Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US opens its embassy in Jerusalem. Israel will mark the occasion of the embassy’s move from Tel Aviv with a gala reception; the US delegation will be led by Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Italy finally forms a government. The country’s Five Star and League parties are expected to finalize a coalition deal, which will include naming a new prime minister, after a seemingly endless series of discussions following March’s general election. Watch for market reaction to the make-up and agenda of the new populist government.
NASA talks extraterrestrial life. The space agency will discuss findings from its mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, “and its status as one of the most promising places in the solar system to search for life” at 1pm US eastern time.
Over the weekend
Donald Trump gave ZTE a lifeline. The US president on Sunday pledged to help the Chinese phone manufacturer (paywall), days after it announced it was shutting down due to recent trade restrictions. The Commerce Department had hit ZTE with a trade ban due to violating a 2017 settlement on selling to Iran. ZTE was the fourth-largest smartphone company in the US.
Suicide bombers targeted three Christian churches in Indonesia. At least 41 people were injured and seven killed in the attack in Surabaya, a port city on the island of Java. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack, which was reportedly carried out by a couple (paywall) who brought their four children with them.
North Korea said it would dismantle its Pukyung nuclear site. Kim Jong-un invited international journalists to observe the event next week, which involves destroying tunnels underneath the site, removing buildings, and blocking entrances. The announcement comes one month before Kim is set to meet with US president Donald Trump in Singapore.
Five people were stabbed in Paris. One person was killed, and four others were injured, in the Saturday evening attack, which is being treated as a terrorist incident. The suspect, who was fatally shot by police during the attack in the Opera district, was previously flagged by counterterrorism police as a security risk.
Silvio Berlusconi was cleared to run for office. An Italian court cited Berlusconi’s “good conduct” as reason to remove his ban from seeking office until 2019. The former prime minister was convicted in 2013 for tax fraud; he continued to lead the Forza Italia party, despite being unable to hold public office, and is an ally of the soon-to-be-in-government League party.
Israel won Eurovision 2018. Netta Barzilai won over the hearts of audiences and judges with her performance of “Toy,” a song about empowerment that included her signature chicken dance. The event featured a stage invasion during the UK’s set.
Quartz obsession interlude
Thu-Huong Ha on refreshing spring reads. “Somewhere between the caffeinated rabbit hole of an epic winter read and the buzzed, sandy sensation of a summer page-turner, is the spring read. It’s book that makes you stretch after a long nap and say, ‘That was a hell of a winter; let’s not go back there for a while.’” Read more here.
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Matters of debate
The US has always broken its promises. Trump’s decision to exit the Iran deal follows a long line of reneging on pacts, dating to before the country’s founding.
China has no incentive to change its trade policies. Demands from the US are simply too one-sided, and only hinder China’s global export ambitions.
Artificial intelligence won’t eliminate poverty. Humans created systemic inequality, and it’s up to us to dismantle it.
Surprising discoveries
America is running out of space for its trash. China’s recent ban on accepting foreign recyclables means US landfills might be completely full in just 13 years.
Treadmills were originally designed to punish prisoners. As many as two dozen prisoners at a time would serve punishment “grinding air” on the original machine.
The fibs told by moms are pretty universal. Moms worldwide tell similar lies to try deter their kids from acting up.
Jean-Paul Sartre was the original self-help guru. The French philosopher’s work shares the self-help industry’s focus on human potential.
Finn’s aren’t happy about their reputation for being happy. The country’s top ranking in the World Happiness Report has been met with skepticism at home.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, spring reads, and classic mom fibs 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 Jackie Bischof & April Siese and edited by Kabir Chibber.