Quartz Daily Brief—Hong Kong negotiations, Airbnb’s New York setback, new iPads, bikers vs. ISIL
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Putin, Merkel, and Poroshenko break bread. The Russian, German, and Ukrainian leaders are meeting in Milan to discuss whether Russia will resume deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine as winter nears. Ukraine—thanks to its use of surveillance drones—is also accusing Russia of helping separatist forces build up their ranks.
The US counts its barrels. With the price of oil near a four-year low and still falling, people are searching for the floor. Data on US petroleum inventory and natural gas stores are expected to show that America is pumping more out of the ground than it ever has before.
Apple unveils its already-unveiled gadgets. The company is holding an event in California, where it’s expected to show off new iPads, a new high-resolution iMac computer, and the next version of its desktop operating system. Shots and specs for the new iPads accidentally appeared on Apple’s site a day early.
Great expectations for Goldman Sachs. Analysts anticipate earnings per share of $3.20—up from last year’s $2.88—and revenue of $7.78 billion for the quarter, from $6.72 billion a year ago. Delta Air Lines also reports results.
Dallas deals with Ebola. City leaders will decide whether to declare a state of disaster in light of three Ebola cases, including two nurses who caught the virus at a local hospital due to ineffective safety measures. Meanwhile, US health authorities are reaching out to 132 passengers who shared a plane with one of the nurses.
While you were sleeping
Hong Kong’s chief executive offered to talk with protesters. After a second night of police-protester clashes, CY Leung gave pro-democracy demonstrators three unappealing choices along with one possible compromise—a discussion about the make-up of the Beijing-dominated committee that screens possible electoral candidates.
AbbVie put a final nail in the coffin of its Shire deal. The US drug maker will advise shareholders to vote against buying its Irish counterpart Shire, after new US tax laws made the $55 billion deal less attractive. The deal initially would have allowed AbbVie to avoid US taxes by moving its headquarters to Ireland.
The World Health Organization played down Ebola fears. Strong health care systems make the chance of a serious outbreak in the US and Europe unlikely, the WHO said, despite isolated cases in cities like Dallas. Separately, the UK sent an additional 91 medics to Sierra Leone to tackle the outbreak there.
Airbnb is largely illegal in New York City. Nearly three-quarters of the Airbnb listings in the city violate zoning and other laws, according to a report by the state attorney general, with large-scale commercial operators reaping up more than a third of total rental revenue. Airbnb did not dispute the findings, and a spokesman said: “We need to move forward.”
A resilient quarter for Carrefour. Sales at the world’s number-two retailer grew 2.8% on the year to €21.1 billion ($26.9 billion). Customer spending was down in Spain and Italy and suffered from China’s ongoing crackdown on official spending but the hypermarket chain’s top two markets in France and Brazil were strong.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jason Karaian on why low UK unemployment isn’t necessarily a good thing. “Over the past six years, the average worker’s earnings have grown faster than inflation on only three occasions, according to the monthly data. Earlier this week, midwives, ambulance drivers, and other National Health Service workers staged a strike over pay for the first time in 30 years.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Companies that cover egg freezing should cover daycare too. Don’t send the wrong signals about women in the workforce.
China’s economic growth is too good to last. The very reason it has defied the odds for so long is also why it can no longer escape them.
Humans were designed to be cyborgs. Compared to other animals, technology is our only advantage.
Stop worrying about Ebola and start worrying about the flu. Get your damn shot already—influenza kills 500,000 people a year.
Public wifi is a public menace. Almost everything and everyone connected to a network—along with personal and financial information—can easily be hacked.
Surprising discoveries
Virgin America made a six-hour commercial. It shows an incredibly boring flight in real time.
Bad-ass Dutch bikers are fighting ISIL. The “No Surrender” gang is reportedly fighting alongside the Kurdish militia near Mosul.
Oktoberfest to the rescue. Beer tents will be deployed as temporary housing for Syrian refugees in Germany.
What does “Inherent Resolve” even mean? The Pentagon has a terrible name for its mission against ISIL.
Bono has achieved self-awareness. The U2 frontman admits to having “a touch of megalomania” after forcing the band’s new album on iTunes users.
Click here for more surprising discoveries on Quartz.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, biker noms de guerre, and Bono psychiatric diagnoses to [email protected]. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day.