Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Metal tariffs take effect around the world. Japan will likely avoid the financial brunt of US-imposed trade duties, whether it gets an exemption deal or an unofficial exclusion for steel and aluminum imports. Along with Canada and Mexico, the European Union, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and South Korea will all be exempt—accounting for more than half (paywall) of America’s imported steel.
Moon Jae-in visits Vietnam for three-day diplomacy tour. South Korea’s president will meet his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang on Friday as part of a larger effort (paywall) to consolidate economic growth. As the US turns inward and relations with China continue to sour, South Korea businesses could find growth in the ASEAN region.
Britain’s investigators will get a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica. A judge had delayed the process for 24 hours for unknown reasons, prompting outcry that the hold-up would give the company an opportunity to destroy evidence. Several storage crates have reportedly been picked up from the firm’s London office building in the meantime.
While you were sleeping
A US trade order slapped new tariffs on China. Trump described the move as a “reciprocal” response to unfair trade practices—it targets 1,300 products totaling about $50 billion in imports (paywall) and is set to start in 15 days. China’s US ambassador replied that the nation isn’t afraid of a trade war and will retaliate.
Trump’s chief lawyer resigned. John Dowd was representing the US president in FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and stepped down five days after calling for an end to the case. Reportedly, Dowd resigned because Trump wouldn’t take his advice to stay out of the investigation.
Authorities released footage of the first pedestrian fatality caused by a self-driving car. The dash-cam showed Elaine Herzberg crossing an open road, albeit a dark one, that an autonomous vehicle should have been able to scan for humans and react accordingly. The safety driver, footage showed, had his eyes averted for several seconds.
The US House of Representatives passed a $1.3-billion spending bill. The largest federal spending increase in years sped easily through the House, backed by many Republicans voting in defiance of the White House, and will have to be approved by the Senate before midnight to avoid a government shutdown.
A megachurch pastor admitted to a sexual encounter with a minor. Highpoint Church leader Andy Savage had originally sidestepped Jules Woodson’s description of feeling violated after the then-22-year-old allegedly forced her into sexual acts. While announcing his resignation, he not only acknowledged his role in the incident, but regretted his actions when Woodson went public in January.
Quartz obsession interlude
Madhusree Mukerjee on how Winston Churchill stole from India for Britain’s war: “The prime minister was aware that the sterling debt was inverting the economic relationship between colony and colonizer. After the war, money would flow from Britain to India, not as investment to be repaid with interest but as remittance.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
NRA boycotts create a precarious tightrope. The speed of social media scares companies into attempts to boost prestige without thinking things through.
Hygge, not money, makes Denmark happy. The country’s emphasis on staying cozy and content is something the rest of the world should learn from.
Cambridge Analytica follows a global history of election manipulation. The firm innovated by using data (paywall) to exploit a growing vein of public anger.
Surprising discoveries
Americans in Italy started a fire by cooking pasta without water. The three 20-year-old students thought that’s just how pasta was made.
A Mexican cryptocurrency is backed by habanero peppers. A grower of the ultra-spicy pepper created Agrocoin (paywall) to attract smaller investors.
IBM’s been laying off older people. ProPublica investigated the most dominant global tech company and found increasing evidence to substantiate rumors of ageism.
Usain Bolt’s trying his hand at soccer. The world’s fastest man will train with Borussia Dortmund to see if he can take his track skills to the pitch.
South Korea will shut down computers to stop overwork. State employees, who work longer hours than anywhere else in the world, will have to wrap up early on Fridays.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, basic cooking videos, and pepper money 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 McKinley Noble.