Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Was your data used by Cambridge Analytica? Facebook will begin alerting users about how their data has been shared, 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.
The world reacts to a suspected Syrian chemical attack. The UN Security Council is expected to discuss the attack, 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 big deficits will be in the years ahead.
While you were sleeping
Deutsche Bank replaced John Cryan with a new CEO. Hammered by years of scandals and heavy losses, the bank appointed Christian Sewing as CEO, with immediate effect, less than three years after British-born Cryan took over. Sewing said on Monday that he planned to review Deutsche’s scandal-prone investment-banking arm.
Syrian state TV said Israel struck one of its airbases. After previously reporting that the attack on the airfield near Homs was likely “an American aggression,” the state news agency then said Israel carried out the airstrike. The Pentagon said it was not conducting airstrikes “at this time.”
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva handed himself in. The former president of Brazil had been in a standoff with the authorities, barricaded in a union building flanked by supporters. He will begin a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, although his cell will be nicer than most others.
Viktor Orbán was re-elected as Hungary’s prime minister. The anti-immigrant, populist leader won his third successive term by a landslide. He and his Fidesz party, projected to keep its two-thirds majority in parliament, have hobbled 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 German man rammed his van into a crowd in Muenster on Saturday, killing two people before shooting himself—a terror-linked motive was ruled out. 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 use 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.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
It’s harder to produce electric cars than reusable rockets. Tough competition and the challenges of mass production mean Elon Musk’s SpaceX is faring much better than Tesla.
Chimpanzees should be considered people. 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 from an era when the public lost faith in them.
Surprising discoveries
The number of foreigners running the Pyongyang marathon halved. Nuclear threats from North Korea have put off tourists and joggers alike this year.
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 matter to a scammer. Some websites have a loophole that cunning fraudsters could exploit.
Whales are big because of a complex biological equation. Sea mammals need to big—but not too big—to accommodate losing heat in water.
Organizing your mobile apps by color makes you less stressed. Color-coordinated organization looks swish, and also makes 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 Jill Petzinger and edited by Jason Karaian.