Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Bob Dylan, Nobel laureate? Bookies rate the legendary folk singer as having an outside shot at literature’s most prestigious award, being announced today. The leading contenders are thought to be Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, exiled Syrian poet Adonis, and Kenya’s Ngugi wa Thiong’o. American Don DeLillo’s odds have dropped dramatically.
Britain’s High Court mulls the government’s right to trigger Brexit. The court will decide whether ministers can use the Royal Prerogative—the powers of the king going back to medieval times—to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to formally begin exit talks, without first getting parliamentary approval.
Delta Air Lines reports earnings. The US carrier releases its third-quarter results before the markets open, with analysts expecting revenue of $10.5 billion, down from $11.1 billion in the same period last year. The stock is down 22% this year.
While you were sleeping
Germany’s Constitutional Court rejected a legal case against CETA. Opponents of the free-trade deal between Canada and the EU wanted to prevent the government from backing it, claiming it was undemocratic. EU trade ministers are due to vote on CETA next week with a view to signing the accord on Oct. 27.
Wells Fargo’s embattled CEO said goodbye. Plagued by a scandal over the bank’s alleged opening of two million phony accounts, John Stumpf decided to retire immediately. President and COO Tim Sloan will take the CEO seat, while board director Stephen Sanger becomes the chairman.
Donald Trump was hit by multiple sexual-harassment allegations. More than 10 women have come forward in the last 24 hours saying the Republican presidential nominee sexually harassed or assaulted them, or behaved in a sexually inappropriate way. Trump’s people accused the New York Times, which published two women’s accounts of being groped, of defamation and threatened the paper with legal action.
A Syrian terror suspect killed himself in German custody. After a botched police arrest, 22-year-old refugee Jaber al-Bakr had been turned in by Syrian refugees on Monday. Leipzig authorities now face hard questions about how the man, supposed to have been on 24-hour watch, could have ended his life.
Unilever celebrated ice-cream sales—and dismissed Tesco. Third-quarter sales grew by 3% thanks to summer demand for Unilever’s Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s. The company dismissed its spat with Tesco, which pulled Unilever products from its website today in protest at price increases due to the falling pound, as “not worth commenting on”—the UK accounts for only 5% of its revenue.
Sky had a solid first quarter. The European pay-TV group reported a 5% rise in first-quarter revenue as per predictions. The broadcaster has had to absorb the costs of a massive rise in Premier League soccer rights, but says its on track to hit full-year growth of up to 7%.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dave Gershgorn on how the Obama administration sees the future of AI. “The White House imagines virtual personal assistants housed in smart glasses, automated factories that assist humans in complex building tasks, and systems that provide better data for farmers, all in the context that these could be job creators and not job stealers.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The gender gap starts with household chores. Girls spend 160 million more hours on chores than boys, putting a lower value on their work from an early age.
We aren’t meant to be happy all the time. That’s actually a good thing, because dissatisfaction is what keeps us motivated.
Open floor plans are terrible for programmers. They are solitary workers, and don’t benefit from overhearing conversations.
Surprising discoveries
Fishing wants to become part of the Olympics. And the Games really do need more spectator sports.
Mole rats are helping us understand pain. Their exceptional pain tolerance could inspire better treatments for humans.
China is nosing into people’s bathrooms to assess their creditworthiness. Traditional credit histories don’t work (paywall) in a cash-based society, where fraud is common.
Spending time in the woods improves your health. Inhaling arboreal oils strengthens your immune system.
Mice squeak by pushing out air at supersonic speeds. It’s how they attract a mate.
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