Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Apple reports its latest quarterly earnings. Investors are anxious after analysts lowered expectations for iPhone sales. The company’s stock has dipped 8% in the past two weeks as a result.
A chastened Facebook kicks off its annual developer conference. Although last week it announced its best-ever first quarter, the firm has halted new products and rolled back developer access to its social network following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. It’s expected to focus on gaming, virtual reality, and messaging for businesses.
May Day celebrations kick off. Commemorated across the world with protests and demonstrations from organized labor groups, International Workers’ Day (as it’s also known) has its roots in the trade unions of 19th century Chicago.
While you were sleeping
Robert Mueller’s questions for Donald Trump leaked. The New York Times obtained a list of questions (paywall) that appear to focus on the potential obstruction of justice. The queries involve Michael Flynn, James Comey, Jeff Sessions, and the possibility that Trump’s campaign coordinated with Russia.
The Trump administration extended exemptions on steel and aluminum tariffs. The EU, Canada, and others will be able to export the metals to the US through June 1, without paying steep duties the White House announced in early March. The EU had threatened to retaliate with tariffs on US imports such as motorcycles and bourbon.
WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum is leaving Facebook. The billionaire, who sold WhatsApp for $19 billion to Facebook, has clashed with the social network over its plans to use personal data from the messaging app and to weaken its encryption. Co-founder Brian Acton, who resigned in November, has also become a Facebook critic.
The former CFO of Autonomy was convicted of fraud. A US jury convicted Sushovan Hussain of crimes related to inflating the UK-based software company’s value and misleading investors prior to its sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
The US started processing migrant caravan asylum seekers. Immigration officials confirmed late Monday (paywall) that they have started the process and any delays would be temporary. After the group of mostly Central American migrants arrived at the US border on Sunday, border officials initially said they did not have the capacity to take any applicants.
Ashley Judd filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein. The actress wants to recover damages for the downturn her acting career took after she rebuffed sexual advances from the disgraced Hollywood producer.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on Jeff Bezos’s attempt to save human civilization. “Bezos has talked about his lifelong enthusiasm for a future where millions of people live and work in space. Many have noticed the inspiration of space colony theorist Gerard O’Neill, who was finishing his career at Princeton when a young Bezos led the university’s chapter of Students for Exploration and Development of Space. But it seems Bezos was also influenced by Vaclav Smil, an intellectual omnivore and prodigious author whose recent works have focused on energy, food production, and the environment.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Europe can save the Iran nuclear deal. Trump should be forced to make a choice: preserve the deal, or lose EU cooperation on other issues.
The best leaders aren’t optimists. Blinding yourself to the messy side of work is a surefire way to piss off your direct reports.
The plan to rescue the Great Barrier Reef is too little, too late. Australia’s $400 million plan can only slow coral deaths in the face of climate change.
Surprising discoveries
The World Chess Federation is in financial chaos. No banks are willing to lend money to the group while Fide’s Russian president remains on the US sanctions list (paywall).
The world’s oldest spider died at 43. The female trapdoor spider, who outlasted the next-oldest known arachnid by more than a decade, was killed by a wasp sting.
Eating more pasta is linked to an earlier menopause. Women who ate an extra daily portion tended to reach menopause around 18 months earlier than average.
China is mining data directly from workers’ brains. Manufacturers are outfitting staff with wireless sensors that can detect emotional spikes caused by, say, rage or anxiety.
South Korea and North Korea broke the ice with magic tricks. A banquet at the recent summit featured a magician who turned $10 into a $100 bill (paywall).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, pawns, and the Queen of hearts 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 Rosie Spinks and edited by Lianna Brinded.