Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Najib Razak escapes the heat in Malaysia and visits with Angela Merkel. The embattled Malaysian prime minister will meet with the German chancellor in Berlin to discuss trade and investment. His itinerary also includes face time with executives from BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Infineon, and Bombardier Transportation.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off in their first debate. The 90-minute, commercial-free showdown is one of the most highly anticipated US presidential debates in history. Given the candidates’ track records in what’s shaping up to be a tight race, you might want to follow along with a fact-checker.
Nike posts a rare earnings drop. The shoe maker is expected to report a 16% year-over-year decline in first-quarter profit as sales disappoint and competitors turn up the heat. It would mark Nike’s first earnings decline in four years.
While you were sleeping
OPEC ministers met in Algiers. For all their talk, they’ll probably leave the confab without a deal. The reason is simple–while the cartel’s members are intent on tightening global oil supplies in a bid to raise prices, they only want to agree to such a move if their own countries are exempted.
Germany’s James Bond was hauled into court for tax evasion. Werner Mauss, a secret agent who claims to have thwarted military coups, hunted down 2,000 criminals, and prevented a mafia attempt to poison Pope Benedict XVI, owes €15 million in back taxes on undeclared bank accounts. His lawyers argue that the money is from Western and Israeli intelligence officials to fund security operations.
Amazon India signed a licensing deal with Dharma Productions. The agreement allows Amazon to load up its Prime Video in India with big names from Bollywood. The US-based company also gets exclusive rights for the digital premieres of upcoming Dharma films.
Colombia’s president signed a peace deal with Marxist rebels. Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Timochenko used a pen made from a bullet to sign an agreement ending a 52-year war.The deal also allows the FARC guerillas to become a political party, making their case through voting instead of violence.
Disney joined the list of potential suitors for Twitter. Other companies reportedly interested in a takeover include Salesforce, Alphabet, and a joint venture between former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Twitter’s share price has shot up in the wake of the acquisition rumors.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on whether Space-X is a victim of its founder’s ambitions. ”In a few days, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will unveil his plans to explore Mars at a global space conference in Mexico. The event has been widely anticipated by fans of the billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX. But an enormous fire that consumed a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a pre-flight test on Sept. 1 has dampened the positive mood. Now, critics are asking if SpaceX is taking on too much, too fast.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Major fashion brands are toying with their customers’ psyches. Their approach to sizing can set women on an unhealthy path to weight loss.
Hillary Clinton should just coo like a pigeon when Donald Trump lies. It’s easier than finding the words to refute every fib the Republican candidate tells.
Modern activists shouldn’t be in awe of Nelson Mandela. Losing faith in yesteryear heroes is a positive sign of dismissing false “civil religions” and embracing honesty.
Surprising discoveries
Hollywood actors can now have their ages erased from IMDb. California passed a law that’s meant to fight ageism in the film industry.
Venetians are dressing up as pirates to chase away cruise ships. The sinking city, where tourists outnumber locals, could become endangered if big boats keep passing through.
A devil frog puked up a new ant species. The neon-orange, poisonous frogs get their toxic secretions from the ants, which feed on alkaloids from plants.
Roller coasters can defend against kidney stones. A rocky ride can dislodge the small mineral deposits before they become a bigger problem.
Apple spends an estimated $225 on the parts for each iPhone 7. And it charges customers three times that amount to buy one.
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