Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Nobel Committee announces the winner in economic sciences. Although not among the prizes originally established in Alfred Nobel’s will, it stands as one of the premier awards. There is no clear favorite, though a couple of names pop up on many lists: Olivier Blanchard, the former longtime top economist at the IMF, and Paul Romer, the new chief economist at the World Bank.
Eurozone finance ministers evaluate Greece’s economic overhaul. Greece needs to have successfully implemented 15 key reforms in order to receive its next disbursement of aid. Privatization, energy sector reforms, and measures related to bank governance are among the milestones.
LVMH releases third-quarter results. The luxury goods bellwether is coming off a flat first half of the year, hurt by a decline in tourist traffic in France over terrorism concerns. The high-end industry continues to slump, with Hermes recently abandoning a forecast and Richemont announcing a steep profit decline.
Over the weekend
The US presidential candidates got back in the ring. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton squared off in a town-hall debate. Trump responded to questions about his lewd comments toward women by ranting about ISIL. He also threatened to prosecute Clinton over deleted emails. Breaking with tradition the candidates did not shake hands before the debate.
Haiti began assessing the damage from Hurricane Matthew. The death toll in the Caribbean country rose to 1,000, with tens of thousands left homeless. In the US at least 19 people died as the storm went up the coast. Matthew has moved out to sea, though it remains dangerous.
Ethiopia is in a state of emergency. In an attempt to calm anti-government protests, prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn declared a state of emergency for the next six months. At least 55 people died in a recent demonstration, adding to the toll of an estimated 500 people killed since protests began last November.∂
Samsung reportedly suspended production of the Galaxy Note 7. Over the weekend four consumers reported that their newly purchased Galaxy Note 7 replacement phones overheated, suggesting that the company’s recall is ineffective. Two US carriers have ceased selling the phones altogether, and an unnamed supplier told South Korean media Samsung has temporarily stopped making the device.
Pope Francis named 17 new cardinals. Among the group are 13 under the age of 80, meaning they’re eligible to succeed him one day. The new cardinal-electors come from Italy, the Central African Republic, Spain, the United States, Brazil, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Belgium, Mauritius, Mexico, and Papua New Guinea.
A Saudi-led airstrike on a funeral hall killed 140 in Yemen. The attack, which also injured more than 500, led thousands of Yemenis to march on the UN building in the capital Sanaa. The Saudi military said it would launch an investigation into “reports about the regrettable and painful bombing.”
Quartz obsession interlude
Thu-Huong Ha on why parents use animal sounds to explain life to children. “One possible reason for this pedagogical tradition’s longevity is that the sheer variety of animals and their sounds makes for good source material for the letters of the alphabet. Or maybe educators just expect kids to like animals, and that the simple sounds help them practice speech in general. And shouting “moooooooooooo” is fun.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Town-hall debates are better because regular people ask easy questions. Journalists shy away from asking the obvious because they know the answer.
People are afraid of clowns because they look human—but not quite. That’s a quality Sigmund Freud referred to as “uncanny,” and now neuroscientists agree.
Mike Pence would not be a better candidate for women than Donald Trump. He has enacted real policies that have had real, adverse impacts on American women.
Surprising discoveries
You have no idea when your kids are lying. Research has found parents can only correctly identify that their kids are lying 47% of the time. About the same as guessing.
There’s a penis museum in Iceland. It was started in 1997, houses 286 specimens, costs $13 to enter, and expects to welcome 50,000 visitors this year.
You can be served a lawsuit in a tweet in the US. A judge said it was the “method of service most likely to reach” a Kuwaiti religious leader with ties to Syrian jihadists.
Bees can learn and teach new skills. Despite their tiny brains, they have more complex cognitive and learning skills than we previously thought.
Cannabis was discovered at a 2,500-year-old burial site in northwest China. The body of a man was found wrapped in the plant.
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