Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
James Mattis heads to China. The US defense secretary will make his first visit to Beijing as he seeks China’s support for nuclear talks with North Korea. The Asia trip, which will also include stops South Korea and Japan, will test the strained relationship between Mattis and Donald Trump.
Narendra Modi kicks off a meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. India’s prime minister will inaugurate the third annual gathering of the AIIB, an 86-country group seen as a Chinese counterweight to the US-led World Bank. This year’s event will focus on infrastructure financing.
Uber gets a London verdict. The ride-sharing company is challenging a decision by Transport for London that it is unfit to run a taxi service. The regulator cited the company’s delays in reporting criminal offences and conducting driver background checks.
While you were sleeping
Trump’s trade policies burned Harley-Davidson… The iconic motorcycle manufacturer said retaliatory EU tariffs would cost up to $10 million, and announced plans to move the production of some bikes overseas. In February, Trump famously thanked the company for “building things in America.”
… And stocks went on a rollercoaster ride. US shares dipped to their lowest point in two months following Donald Trump’s threats of protectionism, which were met with European and Chinese backlash (paywall). The S&P 500 fell as much as 2% before rebounding slightly after US trade advisor Peter Navarro said there were no plans to restrict foreign investment in the US.
Erik Prince gave Robert Mueller his phone and computer records. The special counsel has been investigating the Blackwater founder’s secret meeting with a Russian banker (paywall) in Seychelles in 2017, including allegations that he misled Congress. Prince, now the head of Hong Kong-based security firm Frontier Services Group, told ABC News he “cooperated completely” with Mueller’s probe.
The SEC is searching for a missing number. The securities regulator is analyzing corporate earnings statements after researchers found that “4” was abnormally uncommon in the tenths place of earnings per share figures, the Wall Street Journal reports (paywall). Fudging that digit would enable companies to round up earnings per share figures to the next highest US cent.
The US approved its first marijuana-derived medicine. GW Pharmaceutical Plc’s Epidiolex, a treatment for two rare forms of childhood epilepsy, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, though law enforcement could still place restrictions on the product. The drug’s active ingredient is cannabidiol (CBD), which unlike THC does not get users high.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Ana Campoy on Mexico paying Cambridge Analytica not to mess with its election. “In 2017, the now-bankrupt company proposed to bolster the PRI’s candidate, José Antonio Meade, with the same tactics it deployed to promote Donald Trump during 2016 election in the US. … The PRI decided it was sufficiently equipped to mess with the election itself. But it hired Cambridge Analytica anyway, to prevent it from helping the other candidates in the race.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
America’s opioid crisis is not China’s fault. Beijing claims the epidemic is driven by US demand, not foreign supply.
To help young women stay healthy, try giving them cash. Financial independence empowers better decisions.
US migrants are entitled to due process. Despite Trump’s tweets, it’s a long-established right under an 1896 supreme court ruling, Wong Wing vs. US.
Surprising discoveries
A rat moved into an Indian ATM and never moved out. Technicians opened up the machine to find 1.2 million rupees ($17,662) shredded by the deceased rodent.
Owners are giving medical marijuana to their pets. Companies are selling concoctions to treat pain without getting dogs and cats stoned.
Japan’s work culture elicits homicidal rage. More than a quarter of survey respondents say they’ve considered killing their bosses.
The Pentagon’s research arm reinvented the wheel. DARPA designed Humvee treads that can transform from circles into triangular tracks on the fly.
Saudi Arabian female drivers could create an economic boom. Having women behind the wheel could add $90 billion to the economy by 2030.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ratnest ATMs, and reinvented wheels 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 Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz and David Wexner, and edited by Adam Pasick.