Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The EU votes on two copyright reform measures. One could force Google and others to pay publishers for showing news snippets. The other would make platforms install filters to stop users from uploading copyrighted materials. Both are considered disastrous by experts.
Donald Trump discusses ZTE with Congress. After the Senate approved legislation to restore sanctions against the Chinese telecom giant, the president will meet Republican lawmakers (paywall) in an attempt to reach a compromise.
21st Century Fox mulls Comcast’s offer. The board, which includes Rupert Murdoch and his sons, meets to discuss Comcast’s unsolicited $65 billion all-cash bid. Disney is expected to sweeten its all-stock $52 billion offer with more cash ahead of a Fox shareholder meeting in July.
While you were sleeping
South Korea was hit by another crypto-exchange hack. Bithumb stopped all trading and promised to compensate its customers after hackers stole 35 billion won ($32 million) of virtual currency overnight. The attack comes soon after South Korea’s Coinrail lost $40 million in a hack.
The US withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council. The group’s leader called the decision “disappointing, if not really surprising.” Secretary of state Mike Pompeo and UN ambassador Nikki Haley called the council a “cesspool of political bias” that targets Israel.
Canada became the second country to legalize recreational weed. It joins Uruguay, which legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use in 2013, after the Senate vote passed 52 to 29. Canadians will be able to roll up as early as September.
Audi and Hyundai hooked up to make hydrogen cars. The German and South Korean automakers said they would collaborate on parts and intellectual property to boost hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles, which lag far behind their battery-powered rivals.
Iran and Saudi Arabia geared up for an OPEC showdown. Ahead of the meeting in Vienna on Friday, Iran said no to Saudi’s request for a “moderate” supply boost (paywall). Prices have surged since oil-producing nations cut production by 1.8 million barrels a day in 2016.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Isabella Steger on how Sejong, Korea’s newly built administrative capital, is an unlikely utopia for families. “Many are drawn to the cheaper cost of living, green spaces, and a professional life where clocking off means going home to one’s family without the ritual of post-work drinking with colleagues that is indispensable to Korean work culture. Here, socializing is centered around family … The crowning glory of Sejong’s policies, however, is its proud focus on the well-being of new moms.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Solitude is the most important skill. Modern humans are hyperconnected, overstimulated, and not nearly introspective enough.
Pandas should be allowed to go extinct. The creatures steal conservation resources from other animals.
Trump is right about Europe. Tariffs will rebalance a global system that has long benefited the region at the expense of the US (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
AI can now argue with us. An IBM robot successfully won a debate against its human opponents.
A Paraguayan man showed up at his own wake. His family was grieving over a misidentified corpse.
Australians trust Xi Jinping more than Trump. A survey found they believe the Chinese president is more likely to “do the right thing in world affairs.”
ASMR videos are now banned in China. The cult-favorite clips are rarely used for sexual purposes, but the government labeled them as porn.
The common cold could soon be history. Scientists believe we can create a cure in the next 10 years.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, argumentative robots, and fat pandas 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 Lianna Brinded.