Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
US imposes more tariffs on Chinese products. The White House is expected to announce tariffs on another 800 to 900 smaller exports on Friday. The tariffs come at a tense time, as China plays a crucial role in helping the US convince North Korea to denuclearize—why secretary of state Mike Pompeo was in China yesterday.
The moon causes confusion over Eid in India. Muslims celebrate Eid—the end of Ramadan—when the crescent moon is sighted in the sky. Predictions differ as to whether the moon will be visible on Friday or Saturday, but officials have confirmed that most Indian banks will be closed for the holiday on Saturday either way.
Talks take place in Nicaragua to end its political crisis. A new round of dialog, mediated by bishops, will take place between the government and civil society representatives Friday. Opponents of president Daniel Ortega staged a nationwide strike for 24 hours yesterday, following nearly two months of deadly protests calling for his resignation.
The World Cup heats up. Day two sees 2010 World Cup winner Spain taking on reigning European champ Portugal on Friday, while Egypt faces off with Uruguay.
While you were sleeping
The US justice department criticized James Comey on the Clinton emails. A new report skewered the “speak or conceal” metaphor Comey repeatedly used to justify revealing a probe into Hillary Clinton’s additional emails just before the 2016 election. DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz instead called it a choice to “follow or depart” from policy.
The Bank of Japan held firm. The central bank maintained its ultra-low rates, meaning that Japan’s monetary policy is increasingly diverging (paywall) from other major central banks, such as the US and European Central Bank.
The White House used the Bible to defend separating families. Attorney general Jeff Sessions used Romans 13 to justify the policy of separating immigrant children from their parents. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later said it was “biblical” to enforce the law.
Boris Becker claimed diplomatic immunity to avoid bankruptcy. The German tennis star said that he should be protected from bankruptcy proceedings in court because of his role as the Central African Republic’s attache to the EU on sports, culture, and humanitarian affairs. Becker was declared bankrupt in 2017.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Zheping Huang on a new ideal boyfriend type for Chinese women. “In China, ‘little puppy’… refers to a man who is younger than his girlfriend, whose qualities in the eyes of his lover include being simple, naive, considerate, and caring—and most importantly, loyal and clingy, just like a pet. The rise of little puppies as an ideal type of boyfriend points toward a shift in popular culture in the country.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Business travel is bad for your health. Irregular sleep, bad food, and general stress hamper productivity, performance, and wellness.
Fake meat has a brand problem. Lab-grown cell-cultured burgers face an even tougher sell (paywall) than plant-based products.
Unlimited vacation is a scam. Personal guilt and corporate pressure mean people take far less time than they need.
Surprising discoveries
The Mediterranean diet’s benefits were retracted. Faulty methodology undermined the study on the oil- and fish-heavy diet.
A cat is the official results predictor for the World Cup. Mouse-catching psychic Achilles accurately predicted Russia’s 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.
DJ Khaled is suing for his child’s name. One-year-old Asahd Khaled is “instantly famous,” his father says, and the Asahd fashion line should find a name elsewhere.
Amazon taught Alexa how to speak French. It took a ton of work (paywall) and critical partnerships to get her up to speed.
Inventors can’t figure out jetpacks. Boeing asked for functional personal flight devices, but got flying motorcycles instead (paywall).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, clairvoyant cats, and real jetpacks 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Alice Truong.