Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
SoftBank delivers its first-quarter report card. Investors will be listening (paywall) for hints of the Japanese tech giant’s potential stake in Uber, given its existing holdings in the ride-hailing company’s rivals, as well as possible plans to spur US wireless consolidation.
Samsung’s corruption trial wraps up. Prosecutors are expected to call for a jail sentence (paywall) for the Korean conglomerate’s de facto leader, Lee Jae-yong, for his role in the massive embezzlement and influence-peddling scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye. Lee and other Samsung officials have been charged with giving nearly $40 million in bribes to Park’s close confidante.
The US pressures North Korea at ASEAN. The question is how much US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his North Korean counterpart, foreign minister Ri Yong-ho, will interact at the regional forum in Manila, given tensions over Pyongyang’s testing of missiles and nuclear weapons. Ri met with his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines of the event on Sunday.
Over the weekend
Venezuela’s government put down a soldier uprising. After months of protests, the army said it suppressed an uprising against president Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, Leopoldo Lopez, a popular Venezuelan politician, was released from military prison (paywall) after being taken from his home on Aug. 1.
Pressure mounted against Donald Trump possibly firing Robert Mueller. Democratic senator Chris Coons of Delaware joined a chorus of lawmakers threatening bipartisan backlash if the US president tries to oust the special counsel charged with investigating Russian election tampering.
Another Fox News host went down. Eric Bolling of Cashin’ In, a vocal supporter of Trump, was suspended due to claims that he sent women unwanted lewd texts. Bolling’s lawyer has has denied the allegations, amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct at the network.
The UN slapped North Korea with severe sanctions. The Security Council unanimously agreed to impose its most financially punitive sanctions yet to stop the regime’s nuclear ambitions. The sanctions, introduced by US ambassador Nikki Haley, will cut the country’s exports by roughly $1 billion, or a third of annual export revenue.
Vladimir Putin went topless in Siberia. Russian state television released footage of the national leader romping topless on vacation, while fishing in an inflatable boat. Last week the Russian president hunted fish underwater with a speargun.
Quartz obsession interlude
Gwynn Guilford on the real problem with that Google employee’s viral anti-diversity memo. “Discussion about diversity and free speech is increasingly defined by people on the ideological extremes. On one side, we have the militantly politically correct left… And on the other is the anti-PC backlash liberals have provoked, of which the rambling, confused tirade of the Google employee is the latest example.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
100% renewable energy is a lie. Cities and states around the US have pledged to do it. But the science isn’t there (paywall).
It’s time to ditch the term “bridezilla.” Ever notice “groomzilla” (paywall) isn’t a thing? Only women get slapped with this nasty moniker.
Vegetarians are their own worst enemies. A little more flexibility would go a long way in encouraging others to eat less meat.
Surprising discoveries
Two Chinese tourists were arrested in Berlin for saluting Hitler. The middle-aged men didn’t get the memo on Germany’s strict laws against hate speech and symbols.
Phone notifications take a long-term psychological toll. The pings are so addictive that researchers struggled to recruit people for their experiment.
Dunkin’ Donuts is over the word “Donuts.” The company thinks dumping the reference to sugary food could help it transform into Starbucks.
Game of Thrones used cheap IKEA rugs as capes. And that’s despite being it one of the most expensive television shows in history.
Tiny meat-eating sea lice are stalking Australia’s beaches. A Melbourne teenager went for a dip to find blood gushing out of tiny wounds on his feet when he emerged from the water.
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