Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump finally share a stage. Over 100 million Americans are expected to watch the first of three presidential debates. Here’s how to watch the 9pm ET debate, an analysis of Clinton’s tactics in previous debates, and a look at one way Trump could walk away the winner. One person who may or may not be there: Bill Clinton’s former mistress Gennifer Flowers.
EU defense ministers meet in Bratislava. They will debate various changes to the EU’s arrangements, including creating a joint military HQ. Britain used to veto that idea, saying it was a duplication of NATO’s role, but after Brexit it’s more likely to become a reality.
OPEC meets in Algiers. The world’s biggest oil-producing nations are expected to talk about a coordinated effort to limit output and address prices, which have fallen 60% since mid-2014. But tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia will likely stymie any agreement.
Over the weekend
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton met with Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told the Israeli prime minister he would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel—that would mark a dramatic shift in US policy. Clinton reconfirmed her commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, fired another shot across Disney’s bow. Wang opened his second Wanda City theme park in Hefei, the capital and largest city of the Anhui province in eastern China, at a cost of $5.1 billion. He plans to build 20 more just like it as he takes on Disneyland.
At least the Brexit vote hasn’t dampened the UK’s supermarket wars. Aldi, the German discount retailer will spend $390 million giving its no-frills supermarkets a new image in the tough UK supermarket sector. The chain reported a 12% year-on-year increase in sales for the year ending December 2015, but profits were down.
François Hollande promised to dismantle the Calais migrant camp. The French president said refugee centers would be set up for the 10,000 people waiting in the so-called Jungle camp to cross to the UK. On a visit to the port town on Monday, he appealed for the UK to “play its part” in helping France handle refugees, despite the Brexit vote.
The Swiss voted in favor of increased government surveillance. Fear of terror attacks trumped Switzerland’s traditional wariness of government snooping. More than 65% of voters were in agreement with the law that gives the Federal Intelligence Service more power to tap phones, read emails, and use bugs and hidden cameras.
A writer was killed in Jordan on the way to his trial for insulting Islam. Nahed Hattar faced charges (paywall) for sharing a cartoon on Facebook that mocked ISIL terrorists. His killing increases fears about the emergence of extremism within the kingdom.
Quartz obsession interlude
Joon Ian Wong on the implications of an online attack directed at an independent security journalist. “If a botnet is indeed running off hundreds of thousands of connected cameras, it would highlight a major flaw in the internet of things, which experts have long warned of. The software these devices run on is usually not easily upgraded, meaning that security loopholes can remain open for years.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Fashion has lost its magic for millennials. Young people now find retail boring (paywall) compared to restaurants and travel.
Europe’s regulators are just getting rolling in their efforts to crimp US multinationals. Amazon, Google, Starbucks, and McDonald’s—watch out.
Nobody needs the latest iPhone. Apple’s serial release of new products is indicative of corporate America’s unhealthy obsession with growth.
Surprising discoveries
The “King of Golf” is dead. Arnold Palmer, the charismatic American golfer who helped turn golf into a spectator sport for the masses, dominated the game in the 1960s.
Germany’s WWII invasion of France was powered by crystal meth. A new book says the stimulant enabled German troops to stay awake for days and push through the Ardennes mountains.
Have you heard NASA’s 1977 mixtape for aliens? A Kickstarter project is raising money to re-issue the rare record on gold vinyl.
Australia isn’t where you think it is. The continent shifts northward 2.7 inches (6.9 cm) per year—enough to throw off GPS systems.
The first pop song ever written by artificial intelligence is pretty good. “Daddy’s Car” is a catchy, sunny tune reminiscent of the Beatles.
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