Good morning, Quartz readers!
“How We’ll Win: The Next Generation” strives to answer the question: How do we raise girls that own their power? In the latest installment of our year-long special project, we explore how young women can use their strength, take up space, and find their voice. We’ll take you from skateboarding programs in Bengaluru to a self-defense program in Brooklyn that focuses on setting emotional boundaries and speaking with confidence. Read more here.
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The G7 convenes in Quebec. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the EU are expected to give Donald Trump a frosty reception after he imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump himself would rather skip the summit entirely (paywall).
Switzerland votes on a major banking overhaul. Sunday’s ”sovereign money” referendum will decide whether banks will be prohibited from lending more money than they have in deposits—meaning only the central bank will be allowed to create new money. UBS called the idea “suicidal.”
The French Open champions will be crowned. Simona Halep will play Sloane Stephens in the women’s final. Today’s semi-final matches between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, and between Dominic Thiem and Marco Cecchinato, will set the stage for the men’s final on Sunday.
While you were sleeping
The IMF agreed to loan Argentina $50 billion. The three-year bailout deal should help stabilize the peso, which recently hit an all-time low. Many in Argentina were reluctant to turn to the IMF, blaming it for the country’s 2001 economic meltdown, but president Mauricio Macri said the credit would help the government boost growth.
Trump picked a fight with Canada and France. Setting a pugnacious tone hours before the G7 summit, the president accused both countries of charging the US “massive tariffs,” and later called Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau “indignant.” French president Emmanuel Macron lamented that the US is “isolated” on the world stage.
Ant Financial broke the record for a private fundraising round. The Chinese online payments giant raised a whopping $14 billion, at a valuation of around $150 billion. Ant was spun off from Jack Ma’s Alibaba in 2014 and is expected to hold an IPO in Hong Kong next year.
Austria offered to host a meeting between Trump and Putin. The Russian president asked Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz—Europe’s youngest leader—to organize a summit with his US counterpart in Vienna this summer. The White House is reportedly considering the plan.
Rob Ford’s brother was elected Ontario premier. Doug Ford of the Progressive Conservatives is set to lead Canada’s most populous province, unseating the Ontario Liberals who have been in power since 2003. His brother Rob, the troubled ex-mayor of Toronto, died from cancer in 2016.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Oliver Staley on how to talk about God in Silicon Valley. “For men and women immersed in the old-fashioned sort of religion, Silicon Valley’s faith in itself is a challenge. How can a religion based on ancient texts hope to compete with something as new and exciting—and sacrifice-free—as technology’s promise?’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Quarterly earnings guidance is wrecking the economy. Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett are among business chiefs saying the practice throttles hiring, R&D, and long-term growth.
America isn’t ready for Africa’s future. The world’s population will be 40% African by the end of the century, and the US has done nothing (paywall) to improve relationships with the continent.
Panic buttons won’t fix Ola and Uber’s sexual-assault problem in India. The companies need to do more to vet drivers and monitor their routes.
Surprising discoveries
Signs of former life on Mars. Nasa’s Curiosity rover found complex organic matter in the sediments of an ancient lake bed.
A Dutch company is printing houses. Van Wijnen solved a bricklayer shortage with the world’s first 3D-printed homes.
Antarctica has a plastics problem. Greenpeace found man-made fibers used to make clothes, packaging, cookware, and pizza boxes.
TEDx will take place in a refugee camp for the first time. The conference in Kenya’s Kakuma camp aims to show how refugees can help their local communities.
Uzbeks are cheering for a soccer referee. Beloved international icon Ravshan Irmatov has presided over more World Cup games than anyone else.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, yellow cards, and Martian greetings 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.