Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Kremlin braces for nationwide protests. Thousands of people across 200 cities are expected to show up for anti-corruption rallies helmed by Alexei Navalny, lawyer and vocal critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin. In March Navalny staged a similar protest that drew 8,000 individuals and resulted in over 1,000 detentions, including Navalny himself.
Moon Jae-in talks policy in South Korea’s national assembly. The newly appointed president is addressing the country’s legislature for the first time since his electoral victory. He is expected to ask the opposition to support a 11.2 trillion won ($9.95 billion) stimulus package to help create jobs.
The Philippines celebrates independence day. Rodrigo Duterte was absent from the customary ceremony in Manila—which would have been his first as president—in order to tend to matters in Marawi, where government forces have been combating Islamic militants. The Philippine military successfully raised the flag in the embattled city in time for the holiday, but fighting continues.
Over the weekend
Theresa May reshuffled her cabinet. The UK prime minister placed two prominent pro-Brexit ministers (and former rivals) in positions of power. The moves are being interpreted as a way of appeasing members of her Conservative Party, after her call for an early election backfired spectacularly.
France closed the first round of its parliamentary elections. Early poll results show president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party and its ally winning a majority 32.32% of the vote. If the results are confirmed in a second round of voting on June 18, Macron will preside over one of the largest majorities in post-war France.
Qatar held steady in the Middle East. After three neighboring Gulf states expelled Qatari citizens, Qatar on Saturday reassured its own foreign residents that it would not be responding in kind. On Sunday, mediator Kuwait announced that Qatar was open to listening to the concerns of its neighbors.
Puerto Rico decided it wants to be the 51st US state. In a referendum, Puerto Ricans voted overwhelmingly in favor of applying for statehood. The final decision, though, is in the hands of the US Congress—and a Republican-led legislative branch isn’t likely to welcome a new Democrat-leaning state.
Muammar Gaddafi’s son was freed from captivity. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was released by militia in Zintan, Libya. It’s not clear where he went; he is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity during the rebellion against his father’s rule, and he faces a death sentence meted out by courts in Tripoli.
Batman died. Adam West, who played the Caped Crusader in the campy 1960s TV and film versions of Batman, passed away at the age of 88.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dan Knopf on why rich people in the US don’t display their wealth: “Instead of spending money on consumer products, the rich increasingly focus their spending on ‘nonvisible, highly expensive goods and services’ that allow them to have time to gain social capital and foster it in their children.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
There’s a bad-writing crisis in economics. Economists have a duty to strive for clarity in communications to the public, but papers and communiques in the field are tangles of jargon.
When dealing with loss, it’s totally normal to cut off your hair. Researchers say it’s an attempt to control change.
Women’s workwear has lost all stylistic consistency. Increasingly liberal dress codes for the office have driven clothing companies into a state of confusion.
Surprising discoveries
Ikea sent some of its engineers to live in a Mars simulation. The goal was to answer questions like “What does comfort mean for compact living?” and “How do we feel in small spaces?”
Cary Grant used to drop acid 100 times a year. In the late 1950s, during the heyday of psychedelic research, the American actor was one of the first to go all-in on LSD therapy.
Korea exports menstrual cups, but they can’t be sold legally there. It’s one of many symptoms of the country’s alarming lack of attention to women’s health issues.
Pickup basketball is Silicon Valley’s answer to golfing with your boss. There’s a twice-weekly game at Stanford University where networks are built and million-dollar deals get done.
Chefs in California cooked a pizza 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long. The world record-breaking pie weighed over 17,000 lbs (7,800 kg)—more than most elephants.
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