after a fire.
China snapped up another English soccer team. West Bromwich Albion (paywall) has been bought, only a month after Aston Villa was acquired.
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