Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The revised Trans-Pacific Partnership is released. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the pact’s text would be made public when her government publishes its assessment. The US pulled out of the agreement in 2017.
The Fed publishes minutes from its last meeting that had Janet Yellen at the helm. The Bank of England will also publish its latest inflation report, and South Africa will release its first budget under president Cyril Ramaphosa.
While you were sleeping
Robert Mueller unveiled new charges against the son-in-law of a Russian oligarch. Alex Van Der Zwaan, formerly a lawyer with the US firm Skadden Arps, was charged with making false statements to the FBI ahead of an expected guilty plea. His father-in-law, German Khan, is a Russian billionaire who was named in Christopher Steele’s dossier on Donald Trump’s alleged Kremlin ties.
Walmart stumbled in its struggle against Amazon. The retail giant warned that its e-commerce business is struggling with logistics issues, and that full-year profits will fall short of estimates. Its shares fell more more than 9% after the announcement.
Qualcomm sweetened its bid for NXP as it tries to fend off Broadcom. Qualcomm’s new $44 billion offer to acquire NXP would help it build its auto business and diversify out of the slowing smartphone market. A successful deal would also help it repel a $121 billion unsolicited takeover from Broadcom, which Qualcomm rejected last week.
Bitcoin surged to a three-week high. The volatile cryptocurrency has nearly doubled from its 2018 low point, climbing 3.4% to $11,555 after South Korean regulators said it would allow bitcoin trading if “normal transactions” are made.
Quartz obsession interlude
Marc Bain on China’s newfound love for streetwear. “For hip-hop in the world’s most populous country, it marks a turning point. The genre has been accumulating fans since the 1990s, but even so it has remained basically an underground art form. The government kept a wary eye on it, concerned it might promote the wrong values for good Communist youth, and has gone so far as to ban songs in the past for ‘promoting obscenity, violence, crime or threatening public morality.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
It’s unwise to talk about weed at work. Even if certain drugs aren’t against your employer’s policies or local laws, it could still impact how your coworkers view you.
Smart cars are collecting your data. Advertisers want to sell you targeted products during your commute.
Rising US wages aren’t to blame for inflation. Medical care and education are much bigger culprits.
Surprising discoveries
Emoji activists lobbied for an anatomically correct lobster. Maine residents demanded a redesign after an early version showed eight legs rather than ten.
An average skier gamed the system to compete in the Olympics. US-born Elizabeth Swaney skied for Hungary in the freeski halfpipe—without doing any tricks.
Vampire bats are a marvel of evolution. Blood is low in nutrients and high in pathogens, so the bats had to mightily adapt to make it work.
A rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence was found in a cardboard box. James Madison’s version (paywall) is in better shape than the original.
Humanity’s reaction to an alien landing may be pretty chill. A new study predicts that most people will react positively proof of extraterrestrial life.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, lobster legs, and crafty Olympians 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 and edited by Susan Howson and Adam Pasick.