Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Trump announces his decision on the Iran nuclear deal. The president tweeted that he’ll disclose his plans at 2pm ET. Despite pleas from European leaders, he’s expected to pull out of the pact he’s dubbed “insane” and “ridiculous.” It could be a volatile day for oil prices, which recently touched three-and-a-half year highs.
Disney’s earnings reveal a Black Panther bump. The blockbuster superhero film could account for 10% of last quarter’s profit at entertainment giant, by some estimates. More analyst upgrades could follow on guidance for Avengers: Infinity War, which made more than $1 billion in just 11 days, and the forthcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, which both debut during the company’s current quarter.
Google holds its developer conference in Silicon Valley. App makers will learn more about the next version of Android, which will reach consumers later this year and feature simpler navigation and better security. The company will also discuss its AI plans.
While you were sleeping
Abuse allegations took down New York’s attorney general. Eric Schneiderman said he’ll resign following a New Yorker article in which four women claimed he physically abused them. Schneiderman, who filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein over sexual harassment, contests the allegations.
Beijing sentenced a former political star to life in prison. Sun Zhengcai, previously the Communist Party chief in the city of Chongqing, was charged with taking bribes of more than $27 million. At one point, Sun was considered the main rival of president Xi Jinping, who has used an anti-corruption crackdown to take out rivals.
Comcast teed up a hostile bid for 21st Century Fox. The cable operator is reportedly preparing to make a $60 billion all-cash offer for Fox’s media assets—the ones that Disney has agreed to buy for $52 billion. Reuters reports that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts plans to go ahead with the bid only if a US judge gives the go-ahead for AT&T’s planned purchase of Time Warner.
China reported strong trade data. In April, imports jumped 21.5% and exports grew nearly 13% from a year ago, which surprised analysts predicting lower figures. Meanwhile China’s surplus with the US expanded from $15.4 billion in March to $22.2 billion last month, as trade tension between the two nations continues to mount.
A pharma group sealed the biggest-ever overseas acquisition by a Japanese company. Takeda’s $62 billion deal for London-listed Shire creates the world’s eighth-largest drugs company (paywall), with sales of $30 billion. Takeda made four previous approaches before Shire finally agreed to be bought.
Quartz obsession interlude
Karen Hao on why women in crypto don’t speak about being women in crypto. “They hold all-female conferences dedicated to talking about their work while sidestepping sticky questions of how to navigate a male-dominant world. They profile women who are shaping the industry without directly addressing the sexism. ‘We don’t want to speak about being female,’ Stark said. ‘We’re all so busy, and then we have an additional burden.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Open-office plans are subtly sexist. Women often feel their appearance is under a microscope, and alter their dress, socializing habits, and demeanor accordingly.
Investing in friends’ companies is a bad idea. When an acquaintance pitches you, Warren Buffet says you should stay away—even when that friend is Bill Gates.
Barnes & Noble needs to make a comeback. A lack of competition to Amazon is killing the book industry (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
A “celestial theater” in Norway will be the ultimate destination for astronomy fans. The forested campus will feature cabins designed to pay tribute to the lumpy potato moons of Mars.
Google searches come at a cost to the planet. Processing 3.5 billion searches a day accounts for about 40% of the internet’s carbon footprint.
Egypt accepted that Tutankhamun’s tomb has no secret chamber. New, powerful radar scans debunked the claim that Queen Nefertiti’s remains were in a hidden room.
A New York building has the air-purifying power of 500 trees. A spray-on facade called Pureti transforms polluting particles in the air into oxidizing agents.
A Kentucky Derby fan turned an $18 bet into $1.2 million. Proving that research pays off, the Texas woman won a “pick five” bet after carefully analyzing the odds.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, secret chambers, and betting 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.