Walmart earnings, Brexit rollercoaster, new planet spotted

Walmart reports earnings. After posting e-commerce growth of 40% in the second quarter, the world’s largest retailer is expected to deliver similar or better results in the third. Analysts also anticipate a jump in same-store sales thanks to increased foot traffic. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Walmart reports earnings. After posting e-commerce growth of 40% in the second quarter, the world’s largest retailer is expected to deliver [similar or better results]( in the third. Analysts also anticipate a [jump in same-store sales]( thanks to increased foot traffic. A hearing on NAFTA’s replacement. The US International Trade Commission is holding a [two-day public hearing]( to investigate the new United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, which will likely be signed at the end of the month. An update on US retail sales. The data release for October comes after a challenging September, where sales slowed for the [second straight month]( heading into the holiday season. David Hockney could set a new record at auction. Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) is expected to [fetch $80 million]( at Christie’s today, overtaking Jeff Koons’s Balloon Dog, which sold in 2013 for $58.4 million, as the most expensive work by a living artist sold at auction. Sponsor content by Workplace by Facebook Why Facebook never lost its “Hacker Way.” For many companies, growing quickly means sacrificing culture. Not at Facebook, which has used technology to scale its culture alongside its growth. [Learn how](. While you were sleeping A date was set to finalize the Brexit agreement. European Council president Donald Tusk said that EU leaders would [meet on Nov. 25]( to sign off on Britain’s withdrawal agreement, “[if nothing extraordinary happens]( Almost immediately afterwards, the UK’s Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigned, writing that he couldn’t support the terms proposed in the deal. At the time of writing, he was one of five members of prime minister Theresa May’s top team to quit the morning after she unveiled the [draft Brexit deal](. That doesn’t bode well for the agreement’s chances of passing a full parliamentary vote, and the pound tanked on the news. Aston Martin revved up sales. The British carmaker, which floated on the London Stock Exchange last month, said [sales doubled in the third quarter]( (paywall), thanks in part to Chinese demand for the DB11 and Vantage models. Western ambassadors in Beijing demanded answers on Xinjiang. The group of 15 envoys, led by Canada, have reportedly prepared a letter asking the Communist Party boss of the Chinese province for an explanation on the government’s alleged human [rights abuses against the ethnic Uighurs](. A UN report said China is detaining some 1 million Uighurs in internment camps. The White House confirmed it fired Mira Ricardel. Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the [deputy national security adviser]( “will continue to support the president as she departs the White House to transition to a new role within the administration.” No word on what that new role might be. On Tuesday, Melania Trump’s office had called for Ricardel’s ouster. Stormy Daniels’ lawyer was arrested. Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing the adult-film star in two suits against Trump, was booked in Los Angeles for a [felony domestic-violence charge](. He has denied the allegations and was released after posting $50,000 bail. Obsession interlude Cloud seeding only sounds futuristic. It’s actually an old technology, a product of WWII utopianism enlisted to combat climate dystopia. Sprinkle some silver iodide in the clouds, and voila—rain. Or at least more than you would get otherwise. It’s cheaper than desalinization or “renting” water, assuming it works. Fifty-six countries believe in it enough to give it a try. [But we may never know if it actually makes it rain](. Conversation starters “Instagram was replicating Snap’s business model with ease and with speed and that was clear to all investors. We recommended that investors not buy the stock. Some chose to make their bets anyway knowing the challenges Snap faced. They lost money and are now trying to recoup. I’ve seen this occur throughout my career.” —[Victor Anthony]( internet equity analyst at Aegis Capital, commenting on: [Snap reveals U.S. subpoenas on IPO disclosures]( “Local players such as soon-to-be Disney’s Hotstar, with exclusive cricket and a lot of Bollywood and regional cinema (thanks to Star TV) haven’t been able to grow paid subs at prices Netflix is now proposing so this isn’t a fait accompli. There is also a significant data cost issue among the very price conscious customers they are going after there. So watch for the marketing spends too that need to follow these apps.” —[Raju Narisetti]( professor at Columbia Journalism School, commenting on: [Netflix is testing a mobile-only subscription to make its service more affordable]( “If you measure it, you can change it. The FT found that only 21% of people quoted in the paper are women so staff told that automated analysis could warn about the lack of female voices in an article as it is being typed.” —[Kristalina Georgieva]( CEO at the World Bank, commenting on: [Financial Times tool warns if articles quote too many men]( Surprising discoveries Astronomers discovered a planet orbiting one of the closest stars to the Sun. It orbits Barnard’s star, about six light-years away, and its mass is believed to be [more than three times that of Earth](. Japan’s cybersecurity minister has never used a computer. Yoshitaka Sakurada, 68, admitted as much in parliament, after it became obvious he [hadn’t heard of USB sticks](. GQ named Serena Williams its “woman” of the year. Critics say the quote marks are [misogynistic]( (paywall), but they were scrawled by the designer who created her US Open outfit, complete with the inverted commas. The IRS is tired of getting bags of cash from weed companies. Last year, the tax agency collected $4.7 billion in taxes from legal cannabis firms, most of which [can’t open bank accounts](. Taste can’t be copyrighted. The EU made this ruling after cheesemaker Levola sued competitor Smilde over a [suspiciously similar spreadable cheese](. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, sacks of cash, and distinctive cheese to hi@qz.com. You can follow us [on Twitter]( for updates throughout the day or download our [apps for iPhone]( and [Android](. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Jill Petzinger and edited by Jason Karaian. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( If you click a link to an e-commerce site and make a purchase, we may receive a small cut of the revenue, which helps support our ambitious journalism. See [here]( for more information. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.