Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Tesla readies its Falcon 9 rocket for a spy satellite launch. Elon Musk’s reusable rocket company could gain more defense contracts if its Sunday launch for the National Reconnaissance Office proves successful.
US lawmakers have until Saturday to thwart a government shutdown. A vote is expected on Friday for a bill that would fund government operations for one more week until a longer-term federal budget deal can be worked out.
The EU hosts a Brexit summit. Leaders from European Union member countries will come together Saturday to discuss Brexit practicalities, including what to do about passports once the UK is no longer a member.
While you were sleeping
A Russian spy ship capsized after hitting a cargo vessel in Turkish waters. The crew was rescued without incident after the ship collided with a Togo-flagged boat carrying livestock in the Black Sea.
Alphabet and Amazon profits surged. A controversy over YouTube ad placement failed to dent Google’s parent company, which posted earnings of $5.43 billion, up 29% from last year. Amazon’s net profits rose 41% to $724 million, as cloud computing gains outweighed higher shipping and entertainment costs. (It was a big day for corporate earnings, so here’s an emoji cheat sheet.)
The European Central Bank kept interest rates steady. The euro fell against the US dollar as the ECB stayed dovish on the threat of inflation.
Re-accommodation-gate ended as United Airlines paid up. The company settled a lawsuit with David Dao for an undisclosed sum on the same day it announced it would offer up to $10,000 in compensation to passengers volunteered to be bumped off flights.
Uber’s autonomous driving chief stepped aside. Anthony Levandowski is recusing himself from all work on self-driving cars amid a fierce legal battle. Waymo, the Alphabet-owned company where he used to work, is suing Uber for stealing its sensing technology by acquiring Levandowski’s company.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ephrat Livni on an insanely detailed map of US racial diversity. “The free map tracks racial diversity spatio-temporally by laying census data from 1990 to 2010 over detailed grids from NASA satellite maps. … “People don’t realize that the United States is a diverse country but at the same time is still very segregated,” says astrophysicist Tomasz Stepinski. Read more here.
Markets haiku
American gives / a raise. Wall Street sells its shares. / So much made clear.
Matters of debate
Trump’s tax cut is radical, but America can afford it. An investment in the US economy would be worth the increase in the national debt.
It’s time to hand science over to machines. AIs can find relationships and correlations that are beyond the grasp of the human mind.
Japan’s most powerful political bargaining chip is its culture. Sushi and manga are two obvious examples of Japanese soft power.
Surprising discoveries
Asians spend seven times as much as Americans on tutoring their kids. Asian households devote about 15% of their income to supplemental education, compared to a mere 2% in the US.
Drug dealers are lacing heroin with an elephant tranquilizer. Carfentanil, 5,000 to 10,000 times stronger than morphine, is being blamed for a surge in fatal overdoses.
Khloe Kardashian is being sued for posting a her own picture on Instagram. The photo was taken by a paparazzo, who claims the social media star did not have the proper rights.
Cobalt is the unlikely hero of 2017. The metal’s price has soared nearly 70%, more than any other commodity, due to demand for rechargeable batteries and electric cars.
Crowded subways are golden opportunities for online retail. Cramped commuters buy 45% more than those on uncrowded trains.
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