Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
India hosts talks with the US and Japan. The meeting, ahead of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s talks with Donald Trump later this month, will focus on the tripartite alliance as a counterbalance against China in Asia.
Former Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva learns his fate. The Supreme Court is expected to rule today on whether to jail “Lula,” after he was sentenced to 12 years for corruption by lower courts. The ex-president is campaigning for another term as leader, and is currently the frontrunner ahead of October elections.
Paul Manafort goes to court. Donald Trump’s former campaign manager will ask a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges filed against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. It’s a key test of Mueller’s legal mandate, which is focused on investigating alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.
While you were sleeping
China responded to Trump’s latest tariffs in kind. Beijing condemned the US administration’s plans to slap tariffs on $50 billion worth of industrial Chinese products. In short order, the Chinese Commerce Ministry announced new tariffs on $50 billion worth of American goods, including soybeans, cars, and chemicals.
The father of the suspected YouTube attacker said she “hated” the company. The woman who opened fire at YouTube’s HQ in California yesterday—and died in an apparent suicide—was identified by police as 39-year-old Nasim Aghdam. Investigators believe she had a ongoing dispute with YouTube, which her father also said in an interview with Bay Area News Group.
The world’s largest advertising company is investigating its CEO. WPP is looking into whether Martin Sorrell misused company assets, according to the Wall Street Journal (paywall). The company board is also investigating allegations of improper personal behavior by Sorrell, an icon of the ad industry.
Peppa Pig rules the world. Entertainment One, which owns the rights to the animated kids’ show, said Peppa Pig’s growing global popularity boosted sales its family division by 50% in its last financial year. Peppa has been embraced by the Chinese on national TV and has racked up 45 billion views (paywall) on video-on-demand platforms.
Anbang Insurance got a $10 billion rescue. The Chinese conglomerate will get a bailout (paywall) from the China Insurance Security Fund until it can find new long-term investors. The government seized control of Anbang last year; its former chairman, Wu Xiaohui, is currently on trial for fraud.
Quartz obsession interlude
David Yanofsky on Quartz’s legal victory against the US government. “The databases I seek… don’t just tally US visitors by their origin, but also by age, residency, port of entry, visa type, and initial destination… judge Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed with my lawyers from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Commerce had no legal basis to charge me exorbitant fees to access government data.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Social-media platforms can only do so much about user happiness. Instagram’s new “Wellbeing Team” illustrates how abuse, bullying, and insecurity are basic human flaws.
Washing dishes is the worst. Among domestic tasks, researchers suggest the division of labor in doing the dishes leads to the most relationship conflict.
Mobile money is the key to Africa’s banking sector. A dependence on cash and traditional systems with high fees are hobbling the continent’s financial institutions.
Surprising discoveries
South Koreans are drinking wasp-venom liquor. The government warns that the insect-infused soju could be fatal.
Sumner Redstone uses an iPad to swear. The media mogul, who is in poor health, communicates with an app preloaded with “yes,” “no,” and “f— you” (paywall).
The Hubble telescope found the most distant star ever seen. The light from Icarus took 9 billion years to reach Earth.
The world’s fastest drone travels at 121 km per hour (75 mph). Zipline says the new fleet will speed up blood deliveries to rural Rwandans.
There are some great band names in the list of Chinese products targeted for US tariffs. “Parts of Flange” would make a good prog rock group.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, cussing apps, and zippy drones 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 Jason Karaian.