Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A tense NATO summit begins. European Council president Donald Tusk warned Donald Trump yesterday to “appreciate your allies,” but the president is thirsty for a showdown over NATO members’ defense-spending contributions. Already this morning, Trump called Germany a “captive of Russia“ over a gas-pipeline deal.
Japan and the EU ink a free-trade deal. As Trump’s trade war gathers pace, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and EU representatives meet to sign the pact today in Brussels. EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström called it “the biggest and most advanced bilateral agreement ever negotiated by the European Union.”
China contends with Typhoon Maria. The giant storm made landfall this morning (local time) in Fujian province and has the potential to cause widespread damage along one of the world’s most heavily populated coasts.
While you were sleeping
Uber’s head of human resources quit. Chief people officer Liane Hornsey announced her resignation in an email to staff on Tuesday, following an investigation into how she dealt with racial discrimination complaints at Uber. She had been one of the ride-hailing app’s main spokespeople on diversity during her 18 months in the job.
21st Century Fox topped Comcast in the fight to buy Sky. Rupert Murdoch’s company upped its offer in a deal worth £24.5 billion ($32.5 billion), besting Sky’s £22 billion offer. The British government has indicated it is ready to approve Fox’s bid after the company soothed its concerns over media plurality.
China jailed a high-profile democracy campaigner. One day after China allowed the widow of deceased Nobel winner Liu Xiaobo to fly to Germany, a court in Wuhan sentenced Qin Yongmin to 13 years in prison for “subversion of state power.” The 64-year-old has already spent a total of 22 years behind bars.
The UK gave Facebook a slap on the wrist over data breaches. Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said she’ll fine the company £500,000 ($663,850)—paltry, but the maximum amount allowed—following an investigation into the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
China warned the US against unleashing a new round of tariffs. After the US said it was preparing tariffs on an extra $200 billion of China goods, Beijing shot back that the measures are “completely unacceptable” and promised to retaliate. US businesses in China fear Beijing could impose consumer boycotts or stricter inspections.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Natasha Frost on the tiny tool that holds it all together. “Sure, paper clips may not be flashy or glamorous, but they’re very good at the very specific thing that they do. It’s been well over 100 years since a patent was issued to William Middlebrook for a paper-clip-making machine—yet despite a century of innovation, this very early piece of stationery tech has proven virtually unimprovable.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Flossing might as well be fun. A luxury dental floss brand illustrates the allure—and maybe even the health benefits—of aspirational consumption.
Being emotionally mature improves soccer skills. Empathy, positive thinking, and reframing emotions are just as important as physical prowess.
Alexa is destroying freedom of choice. Smart speakers don’t deliver on their promise to bring consumers more options.
Surprising discoveries
“Novichok” vodka was slammed for its bad taste. The company behind the liquor, named after the toxic nerve agent, apologized for its insensitivity.
One-third of caught fish don’t get eaten. While aquaculture is producing more fish than ever, food waste is spiraling.
Trump autographed an Elton John CD for Kim Jong Un. Mike Pompeo didn’t get the chance to deliver the “Rocket Man” gift to Kim during his visit.
China now owns more than 70% of Kenya’s external debt. That is eight times more than the share of Kenya’s second-biggest lending partner, France.
NASA is partnering with “Peanuts.” Charlie Brown and Snoopy have been tasked with getting kids excited about space exploration again.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, prawn cocktails, and bougie dental floss 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.