Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Saudi crown prince visits the White House. Mohammed bin Salman is leading a delegation to Washington for the first time since becoming heir apparent. He will meet with Donald Trump, lawmakers, and senior officials, with Iran atop the agenda. Other members of the Saudi delegation will field pleas to rethink a reported decision to hold the blockbuster Aramco IPO in Riyadh instead of New York (paywall).
The US senate could vote to pull troops from Yemen. A bipartisan group of senators may force a vote calling for the US to withdraw its military from the war-torn country, seen as a proxy battleground for war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The Fed’s March policy meeting starts. The central bank is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate for the first time this year at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday.
While you were sleeping
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was taken into police custody. Sarkozy is reportedly being questioned over alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 election campaign. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, tried to make a comeback in 2017 but couldn’t muster enough support to become his party’s preferred candidate.
Harvey Weinstein’s company filed for bankruptcy. Investment firm Lantern Capital said it would buy Weinstein Co.’s assets if it agreed to file for bankruptcy. The studio has spent months trying to find a buyer. The company will release employees from non-disclosure agreements as part of the move.
China issued a chilling warning to Taiwan—and the rest of the world. President Xi Jinping said that Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, will face the “punishment of history” if it attempts separatist activities. Xi also said that China would “take our due place in the world” and was prepared to “fight bloody battles against our enemies.”
Facebook security chief Alex Stamos is reportedly leaving the company. Stamos reportedly clashed with other managers, as he pushed for Facebook to be more proactive in combating fake news on the platform. Facebook’s shares plunged yesterday after regulators called for hearings on reports that Cambridge Analytica, a political advisory firm tapped by the Trump campaign, illicitly used social media data from 50 million Facebook users.
The US and South Korea agreed to resume military drills. The two countries said they would kick off their joint annual military exercises on April 1, which had been delayed because of the Olympics-inspired detente between North and South Korea. The drills take place ahead of a mooted summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un in May.
Quartz obsession interlude
Sushma U N on the dashed middle-class dreams of India’s Ola and Uber drivers. “In 2013, when Uber entered India and Ola turned more aggressive in the face of competition, the two companies went all out to lure drivers: promises of high earnings and minimal commission—as less as 10%—to be paid to the aggregators. … The drivers now barely make Rs20,000 (US$309) a month in a city like Bengaluru after paying steep commissions of up to 30% per ride.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The best ideas come from misfits. They may be rebellious, but they’re also innovative.
Quitting Facebook to avoid personal data sharing isn’t always a viable solution. Facebook simply is the internet in many countries (paywall).
Trump is creating a toxic work environment for America’s largest employer. An unpredictable White House is having a destabilizing effect on 2 million federal government workers.
Surprising discoveries
Online chess is way more intense than you think. A typical session with the “Chessbrahs,” who stream their chess matches, includes f-bombs, freestyle rapping, and trash talk.
A John Oliver spoof of the Pence family’s new children’s book is an instant bestseller. The British comedian railed against the family’s homophobic views in his own parody featuring a gay rabbit.
The last male white rhino has died. He was put down after a long illness, leaving only two females left in the world.
Cynthia Nixon will run for governor of New York. The “Sex and the City” star and gay activist said she wants to fix health care, mass incarceration, and the city’s subway system.
US nose jobs have declined 43% since 2000. Women no longer want to look like “piglets” and “kittens.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Aramco shares, and satirical children’s books to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Jill Petzinger and edited by Jason Karaian.