Total eclipse, US warship collision, Sweden’s dancing ban

[Quartz - qz.com]() Quartz Daily Brief sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today A total solar eclipse sweeps across the US. Towns in the 70-mile-wide path of totality are beset by tourists and [traffic]( (paywall), but you can comfortably watch online from anywhere in the world using [our guide](. Singer Bonnie Tyler will attempt to outdo the celestial spectacle by performing her power-ballad “[Total Eclipse of the Heart]( on a cruise ship during the event. The US and South Korea kick off a joint military exercise. The [annual event]( takes place in the wake of threats of war between North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, and will last until Aug. 31. There are more than 28,000 US service members stationed in South Korea. Trump outlines US engagement in Afghanistan and South Asia. The president will present a “[path forward]( for the US in the region at Fort Myer military base in Arlington, Virginia. National security advisor H.R. McMaster has been leading a review of how the US military can take a more aggressive role in Afghanistan. Brits bid bye-bye to Big Ben’s bonging. MPs will [gather around the iconic clock tower]( as it chimes for the last time for four years before renovation work starts. Silencing the clock has upset [right-leaning politicians and media](. Sponsor content by Synchrony Financial Stores are realizing that generations may not be so different. Despite the stereotypes, we all share similar shopping needs and habits. Find out how marketing by need, not demographic, is shaking up retail with [this interactive]( from Synchrony Financial. [Advertisement] While you were sleeping The USS John McCain collided with an oil tanker near Singapore. The [guided-missile destroyer]( was approaching port in the Strait of Malacca when the crash happened Monday morning local time. Ten sailors were reported missing and five injured. The USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship in Japanese waters in June, killing seven sailors. Police in Spain widened their manhunt. Spanish authorities [continued to search for the van driver]( who plowed into a crowd in Barcelona on Wednesday, killing 13. Police discovered over 100 gas canisters at the house of the 12-strong terror cell, suggesting the [terrorists were planning an even larger attack](. Total snapped up Maersk’s oil and gas business. The [$5 billion acquisition]( is part of the French energy company’s strategy to ramp up production. Energy deals have been gathering pace as the industry emerges from a long downturn. Bloomberg released details of a big new event next month. The [Global Business Forum]( is trying to take up where the Clinton Global Initiative left off, bringing a group of world leaders and CEOs together in New York during the week of the UN General Assembly. The 12th edition of Bill Clinton’s star-studded event in 2016 was the last in the series. Jerry Lewis died at age 91. The comedian and filmmaker shot to fame working alongside Dean Martin in the late 1940s, before starring in several [comedy cult classics](. Known for his philanthropic work, Lewis, who died of natural causes, hosted the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual charity telethon for more than 40 years. Quartz obsession interlude Isabella Steger on how a 100-year-old delivery firm is emblematic of Japan’s demographic woes. “Yamato’s black-and-yellow logo is ubiquitous across Japan, as customers use the company to deliver same-day grocery orders, luggage to the airport ahead of a flight, or equipment to a music festival… But in today’s Japan, faced with a shrinking labor force and an insatiable demand for convenience and ever-faster deliveries, that level of service isn’t possible without something having to give.” [Read more here](. Matters of debate Iceland’s prenatal testing is out of control. The disappearance of Down Syndrome in the country as a result of [early-detection testing]( is a disturbing version of eugenics. Humans shouldn’t terraform Mars. Making the red planet more habitable will subject it to humanity’s [worst vices](. You might as well be your own therapist. Patients in therapy [fared no better]( than those who followed self-help treatment. Quartz announcement You work hard, so take a vacation on us. We’re giving away a four-night trip to Costa Rica that includes dinner, spa treatments, and a flight credit for two. [Enter here](. Surprising discoveries Surfers are obsessed with a cheap Costco surfboard. The [imperfect but affordable Wavestorm board]( (paywall) is worshipped by pro surfers. Sweden forbids “spontaneous dancing” in bars. Bar owners are fed up waiting for [the 1930s law]( to be scrapped. Children could solve a 2,000-year-old philosophy debate. The way they learn might [answer an age-old question]( about how knowledge is formed. Persuasive astronomers are behind one of the most popular solar eclipse videos. The eclipse chasers [convinced an airline]( to alter its schedule in order to capture the stunning footage. An iconic pop sound was discovered by accident. The punchy sound of reverb drums that [dominated the charts]( in the 1980s began as a mis-recording of Phil Collins’ drumming. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, discount surf gear, and “Sussudio” covers to hi@qz.com. You can follow us[on Twitter]( for updates throughout the day or download[our apps for iPhone]( and[Android](. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to receive the Daily Brief at a different time? [Click here]( to change your edition. To unsubscribe entirely, [click here](. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States