Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
OPEC nations meet. Representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait will get together in Kuwait City (paywall) on Saturday, a week after Saudi Arabia and Russia announced a joint plan to release more crude oil—without consulting other producers. The Saudis will likely seek to bring Kuwait and the UAE on board ahead of the larger OPEC meeting in Vienna later this month.
The EU begins retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Bourbon, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and cranberries are among the 2.8 billion euros’ ($3.25 billion) worth of products that will now carry tariffs. The move comes in response to new US tariffs on European aluminum and steel.
Vladimir Putin and Moon Jae-in talk denuclearization. The Russian president continues his World Cup diplomacy offensive by hosting his South Korean counterpart, in the first state visit to Russia by a South Korean leader in nearly two decades.
While you were sleeping
Intel’s CEO resigned after his affair was discovered. Brian Krzanich had an extramarital relationship with one of his subordinates, in violation of the semiconductor giant’s non-fraternization policy, which applies to all managers. CFO Robert Swan will step in as interim CEO.
Israel’s first lady was indicted for food fraud. The “Prepared Food Affair” left Sara Netanyahu holding the bag for $100,000 in gourmet takeout, paid for by the state. Netanyahu lied about employing a cook, which would have left her to pay for her own prepared food. An indictment for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to follow.
US states can start collecting sales tax from online retailers. In a blow to sites like eBay and Amazon, the Supreme Court overturned a pre-internet ruling from 1992 saying states couldn’t collect sales tax from businesses not physically in their area. The decision could bring billions of revenue to states and boost brick-and-mortar retailers.
The World Bank anticipates a global slowdown. Though growth remained at 3.1% for both 2017 and 2018, the institution pointed to dissipation of global slack, policy changes in central banks, and a maturing recovery in commodity exporters as factors in global growth deceleration.
The Trump administration asked a court to ease curbs on child immigrant detentions. Trump’s recent executive order that would keep families together “indefinitely” runs up against a 1997 ruling that essentially set a 20-day limit on detaining immigrant children, even if it’s with their families.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Marc Bain on the ethics of wearing silk: “If you set your ethical bar at whether a living thing died to produce a product, then silk is a fiber you’ll want to avoid. But for many, the question is whether the living thing involved has the level of consciousness required to experience pain.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Children are targets in Trump’s America. The mere act of parenting in peace has become a privilege, rather than a human right.
China wants its own piece of the internet. Plans for “cyberspace sovereignty” specifically aim to control and censor as much information as possible.
Audiobooks are more emotionally resonant than TV or movies. Psychologists made their case by measuring subjects’ heart rate and skin conductivity.
Surprising discoveries
Koko the gorilla passed away. Known for her love of cats and ability to communicate through sign language, Koko died Tuesday (paywall) at 46 years old.
Herpes was linked to Alzheimer’s. Researchers found high levels of HHV-6 and HHV-7 viruses in the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients.
An airport hangar turns “mega brothel.” A Belgian city will convert an abandoned terminal into “Hangar d’amour.”
Immigrants are changing the way Kansas residents speak. Isolated towns and rapidly changing demographics alter cadence, emphasis, and phonetics.
A Japanese worker went to lunch three minutes early. The 64-year-old employee had his pay docked for 26 similar infractions over seven years, and apologized on live TV.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Koko memories, and early lunch breaks 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 and edited by McKinley Noble and Susan Howson.