Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Italy’s full election results. Projections suggest no parliamentary bloc will emerge with an outright majority after Sunday’s election, with voters flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups amid discontent over immigration and a sluggish economy. The country likely faces months of political gridlock, with a more Euroskeptic coalition being a possible outcome.
China’s legislature kicks off its annual session. During the two-week gathering it’s expected to scrap (paywall) the two-term limit for the president and vice president, which would allow Xi Jinping, 64, to serve indefinitely. It could also appoint Xi ally Wang Qishan as vice president. Bloomberg has a cheat sheet on what investors should look for.
Senior South Korean officials land in Pyongyang. They’ll talk to their North Korean counterparts about the need for denuclearization and the possibility of starting a dialogue with the US. North Korea hasn’t conducted a weapons test since November but warned it would “counter” the joint military exercises by the US and South Korea scheduled for April.
High spirits at a Houston oil gathering. Top industry execs meet at the CERAWeek conference amid booming shale oil production that could allow the US to surpass Russia as the world’s largest oil producer this year.
Over the weekend
The Academy Awards were handed out. The Shape of Water took Best Picture and Best Director (Guillermo del Toro), while Jordan Peele won Best Original Screenplay for Get Out, a satirical horror examining race relations. Both visual effects and cinematography went to Blade Runner 2049, which we likened to an art gallery. The red-carpet dresses this year had a witchy vibe.
Germany’s government finally came together. The Social Democrats voted Sunday to form a coalition with chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats. This fourth term is likely to be the last (paywall) for Merkel, meaning she’ll be less restrained by domestic politics and freer to help French president Emmanuel Macron on EU reform.
Vietnam welcomed a US aircraft carrier. The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group’s 5,500 sailors today marked the biggest such landing (paywall) since the US troop withdrawal in 1975. China’s expansionist maneuvers in the South China Sea, where the US carrier has been deployed, have effectively brought the US and Vietnam closer.
China boosted its military spending. This year’s defense budget will reach $175 billion, up 8.1% from 2017, as Beijing continues to modernize the People’s Liberation Army. Last month Harry Harris, head of US Pacific Command, warned about China’s rapidly advancing military technology, saying America might struggle to compete “on future battlefields.”
Donald Trump mused about the US instituting a president for life. At a fundraising gathering he praised Chinese president Xi Jinping for becoming “president for life” and said “maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.” Trump also blasted former president George W. Bush for his decision to invade Iraq.
RIP, Roger Bannister. The first man to officially run a mile in less than four minutes died Saturday at age 88. Sub-four-minute miles have become relatively commonplace since Bannister made history in 1954, but the current world record of 3:43.13, held by Hicham El Guerrouj, has been unbroken since 1999.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ana Campoy on understanding Trump’s trade war through the lens of US history. “Even if Trump manages to significantly dent trade, history suggests his successors would seek to revert that—particularly if his protectionist policies result in economic pain. In the past, it’s been when the US has felt it’s being left out that it has sought to engage in international trade negotiations.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Titan is a better place for a human settlement than Mars. While it’s far away, the largest of Saturn’s moons has a lot going for it, including low gravity and a thick atmosphere.
Policy choices are responsible for the downsides of globalization. They, rather than trade or technology, are the biggest causes of inequality.
There are five types of diabetes. The current division into just Type 1 and Type 2 is overly simplistic, and could be resulting in improper treatments.
Surprising discoveries
Rita Moreno wore a dress to the Oscars that she also wore to the event in 1962. She donned the gown, made of Japanese obi fabric, back when she won Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story.
A supercolony of 1.5 million penguins went unnoticed until now. Satellite imagery led to its discovery, but the Antarctic colony has been around since at least the 1950s.
Only 13 Delta passengers ever bought tickets with National Rifle Association discounts. After the US airline dropped the discount program, conservative lawmakers killed its $40 million tax break in Georgia.
People are getting injured walking into glass walls in Apple’s new headquarters. They’re having trouble telling that the floor-to-ceiling glass is there.
West Virginia lawmakers passed the wrong bill on teacher raises. The state senate mistakenly voted in a 5% raise rather than the 4% it had planned, before scrambling to repeal it.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, glass-wall detectors, and job-ending “likes” 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 Steve Mollman and edited by Isabella Steger.