Good morning, Quartz readers!
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Helsinki. The two world leaders get together days after the US indicted 12 Russian government intelligence agents for interfering with the 2016 presidential elections. Trump was tight-lipped about his goals for the four-hour meeting but did say, “I go in with low expectations.”
The Sino-European summit kicks off in Beijing. Chinese leaders will host members of the European Union and will likely pressure the world’s largest trading bloc to retaliate against the US at the World Trade Organization for its trade war.
The Brexit debate boils over in the UK. Lawmakers will debate whether or not the UK should remain in the EU’s customs union after the UK leaves the EU. The debate begins days after the UK finally set out its negotiating position, angering Brexiteers who favor a more confrontational approach.
Over the weekend
The US president offered dubious advice to Theresa May. Speaking of confrontational approaches, the UK prime minister told the BBC that Donald Trump advised her to sue the EU. Trump told CBS News it was “strong advice. And I think it probably would have worked.”
Cuba announced plans to legalize private property. State media released teasers of the communist country’s new constitution, which will also limit presidential terms, and create a prime minister to serve as head of government. The constitution will likely be approved this week by the national assembly, and will then face a public referendum later this year.
Haitian prime minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned. Multiple casualties were reported after the riots broke out following the government’s revelation of a plan to revoke subsidies to fuel earlier this month, which would raise prices by as much as 51%. Lafontant was facing a vote of no confidence in Parliament.
The death toll of a Pakistani suicide bombing climbed to 128. ISIL, also known as the Islamic State, claimed responsibility (paywall) for the bombing on Friday at an election rally. It was the third election-related violent incident in a week, and it casts tensions across the country as it nears its July 25 federal elections.
France won its second World Cup. In the best final for years, France defeated Croatia 4-2 to win the World Cup. The only other time France took the cup was 20 years ago in 1998, when its current star player, Kylian Mbappé, had not yet been born.
QUARTZ OBSESSION INTERLUDE
Dave Gershgorn on how Microsoft became unstoppable on Wall Street. “The change can be seen in the fact that Minecraft, Nadella’s $2.5 billion acquisition, still runs on iPads and Mac computers. It’s seen in Office 365 being platform agnostic, and Linux on Azure. In other words, the company no longer lives or dies on the success of the latest Windows release.” Read more here.
MATTERS OF DEBATE
A single iTunes update changed the entire media landscape. The introduction of podcast support brought podcasts to the limelight.
Donald Trump is what happens when postmodernism goes too far. Michiko Kakutani argues that the US president has his intellectual roots in high culture.
The World Cup is ugly. Wimbledon’s men’s trophy is much better.
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
Immigration crackdowns can affect the health of Americans. An increase in stress in Latina mothers related to ICE raids in Iowa led to a disproportionate amount of premature births.
The last US Blockbuster video store is in Oregon. The other two remaining stores in Alaska closed last week.
Used seafood from restaurants may help revive barrier reefs. Environmentalists are hoping strategically discarded shells will bolster eroded barrier islands.
South Africa had its first Wimbledon finalist in 97 years. And it’s become a matter of national pride.
It now costs the $1 billion annually to detain children. Spending has increased tenfold over the past decade.
Hawaiian bobtail squid mothers use a bacteria to protect their embryos. The bacteria, secreted in a gelatinous substance, keep fungal infections at bay.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, memes about memes, and footsore ancestors 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 Katherine Ellen Foley and edited by Kabir Chibber.