Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Alibaba reports earnings. The Chinese tech and e-commerce conglomerate is expected to continue its double-digit growth when its first-quarter numbers are released Friday. Analysts are putting predictions at $9.2 billion, a 64% increase from the same quarter a year ago.
The US continues trade talks in China. No public statements were released at the end of the first day of meetings, and the finance team headed by US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin will have only one more day to engineer a breakthrough in the frosty trade relations.
Warren Buffett makes his annual speech to investors. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2018 shareholders meeting will stream live to the public on Saturday for the third year in a row. Buffett and BH vice chairman Charlie Munger are known for offering candid insights into the global market.
Lebanon holds its first elections in nine years. More than 3.6 million registered voters can make their selections on Sunday for the 128 parliamentary seats up for grabs. Lebanese nationals living abroad have also been able to cast their ballots—a historic first for a country that’s been in a state of polarized political turmoil for nearly a decade.
While you were sleeping
US prosecutors charged Volkswagen’s former CEO with conspiracy and wire fraud. Martin Winterkorn, the highest-ranking officer to be charged in the automaker’s diesel scandal (soft paywall), also faces charges for violating the Clean Air Act. He already paid $5.3 billion in penalties after pleading guilty last year to falsifying statements and obstructing justice.
The Lockerbie bomber’s case will be reviewed for a possible posthumous appeal. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted for the 1988 Pan Am explosion over Lockerbie, Scotland—the worst terrorist attack in UK history. The Libyan man dropped his appeal in 2008 and died a few years after a compassionate release from prison, but a Scottish commission believes mishandled legal proceedings could warrant an application for another appeal.
Jay-Z was subpoenaed to testify in an SEC probe. After ignoring requests to appear twice before, the hip-hop star is now required to testify before the US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding his sale of Rocawear to apparel giant Iconix. The company has been under investigation since 2015 for allegedly violating trading laws.
Teva beat expectations. The massive generic drug manufacturer showed increased profits and revenue when it released its first-quarter numbers, but is still awaiting US Food and Drug Administration approval on its new migraine treatment. Shares rose, then dipped on the news.
Venezuela arrested 11 private bank executives for “attacks” against the country’s currency. Hyperinflation and a collapsing bolívar have plagued the OPEC nation, with president Nicolás Maduro blaming the private sector. Critics say that arrests like those of the Banesco officers on Thursday just mask Maduro’s failed socialist policies.
Quartz obsession interlude
Chase Purdy on the “clean meat” debate: “Individual farmers and producers may detest the idea of clean meat, but the massive companies they sell their animals to—places such as Tyson Foods, Smithfield, Cargill, and others—do have interest… a splintered industry means ideas they have about so-called ‘traditional’ practices are even more exposed to change from high-tech innovation.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Hollywood’s best sci-fi stories are being told by black actors. From Black Panther to Get Out, black protagonists’ roles are enhanced by the constant struggle for the right to exist.
Biology’s next big leap will mirror the computer industry. Crispr gene editing is letting scientists reprogram the very building blocks of life, and the tech will inspire an era of incredible breakthroughs.
Google and Amazon are helping repressive regimes by blocking “domain fronting.” Cutting off developers’ ability to circumvent internet censorship ultimately hurts the public.
Surprising discoveries
Somalia’s war ruins can be saved in 3D. Digitally preserved reconstructions of buildings in Mogadishu could help save a snapshot of the capital’s history.
Australian millennials want weaker beer. Brewers across the nation are responding to customers’ desire for better health and a less regretful social media stream by watering down their booze (paywall).
Mindfulness is a decades-old management technique. A French oil executive expanded his worldview in Asia and France while pioneering “scenario planning” in the 1970s.
Overestimating automation cost Americans millions of jobs. Foreign competition is what actually killed US factories—while computer manufacturing dangerously overinflated growth estimates.
Italy has rodents of unusual size. They definitely exist (in large numbers), and the mayor of Gerre de’ Caprioli is telling Italians to fight back by eating them.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, session beer, and rodent-free meals 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 and edited by McKinley Noble and Susan Howson.