What to watch for today
The Bank of Japan shares the minutes from its latest policy meeting, where it decided to stick to the two-year stimulus program aimed at reaching 2% inflation.
The first full week of major US earning reports is here. The biggest company to unveil its quarterly results today is Commerce Bancshares, with a market cap of $4 billion.
Over the weekend
Hillary Clinton officially entered the 2016 US presidential race. The former secretary of state, senator, and first lady announced her campaign on Sunday, establishing herself as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. ”The deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top,” Clinton said in a new campaign video. “Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion.”
The pope called the 1915 Armenian killings “genocide.” Pope Francis Sunday referred to the killing of Armenians in Turkey in 1915 as “the first genocide of the 21st century.” Although many countries recognize the genocide, the Turkish government said it was “disappointed and saddened” by the pope’s use of the word.
Obama and Castro made history together. The presidents of the US and Cuba met in Panama City, on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas. Obama called it an “historic meeting,” and Raul Castro called his counterpart an “honest man.”
Airbus promised it would make planes and helicopters in India. There will be final assembly lines for satellites, helicopters, and military transport aircraft—but the aerospace company hasn’t said where in India, exactly. Or when. The announcement was made during Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.
Quartz obsession interlude
Meredith Bennett-Smith takes a close look at ”the Great Cannon,” China’s new powerful censorship weapon. ”While the Great Cannon’s ability to target and potentially take down websites is worrying enough, it’s also possible that the technology could be tweaked in order to plant malware in millions of computers communicating with vulnerable Chinese servers.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
We’re printing too much cash globally. There is way too much money and not that much to do with it. Since companies aren’t investing all that much, governments need to step up.
Fixing the tenure clock is a way to correct gender imbalances in academic leadership. High-pressure tenure deadlines have traditionally overlapped with the years when women face additional maternity and parenting burdens.
Abolishing cash would help the world economy. Citi’s Willem Buiter says having physical currencies hurts the ability of central banks to spur growth.
Surprising discoveries
Your phone may soon help detect earthquakes. Scientists say the GPS receivers on smartphones can be used as earthquake-warning systems. They could be especially useful in countries that can’t afford sophisticated equipment.
There are too many c-section births. The World Health Organization is warning that caesarean sections should only be done when there is a medical necessity. Two new studies show there is no improvement in mortality statistics when the c-section rate in a country exceeds 10%.
Edward Snowden tribute art is a thing. Projections, statues, paintings: artists are using all sorts of media to pay homage to the former National Security Agency contractor, often through guerrilla art.
Gun manufacturer Kalashnikov’s rebranding is being led by a Russian socialite. President Vladimir Putin’s supporter and the former “sexiest TV host”-turned-communication-specialist Tina Kandelaki is trying to shift the perception of Kalashnikovs, positioning them as “weapons of peace.”
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