Tech performance, Puerto Rico celebrates, hot wings

Tech checks in. Amazon and Google parent company Alphabet are both expected to record a rise in second-quarter revenue today, with investors on standby for comments on a US Justice department antitrust review of big tech. Intel, meanwhile, is expected to record a drop, due to sluggish microchip demand. Also reporting today (pdf): Raytheon, Starbucks, Comcast, Hershey’s, Mattel, and 3M. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Tech checks in. Amazon and Google parent company Alphabet are both expected to [record a rise]( in second-quarter revenue today, with investors on standby for comments on a US Justice department [antitrust review of big tech](. Intel, meanwhile, is expected to record a drop, due to sluggish microchip demand. Also [reporting today]( (pdf): Raytheon, Starbucks, Comcast, Hershey’s, Mattel, and 3M. An ECB decision on interest rates. Investors are evenly split on whether the European Central Bank will cut its key interest rate today or wait until Sept. 12. They’ll also [be looking for hints]( that president Mario Draghi intends to revive the bank’s large bond-buying program. Boris Johnson chairs his first cabinet. After [replacing over half of Theresa May’s cabinet]( with Brexit hardliners on his first day in the office, the UK’s new prime minister will [meet with his new ministers]( today, before making a statement to the House of Commons. Sponsor content by Senreve A luxury bag built to support your lifestyle. A Senreve handbag doesn’t compromise. Not on style, not on size, and not on function. Handcrafted in Italy and made of scratch and stain-resistant leather, they’re beautiful and built to perform. For a limited time, [they’re offering a free gift]( with eligible purchases. While you were sleeping Puerto Rico welcomed Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation. The US territory’s capital “[erupted in joy]( in response to the governor’s announcement that he would step down on Aug. 2, following two weeks of mass protests over leaked chat messages [containing crude and offensive jokes](. North Korea fired two missiles into the sea, according to South Korea. The [provocation from Pyongyang]( is seen as a signal of its anger over planned US-South Korea war games next month. The move also complicates efforts to resume stalled denuclearization talks with the US. Nissan confirmed plans for mass layoffs… Japan’s second-largest carmaker posted a 98.5% dive in first-quarter operating profit and said it will [cut 12,500 jobs]( globally by 2022. VW, meanwhile, reported a 30% rise for the quarter, [driven by]( a new range of sport utility vehicles. … while Toyota invested in ride-hailing. It [plans to invest]( $600 million in Chinese [ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing]( the latest in big automaker investments in next-generation electric vehicles and Uber alternatives. Japan’s leading carmaker also announced a new joint venture to work on fleet management, maintenance, and car rental. Jeffrey Epstein was injured in prison. The wealthy financier, who is awaiting trial in New York for sex-trafficking charges, was reportedly taken to hospital last night after being [found unconscious in his cell]( with neck injuries. Officials have yet to rule out attempted self-harm or assault. Membership Try membership for 20% off, using the code DAILYBRIEF. [Sign up here.]( You’re not imagining things—movies are less original than they used to be. Sequels, prequels, reboots, and remakes are all accounting for an ever-growing share of US box-office revenue. We take a look at how the Hollywood movie franchise has [taken over the box office](. And in the latest edition of Private Key, reporter Matt De Silva scrutinizes Facebook’s [Libra cryptocurrency timeline](. Quartz Obsession The Jell-O market is unstable. First a savory treat, then a dessert, the wiggly centerpiece of 20th-century meals has been on a slide for years. But gelatin has found new favor with high-end chefs, who have returned it to its old use of sealing up meat in dishes like artisan head cheese. [Dig in at the Quartz Obsession](. Matters of debate [Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!]( Small businesses don’t trust lending robots—yet. Many entrepreneurs still like to talk about money matters [face-to-face](. Fake house plants are superior to real ones. They’re low maintenance, and you [won’t have to deal with them dying](. The next 18 months will be do-or-die for the planet. We can stop rising temperatures, but we have to do it [before the end of 2020](. Message from our Partner Sermeq Kujalleq is the world's fastest glacier. It's also loud, dangerous, and transfixing. But for those in the Greenlandic town of Ilulissat, it’s also an enchanting neighbor. [Read more on Atlas Obscura](. Surprising discoveries Donald Trump spoke in front of a doctored presidential seal. The image resembles the official version, except the eagle is [two-headed and clutching golf clubs](. A British MP’s communications chief resigned using his boss’s Twitter. [The very public tweetstorm]( is a reminder that quitting stories can be complicated. The man who found the Titanic is coming for Amelia Earhart. Robert Ballard will use the E/V Nautilus in [his underwater search]( for the aviator’s downed plane. We waste a dangerous amount of seafood. The world is not only overfishing, but also [throwing away 50 million tons]( annually. Birds need hot wings. Dark feathers heat up the air around them to increase flow and [make flying more efficient](. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, quitting stories, and sketchy presidential seals to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by[downloading our app]( and[becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Cassie Werber and edited by Jackie Bischof. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to advertise in the Quartz Daily Brief? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.