Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Greece negotiates another bailout. Euro zone finance ministers and IMF chief Christine Lagarde will meet in Brussels as they try to strike a deal that could unlock an €86 billion payout to Athens.
The Bank of England decides on interest rates. Despite inflation reaching 2.9% last month the bank is expected to keep interest rates at a record low of 0.25%. The Bank of Japan also meets and is expected to keep its -0.1% short-term rate flat.
Toshiba picks a semiconductor suitor. The field has been narrowed to a joint bid by US chipmaker Broadcom Ltd and tech fund Silver Lake, or a separate offer from chipmaker Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) and Japanese government-backed investors. Toshiba needs the proceeds from the roughly $18 billion sale to cover the costs of its bankrupt nuclear power unit.
European mobile users get a nice bonus. Residents will be able to make wireless calls, use data, and send texts without any additional roaming charges within the EU, as new rules take effect.
While you were sleeping
The Fed hiked interest rates, as expected. Citing the strength of the job market and continued economic growth, the US Federal Reserve raised its benchmark to a target range of 1% to 1.25%, its second bump in three months. The central bank also plans to begin cutting its bond holdings this year.
A gunman opened fire on US congressmen. A 66-year-old Illinois man, reportedly angry over Donald Trump’s election win, was fatally shot by capitol police after he opened fire on Republicans practicing in Alexandria, Virginia for a charity baseball game. Five people were injured, including house majority whip Steve Scalise.
A high-rise fire in London killed at least 12 people. The deadliest UK blaze in decades engulfed a 24-story building that was home to about 600 people. Dozens were injured, and witnesses reported that one woman threw her baby to safety from an upper storey window.
A big bank email prankster struck again. Execs at Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs were tricked into trading “innocuous, if embarrassing” emails with a hoaxer who had previously hoodwinked UK bank officials.
The US is expanding its presence in Syria. Special forces troops supporting anti-regime rebels have extended patrols and established a new base near the border with Iraq, Reuters reports. The move risks more confrontations with Iran-backed pro-regime forces, who are competing to capture territory from the Islamic State.
Quartz obsession interlude
Heather Timmons on a shooting that instantly became political propaganda. “Within minutes of news breaking that Republican congressman Steve Scalise had been shot during a baseball practice … supporters of US president Donald Trump and alt-right talking heads were pushing a line that the shooting was part of a left-wing plot.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
Potential Fed clash / Over the chair: Should she stay? / Or should she go now?
Matters of Debate
Playing video games instead of getting a job is fine—for now. “Innovations in leisure computer activities” have resulted in more happiness and less despair for many young men.
Europe has too many types of tanks. The EU dreams of a common military but needs to harness continent-wide economies of scale.
Trump is making the Middle East squabble worse. By siding with Saudi Arabia, he’s simply backing one terrorist-financing autocracy over another.
Surprising discoveries
A parking space in Hong Kong just sold for over $664,000. It’s less than 200 square feet (18.5 square meters) yet costs more than some two-bedroom homes.
Almost all of the ocean’s plastic comes from Asian rivers. The continent’s waterways send more pollution into the ocean than all the others combined.
Google is building a gallery to document unusual sari styles. The online exhibition will feature dozens of rare regional variations from across India.
There’s a fish that recognizes faces. The cichlid can recognize friends and becomes guarded when it meets strangers.
The cichlid becomes guarded when it sees unfamiliar facial patterns in other fish, in order to distinguish between strangers and friends.
A popular French cheese is endangered. Of the 360 million wheels of Camembert produced each year, only about 1% meet rigorous production standards.
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