Q-MHI Daily Brief ;

Good morning, Q-MHI readers!

WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY

US and UK lawmakers get back to work. In Britain, MPs are gearing up for a fractious debate over Brexit. In Washington, Congress has a long to-do-list(paywall), including: overhauling the tax code, raising the debt ceiling, and finding funds for the Mexican border wall and Hurricane Harvey reconstruction.

The White House decides on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Trump administration is expected to confirm (paywall) a stop-gap measure on DACA (the program that protects children of undocumented immigrants from being deported) for six months. It’ll buy time for Congress to figure out a legislative solution.

The second round of NAFTA talks conclude. US trade representative Robert Lighthizer will speak later today, to officially close the five-day session in Mexico city. Officials say there have been no major breakthroughs or agreements on matters both large and small.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Tronc bought the New York Daily News for $0. The New York tabloid (paywall) was first put up for sale in 2015 by its owner, real-estate magnate Mortimer B. Zuckerman, following a series of major layoffs and a huge drop in circulation. Tronc, the publisher of the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune, has been on an aggressive acquisition streak.

United Technologies bought airplane parts-maker Rockwell Collins for $30 billion. The deal is one of the biggest-ever in the aerospace sector, and the combined companies will be called Collins Aerospace Systems. United Technologies owns the Otis elevator brand and plane engine-maker Pratt & Whitney.

Lego’s lousy earnings prompted a reboot. The Danish toy maker is planning to cut 1,400 jobs (8% of its workforce) after suffering its first revenue drop in over 10 years. Lego, which fired its CEO last month, said it has “pressed the reset button for the entire Group.”

Rovio geared up for an IPO. The maker of Angry Birds (paywall) plans to raise at least €30 million ($35 million) when it lists in Helsinki. The Finnish mobile games and animation studio said earlier that its revenue rose by 94% year-on-year in Q2, thanks to the success of the Angry Birds movie and strong games sales.

Florida and Puerto Rico both declared states of emergency. The path of Hurricane Irma, which strengthened to a category 4 storm, remains unclear but Florida governor Rick Scott said he was preparing the state for the worst. A string of Caribbean islands are bracing for a buffeting.

Q-MHI OBSESSION INTERLUDE

Elijah Wolfson on how the Twin Peaks reboot has broken the formula of Peak TV. “The Return was so disturbing, and difficult, that it really cannot be binge-watched. The plotting is so disorienting… that it defies spoiler-laden water-cooler conversation. The visual style of The Return is so sui generis that it simply looks like nothing else on TV.”

MATTERS OF DEBATE

Dogs shouldn’t be allowed in national parks. Their predatory presence stresses out wild animals, and their poop is a toxic contaminant.

Jobs aren’t the solution to America’s problems—they’re the cause. There’s not enough high-value work to go around, and bad jobs for everyone won’t solve social problems.

Bitcoin has failed its test as a haven in times of global turmoil. As the recent plunge in cryptoassets shows, traders aren’t treating bitcoin like the haven of the future.

SURPRISING DISCOVERIES

Mario is no longer a plumber. Nintendo iconic video-game star has moved on to a life of leisure, sports, and being cool.

Northern lights may have caused 29 whale strandings in 2016. Geomagnetic disruptions are thought to have confused their ability to navigate in the North Sea.

The Beyhive is taking over academia. Copenhagen University offers a course called “Beyoncé, Gender and Race,” joining a growing number of other schools that teach Bey.

Australia warned Peppa Pig to take spiders seriously. An episode where Daddy Pig says spiders “can’t hurt you” was taken off air in Australia, where spiders are often life threatening.

Brain-like blobs living in lakes are actually giant colonies of animals called Bryozoan. The invertebrates help filter the water as they feed on microbes.

Q-MHI