Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Thai cave rescue continues. On Sunday, divers rescued four boys who had been trapped inside the Tham Luang cave complex with their soccer team for more than two weeks. Eight boys and the teacher are still trapped; rescue operations resumed at 8am local time on Monday.
Harvey Weinstein is due in court on a third assault charge. The producer has already been indicted on charges involving two women. He is due in court today for arraignment on charges including two counts of predatory sexual assault. Weinstein’s lawyer said he will plead not guilty.
Donald Trump announces his Supreme Court nominee. Although several contenders to replace retiring justice Anthony Kennedy have been identified, most bets are on self-proclaimed introvert Raymond Kethledge, an “originalist” noted for his support of the right to bear arms (paywall).
Over the weekend
Xiaomi’s trading debut lacked zing. The Chinese smartphone maker’s IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was dented by a double whammy of investor skepticism over its business model and worries about the US-China trade war. Its stock began trading at HK$16.60 ($2.12), down from the HK$17 the offer was priced at.
Britain’s Brexit secretary resigned. David Davis criticized prime minister Theresa May’s plan for a “soft” exit from the EU, which her cabinet had agreed to support at a key meeting Friday. Davis’s move could embolden ministers wanting a cleaner break with the bloc to challenge May’s leadership.
The US and North Korea gave conflicting accounts of their weekend talks. Pyongyang claimed the US was “gangster-like” in its demand for unilateral denuclearization. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, however, said the talks were productive—and that if the US was a gangster, so was the whole world.
Rescuers raced to find survivors in Japan. Around 100 people died and dozens are still missing after torrential rains caused landslides and flash floods in central and western parts of the country over the weekend.
The fate of the imprisoned Lula captivated Brazil. A judge declared that former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva should be released from prison on Sunday, only to be overturned by another judge soon after. Lula was leading polls for the country’s elections when he was arrested and jailed on corruption charges.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ephrat Livni argues that the age of heroes is over. “We’d be a lot less disappointed, distraught, and shocked by the news that society’s most successful are complex and limited people with psychological problems if we didn’t make so much ado about a few seemingly special humans.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Xiaomi shouldn’t be compared to Apple. It looks more like Muji—the Japanese retailer of ordinary and good-quality products.
Identity politics—and a cycle of progress followed by backlash—have shaped US history. It suggests that things will swing back toward progress again.
No one really knows what ICE is supposed to be. That allows US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be whatever politicians want.
Surprising discoveries
In-utero stress can have life-long effects. A Swedish study suggests children born to stressed mothers are more likely to be diagnosed with depression.
US book sales are up. Publishers can thank Trump (and his tweets) for the strong start to 2018.
The heatwave in the UK is exposing history. Outlines of archaeological settlements are showing up in the grass.
Owning an iPhone makes people think you’re rich. Researchers said it’s the number one signal of wealth in the US.
The swimsuit competition ban is dividing the Miss America Organization. Nearly half the board has resigned and 22 state pageant leaders are organizing a coup to remove the current chairwoman (paywall).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, fallible heroes, and bougie gadgets 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.