Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The EU begins retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Bourbon, cranberries, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles are among the €2.8 billion ($3.2 billion) worth of products that will now carry tariffs. The move comes in response to new US tariffs on European aluminum and steel.
Turkey holds presidential and parliamentary elections amid a faltering economy. If he wins Sunday’s vote, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will assume sweeping new powers as a result of last year’s constitutional referendum. Polls suggest that his AK Party could lose its parliamentary majority and that the presidential vote could go to a second round.
The EU holds a mini-summit on migration Sunday in Brussels. Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary will not show up, having refused to back plans to share out asylum seekers more evenly. Germany’s Angela Merkel hopes commitments by the nations that attend to do more to curb travel by asylum seekers within the bloc will help placate her coalition partners back home.
OPEC nations and Russia meet in Vienna to decide output policy. The group has nearly reached a consensus to nudge up oil production, facing pressure from the US, China, and other top consumers to cool prices and support the global economy. In question is the cooperation of Iran, which faces fresh US sanctions and has little to gain from the plan.
North and South Korea discuss reunion meetings for divided families. Delegations are now in North Korea’s Mount Kumgang tourist area to work toward allowing such meetings to resume. The last were held in 2015. In April the two sides agreed to pursue a reunion to mark a common national holiday in August.
While you were sleeping
Quebec wants to charge crypto miners more for electricity. The power generator Hydro Quebec, owned by the Canadian province, halted approvals for new digital currency mining projects, which use large amounts of electricity. The area’s cheap power has attracted many such operations from China and elsewhere. They’ll now have to bid for energy (paywall).
Euro-zone nations agreed on a deal to bring Greece out of financial crisis. After receiving more than €300 billion ($346 billion) in bailout money over the past eight years, Greece, thanks to an arrangement with international creditors, will be allowed to safely emerge from its third and final bailout on Aug. 20 and face the markets again—under strict supervision.
Tesla is cutting back its solar division. The electric-car maker will close about a dozen installation facilities of what was once SolarCity, Reuters reported. The closures raise fresh questions about CEO Elon Musk’s rationale for acquiring SolarCity, founded by two of his cousins, in 2016.
Melania Trump sparked outrage with a wardrobe decision. The US first lady wore a Zara jacket featuring the words, “I really don’t care, do u?” as she boarded a plane taking her to visit migrant children separated from their parents. Her husband claimed it referred to her feelings about the “fake news media,” while her spokesperson said no message was intended.
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
The US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council is a gift to China. Beijing wants to redefine human rights after the “China model.”
Audiobooks are more emotionally resonant than TV or movies. Psychologists made their case by measuring subjects’ heart rates and skin conductivity.
Children are targets in Trump’s America. The mere act of parenting in peace has become a privilege, rather than a human right.
Surprising discoveries
Koko the gorilla passed away. Known for her love of cats and ability to communicate through sign language, Koko died Tuesday 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 is slated to become a “mega brothel.” The Belgian city of Ostend 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 a few minutes early. The 64-year-old employee had his pay docked for 26 similar infractions, and his managers apologized on live TV.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Kansas lingo, and lunch-break violations 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 Isabella Steger.