Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Plugging the post-Brexit budget hole in Europe. EU leaders discuss a budget for 2021 onwards, after the UK’s exit leaves a $12 billion annual hole in the bloc’s spending program. Net contributors like Austria, Sweden, and the Netherlands are reluctant to cough up more cash.
Justin Trudeau visits Narendra Modi. The Canadian prime minister will meet his Indian counterpart today amid controversy over a botched party invitation. Meanwhile Donald Trump Jr. is expected to give a foreign policy speech alongside Modi during a private business trip to promote the family’s real-estate brand.
Malcolm Turnbull visits Donald Trump in Washington. The Australian prime minister may attempt to convince the president to rejoin the revised Pacific trade deal. Turnbull is also expected to offer to invest Australian pension money in US infrastructure.
Ivanka Trump attends the Olympics. The White House senior advisor will dine with South Korean president Moon Jae-in and lead the US delegation at Sunday’s closing ceremony. It could be a frosty ceremony: North Korea is sending its top spymaster, and today the Trump administration will announce its toughest sanctions yet against Pyongyang.
While you were sleeping
China seized control of Anbang. It said the insurer, which has been on an acquisitions tear in recent years, was in danger of insolvency and it acted to protect customers. Its chairman Wu Xiaohui, who was arrested last June, will face prosecution. The seizure means New York’s Waldorf Astoria is now controlled by the Chinese government.
Australia’s scandal-hit deputy prime minister resigned. Under pressure over an extramarital affair and facing a sexual harassment complaint, Barnaby Joyce will also step down as leader of the National Party of Australia. He’ll remain in parliament, though, which will safeguard Malcolm Turnbull’s shaky one-seat majority.
RBS reported its first profit in a decade. After nearly £60 billion ($83.8 billion) in losses, Royal Bank of Scotland posted annual profit of £752 million. It still has a US Justice Department probe hanging over its head, and also warned that restructuring will cost it about £2.5 billion over the next two years.
The US told India to reduce its tariffs. US companies and diplomats are reportedly urging the Indian government to drop the stiff duties it imposes on foreign products. Apple is keen to see duties lowered, as it tries to compete in the lucrative, price-driven smartphone market. Modi this month bowed to Trump’s demand to cut duties on Harley-Davidsons.
The deputy assigned to guard Marjory Stoneman Douglas High resigned. County sheriff Scott Israel said school-resource deputy Scot Peterson resigned after being suspended, after footage showed him failing to enter the school and confront the gunman who shot 17 people dead last week.
Quartz obsession interlude
Annalisa Merelli on what the US can learn from other countries about gun control. “Back in 1996, it took only 12 days after a mass shooting for Australia to pass the National Firearms Agreement, which banned automatic and semi-automatic weapon for ‘personal defense.’ The country created a temporary buyback program for guns that had become illegal. Stricter background checks were enforced… there have been no school shootings in Australia since.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Boys don’t know who they are, and it’s leading to violence. Feminism could offer inspiration to help them figure out what “being a man” means now (paywall).
Math-class techniques can improve writing courses. Focusing on the process, not the result, will leave fewer students behind.
The US could grow as fast as China. Increasing government spending supports infrastructure, grows investments, and creates new opportunities for future populations.
Surprising discoveries
An error-riddled job application by Steve Jobs could make $50,000 at auction. The 1973 application form from “Steven jobs,” listed his phone number as “none.”
Dirty meat could be making the US sick. Alarming contamination in meat plants would explain why 15% of Americans contract food-borne illnesses each year.
Michael Dell set a New York real-estate record. The Dell Techologies founder was behind the mysterious $100 million purchase of a Manhattan penthouse in 2014.
Britain has lost its lure for career-minded EU nationals. The number of EU migrants coming to the UK has fallen by a third since the Brexit vote.
An amateur astronomer captured an impossible photo of a supernova. The chances of his stroke of luck are one in 10 million—or perhaps even one in 100 million.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, supernova pics, and NYC penthouse listings 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 Lianna Brinded.