Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China unveils its J-20 stealth fighter to the public. In the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, the International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will offer rare glimpses of the nation’s latest military hardware. Russian weapons makers are also expected to make a strong showing at the event, which runs until Nov. 6.
Tesla provides financials on its proposed acquisition of SolarCity. CEO Elon Musk promised that today he would share more details on the impact of the acquisition, on which both companies’ shareholders will vote on Nov. 17. Tesla reported a surprise profit for its most recent quarter.
The Federal Reserve begins its last pre-election meeting. During a meeting spanning Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, the US central bank is unlikely to raise rates (paywall) ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.
While you were sleeping
The FBI began sifting through a new trove of Hillary Clinton emails. The documents were on a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and agents are trying to determine if classified information was improperly handled. The Wall Street Journal reported that (paywall) “the most pertinent” emails could be identified by Election Day.
South Korean authorities detained the “shaman” of president Park Geun-hye. Worried she might be a flight risk, prosecutors placed Choi Soon-sil under emergency detention without a warrant. They are investigating whether she used her influence with the president—who many see as being under the spell of a “palm-reader” and even a quack—for personal benefit.
Former Valeant executives are under criminal investigation. US prosecutors are reportedly building a fraud case against ex-CEO J. Michael Pearson and ex-CFO Howard Schiller, focusing on the drugmaker’s hidden ties to Philidor, which it acquired in 2014. Philidor allegedly manipulated insurance reimbursements for Valeant medicines, driving up their price.
China notched stronger-than-expected factory growth. Manufacturing expanded faster than expected in October, according to an official survey. A construction boom is helping to stabilize the world’s second-biggest economy, but analysts have doubts about the credit system fueling the growth.
The Bank of Japan held off on more stimulus. As expected, the central bank didn’t change its monetary policy. It left the policy rate on a portion of commercial bank reserves at -0.1%, and it maintained its target for the 10-year government bond yields at around 0%. The bank pushed back its forecast date for reaching its inflation target of 2%.
Quartz markets haiku
Stocks are lower now
with a third straight monthly loss.
It’s more trick than treat. 🎃
Quartz obsession interlude
Josh Horwitz and Echo Huang Yinyin on how manufacturing, globalization, and ignorance could ruin the internet for everyone. “The same system that brought exploding hoverboards into consumers’ homes last Christmas is responsible for unleashing hundreds of thousands of vulnerable cameras into American households—and probably millions of other equally vulnerable internet-connected devices.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Apple needs to buy Netflix. It’s the logical step as the company tries to build up Apple TV.
Peter Thiel’s “bubble theory” is flawed. He cites an economic rationale for supporting Trump, but most voters are driven by other issues.
Star Trek humor is increasing tech’s gender gap. Geeky jokes and references make women feel unwelcome in computer classes.
Surprising discoveries
Insects scare us because our brains confuse disgust and fear. And, to be fair, some bugs are actually dangerous.
Lisbon could be in the middle of a desert by 2100. Climate change will have a severe impact on the Mediterranean.
The Zika virus could affect the male reproductive system. Infected mice have shrunken testicles and lower levels of sex hormones.
A Chinese woman bought a house with 20 iPhones. Each of her 20 boyfriends bought her a smartphone; she sold them to put down a deposit.
One dozen billionaires could buy all of Manhattan. Bezos and Zuckerberg could divvy up the Upper West Side.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, scary bugs, and Star Trek jokes to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our iPhone app.