Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Was your data used by Cambridge Analytica? Facebook will begin alerting users of how their data has been shared via a link atop their news feeds, including whether they were part of the scandal rocking the company. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will go before Congress this week to testify about how Facebook uses its data.
International reaction to a suspected Syrian chemical attack. The UN Security Council is expected to discuss the incident, which reportedly killed “dozens” in the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday. Donald Trump took a hard line against Vladimir Putin, mentioning him by name and tweeting “Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad.”
The latest projection for the US budget deficit. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office will release its economic and budget outlook, its first since last year’s big tax cut and this year’s spending deal. The report will spark conversations about just how high deficits will be in the years ahead.
While you were sleeping
Verbal jousting over the US-China tariffs standoff continued. After a tough week for US stocks, US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said that he does not expect a trade war, while Donald Trump tweeted “that war was lost many years ago.” China’s state media said American companies should “urge the US government to correct its errors.”
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva handed himself in. The popular Brazilian former president had been in a standoff with the authorities, barricaded in a union building flanked by his supporters. He will begin a 12-year prison sentence for corruption in a jail cell that will be at least a bit nicer than what his fellow inmates face.
Syrian state TV reported on what it said was a suspected US missile attack. It said the attack occurred at an airfield near Homs. The Pentagon denied the report, saying it was not conducting airstrikes “at this time.” An intelligence source told Reuters he did not rule out an Israeli strike on the base.
Deutsche Bank chose a new CEO. Faced with heavy losses, it announced that Christian Sewing, currently co-deputy CEO, will take over the role with immediate effect. His predecessor, British-born John Cryan, lasted less than three years and is being replaced by a German at a time when the lender is trying to bolster domestic support.
Viktor Orban was re-elected as Hungary’s prime minister. The anti-immigrant leader is set to serve his third successive term and his fourth overall. He and his Fidesz party, projected to keep its two-thirds majority in parliament, have weakened the media, judicial independence, and democratic checks and balances—and now have NGOs in their sights.
Germany suffered an attack on civilians—and prevented another. A man rammed his van into a crowd in Muenster on Saturday, killing two people before shooting himself in a non-terror-related incident. Meanwhile authorities detained six people in connection with what police allege was a plan to stage an attack on Berlin’s half-marathon yesterday.
Quartz obsession interlude
Georgia Frances King on how Islamic countries are using gold-backed cryptocurrencies to get around Sharia law. “In the Islamic faith, it’s believed that economic activity should be based on real, physical assets, not speculation; observant Muslims also do not invest in banking products that offer returns via interest payments. Therefore, many people in the Gulf states and beyond don’t consider bitcoin, ethereum, and other cryptos to be compliant with Sharia law.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Electric cars are much harder to build than reusable rockets. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is faring much better than his car company.
Chimpanzees should be considered persons. Many philosophers now agree (paywall) that they should be given legal rights.
Trump has brought the spirit of the 1970s into the Oval Office. His lack of trust in institutions is a worldview born out of an era when the public lost faith in them.
Surprising discoveries
The number of foreigners running the Pyongyang marathon this year halved. Nuclear threats in North Korea are turning away tourists and joggers alike.
Tesla is hiring a full-time barista. Elon Musk’s electric-car company is looking for a perky candidate to caffeinate its 500 employees in New York.
The dots in your Gmail address do matter—if you’re a scammer. Some websites have a loophole that cunning fraudsters could extort, whether your email has periods or not.
Whales are big because of a complex biological equation. Sea mammals need to be larger to accommodate for losing so much heat in the water—but not too big.
Organizing your mobile apps by color makes you hate your phone less. Color-coordinated organization looks swish while also making you feel less anxious.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, barista openings, and app-arranging tips 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 Alice Truong.