Another Brexit extension, ISIS leader killed, Oktoberfest emissions

The UK’s parliament decides on a general election. MPs are voting on the motion today – two thirds of them have to approve it to trigger an election. Meanwhile, the EU agreed to postpone the UK’s departure from the bloc until Jan. 31, with the option of leaving earlier. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today The UK’s parliament decides on a general election. MPs [are voting]( on the motion today – two thirds of them have to approve it to trigger an election. Meanwhile, the EU [agreed to postpone]( the UK’s departure from the bloc until Jan. 31, with the option of leaving earlier. Google’s parent company reports earnings. Alphabet Inc. is likely to at least [meet]( investor expectations, but still come in [below last year]( amid a global slowdown that has hurt the advertising business. House Democrats face a roadblock. Charles Kupperman, the former US deputy national security adviser, has asked a judge to rule on whether he must [obey a subpoena]( by House impeachment investigators today. The decision could set a [precedent](. Sponsor content by Citrix When virtualizing workplace culture, companies should look to Reddit. We asked Alex Le, Reddit’s VP of Product, how he helped build the internet’s most passionate community. In a five-minute course, Alex sheds light on Reddit’s past, breaks down his product design philosophy, and explains why businesses won’t survive if they cannot foster a virtual culture like Reddit’s. [Learn how to build a culture across chatrooms, not boardrooms](. Over the weekend US forces killed the world’s most wanted man in Syria… President Trump thanked Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq for assisting the military operation that led to [the death of ISIS leader]( Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. … While Trump said he wants to tap Syrian oil. As he announced Baghdadi’s death, the US president [expressed interest]( in striking a deal with ExxonMobil to “spread out the wealth.” Defense secretary Mark Esper committed US troops to protect Syrian oil fields. The center-left won Argentina’s election. Alberto Fernández[secured an outright victory]( as voters rejected incumbent Mauricio Macri’s handling of the country’s economic crisis. Former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner becomes vice president. California burned. The governor declared a statewide emergency as[wildfires fueled by high winds]( swept across the northern part of the state, placing some 180,000 under evacuation orders and prompting mass blackouts. A separate fire also wreaked havoc further south. A Democratic congresswoman stepped down. Katie Hill, a first-term California representative, had been put under investigation by a House ethics committee, but [denied having an affair]( with an aide. The far right in Europe made more gains. The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) [party surged to second place]( in elections in the eastern state of Thuringia. Meanwhile, a right-wing coalition is [poised to win]( in the central Italian region of Umbria. Quartz membership Sign up for your [free trial](. The future of meat is uncertain. Plant-based products that look and taste (almost) like meat are showing up on supermarket shelves and fast food restaurant menus with incredible speed. But might they soon be eclipsed by something else? In this week’s [field guide]( Quartz reporter Chase Purdy [investigates]( the development of cell-cultured meat. Quartz Obsession There’s a new generation of pinball wizards. The arcade standby was on tilt after game rooms (and the malls that housed them) went into decline and video games took over, but retro bar arcades, collectors, and overseas markets have kept the industry from going STDM to the outhole. [Flip out at the Quartz Obsession](. Matters of Debate London should honor victims of slavery. Britain still hasn’t properly [acknowledged its role]( in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. US Supreme Court justices talk too much. They barely let arguing attorneys speak before [interrupting them with questions](. Profit shouldn’t be a dirty word for artists. Cash could [help them finance]( their next works. Surprising discoveries South Korea’s Acorn Rangers are fighting nut thieves. Foraging humans who [consider the nut]( (paywall) a superfood are leaving squirrels hungry. Russian eagles run up big phone bills. A project tracking the migrating birds with SMS transmitters [ran out of money]( because of roaming charges. Munich’s Oktoberfest is full of gas. Researchers found the annual 16-day bash of beer, bands, and bratwurst emits [10 times more methane]( than the city of Boston in the same period. A treehouse that burned down this week had 80 rooms. The five-story structure had [become a tourist attraction]( in Tennessee. A piece of kitchen art sold for $26 million. A long-lost painting by Italian pre-Renaissance artist Cimabue had been [hanging above]( a stove in an elderly French woman’s home. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, giant treehouses, and kitchen masterpieces to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by [downloading our app]( and [becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Adam Rasmi and Hasit Shah. 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](.