Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Spotify goes public. The music-streaming company has opted for an unusual IPO process that could lead to a volatile first day of trading. However, the direct listing will help Spotify save millions in banking fees (paywall) and give insiders a chance to cash out. The New York Stock Exchange set an initial reference price of $132 per share, but that is only vague guidance for traders, who will ultimately determine how much the company is worth.
Vladimir Putin visits Turkey for a summit on Syria. Russia’s president will meet with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani. Putin will also join Erdogan for the ground-breaking ceremony of a Russian-made nuclear power plant, the first to be built in Turkey.
Google and Facebook bid for Indian cricket rights. The tech giants will compete against Reliance Jio, Star India, and Sony Pictures Network India in an online auction for broadcasting rights through 2023.
While you were sleeping
A broker reportedly offered to acquire a hack-prone Japanese crypto exchange. Monex could announce a deal for Coincheck this week, according to Nikkei. A whopping $530 million in cryptocurrency was stolen from Coincheck in January; markets cheered the news of a traditional, regulated player entering the freewheeling crypto space.
German prosecutors applied to extradite Catalonia’s former president to Spain. Carles Puigdemont has been living in exile since Catalonia’s parliament controversially declared independence from Spain in October. He was detained while passing through Germany, and if a court agrees to deport him he could face decades in prison on rebellion and sedition charges.
Walt Disney offered to buy Sky News. The move could ease fears of Rupert Murdoch gaining too much influence over British media (paywall). His company, 21st Century Fox, has sought to acquire full control of Sky.
Strikes in France tested president Emmanuel Macron’s resolve. Services for many trains have been canceled, as unions push back against Macron’s plans to cut benefits from some state workers. About a third of Air France flights were also grounded by industrial action.
Villanova won the NCAA tournament, again. The Wildcats won the US men’s college basketball tournament for the second time in three years, beating Michigan 79-62. Villanova also scored the most three-pointers in an NCAA tournament.
Quartz obsession interlude
Abdi Latif Dahir on the crack in Kenya that may split Africa in two. “The East African Rift System (EARS), part of the Great Rift Valley… is an actively developing rift, a process that will slowly thin the earth’s lithosphere crust, spread the seafloor, stretch and break the topography through faulting, and eventually break the continent apart.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
China’s huge population may hinder growth. If automation and AI reduce jobs, having too large a population to care for will impede the economy.
The myth of the infallible creative genius needs to go. Putting auteurs on a pedestal keeps abusive men in power in creative industries.
Makeup-wearing women are perceived as less competent. And they’re unlikely to be seen as strong leaders.
Surprising discoveries
A powerful hallucinogen makes people think they’ve seen aliens. Researchers are studying why users of DMT frequently report meeting “angels, demons, and even elves.”
India’s “cheating mafia” is getting to work. They aim to profiteer from students desperate to pass their exams to get into prestigious universities, for example by leaking exam papers.
Nancy Pelosi is the new Hillary Clinton. One in three Republican campaign ads target the Democratic congressional leader.
Some NFL cheerleaders aren’t allowed to wear sweatpants in public. It’s one of the many rules dictating how women who cheer for US football teams should behave outside of work (paywall).
A four-eyed lizard walked the earth nearly 50 million years ago. Saniwa ensidens fossils from what is now Wyoming revealed two additional eyes on top of the reptile’s head.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, alien sightings, and Spotify playlists 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 John Detrixhe and edited by Jason Karaian.