Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Italy’s president meets a former IMF official. Sergio Mattarella could be considering Carlo Cottarelli as Italy’s new finance head. Yesterday he rejected Euro-skeptic Paolo Savona, which torpedoed efforts to form a coalition government. But most parliamentarians have said they wouldn’t support Cottarelli, so fall re-elections may now be in the cards.
Subtropical storm Alberto makes landfall on the US gulf coast. The storm comes days before the Atlantic hurricane season formally begins on June 1, and could cause up to $1 billion in economic losses to Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida due to flooding and strong winds.
The US celebrates Memorial Day. Markets are closed as the US observes its patriotic three-day weekend with grilled meats and barbecue. Markets in the UK will also be closed for a bank holiday.
Over the Weekend
Ireland voted to legalize abortions. Two-thirds of voters cast their ballots in favor of repealing a constitutional amendment that banned abortion in most cases. The results, announced on Saturday, show that just one constituency out of 40 voted “no.” Northern Ireland, however, still has a similar law on the books.
Colombians failed to elect a president. The result of Sunday’s election will be a runoff next month between candidates with starkly opposed views on the peace deal struck with FARC leftist guerrillas in 2016 after decades of war. Conservative Iván Duque, now favored to win, opposes the deal, unlike his progressive rival Gustavo Petro.
The US and North Korea prepared for a summit that may not happen… Though Donald Trump canceled the June 12 summit last week, over the weekend he suggested it might happen after all. Yesterday, US officials met with their North Korean counterparts at the Demilitarized Zone to discuss preparations, just in case.
… And the leaders of the two Koreas held surprise talks. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met on Saturday with South Korean president Moon Jae-in, with the two sides agreeing on the importance of a summit with the US. At their historic summit last month, they met just south of the border, but they met just north of it this time.
China protested US warships sent to the South China Sea. Yesterday the vessels sailed near the Paracel Islands, a chain controlled by China but disputed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Beijing issued its “firm opposition” to the operation, which followed the US rescinding its invitation to China to participate in annual naval exercises.
Qatar banned goods from countries that accused it of supporting terrorism. Products from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain will no longer be allowed, almost a year after those states imposed an embargo on the small country. Qatar has maintained its innocence.
Egypt’s high court blocked YouTube for a month. The ruling settles a years-long case stemming from the 2012 anti-Islamic short film Innocence of Muslims, which caused international outrage and violent protests after it was posted to the video-streaming site. All links to the film have also been banned by the country.
Quartz obsession interlude
Annalisa Merelli and Nikhil Sonnad on sartorial maps. “Maps are complicated in the current geopolitical climate—especially emblazoned across your torso. What is perfectly acceptable in Vietnam can get you stopped at Chinese border control, and vice versa… But what if you just really want to wear a map of the South China Sea? We have a solution for you.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is the first true feminist anti-hero. The disgraced CEO is certainly no role model, but her formidable ego commands respect.
We need to reconsider the passport. Many herald the end of paper documentation as the end of arbitrary geopolitical segregation, but it’s possible the alternative is much worse.
Moviepass could save Hollywood from itself this summer. Upcoming movies are uninspiring, but Moviepass is incentive enough to draw a crowd to these duds.
Surprising discoveries
Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup jersey may be the best-selling ever. The team isn’t expected to go very far in the tournament, but its Nike kit is getting rave reviews.
Someone made a movie you can control with your mind. Put on an EEG headset and let your brainwaves live-edit scenes, background music, and more.
Beekeepers are stealing each other’s hives. It’s become such a cutthroat industry that they’re having to resort to all sorts of trickery to protect their wares.
The French parliament will debate a pastry name. Right-wing politicians want it to be called the “chocolatine.” Pretty much everyone else prefers “pain au chocolat.” En garde!
Bill Gates loves, loves Vaclav Smil. An analysis of all 185 books Gates has ever mentioned on his blog reveals the tech billionaire is seriously obsessed with a Czech-Canadian scientist.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, soccer jerseys, and chocolate whatevers 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 Steve Mollman and edited by Alice Truong.