Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
US sanctions on Russia take effect. The sanctions were announced in response to the poisoning of Russian national Sergei Skripal in the UK, about which Moscow has denied any involvement. The restrictions will end foreign assistance and some arms sales, and stay in place for a year.
The US Open kicks off in New York. The fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year sees American Sloane Stephens and Spaniard Rafael Nadal attempt to become the first repeat champions since Roger Federer won the tournament five years in a row starting in 2004.
NAFTA negotiations continue. Apparent breakthroughs in bilateral negotiations between Mexico and the US on issues like cars and energy could mean that differences may be resolved as soon as today.
Over the weekend
Senator John McCain died. A celebrated war hero and former GOP presidential candidate, McCain spent the last year in treatment for brain cancer. McCain, 81, was often critical of Donald Trump, and the White House didn’t release an official statement on his death—Trump tweeted condolences to his family instead. The president will reportedly not attend the funeral (paywall).
Three people died in a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida. The suspect shot dead two people and injured nine others at a video-game tournament, before killing himself, on Sunday. Jacksonville sheriff Mike Williams said the shooter was 24-year-old David Katz from Baltimore, who was a participant at the competition.
The UN released its report on the Myanmar crisis. Human rights investigators said that the country’s army killed and raped Muslim Rohingya people with “genocidal intent,” and recommended that the commander-in-chief and five generals be prosecuted. It has been one year since the military crackdown in Rakhine state that drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from their homes.
Elon Musk said Tesla will stay public. Writing on the company’s blog, the CEO indicated that he accepted investors’ concerns about the difficulties of taking the company private—it would be “even more time-consuming and distracting than initially anticipated,” he wrote. Instead, Musk vowed to focus on ramping up Model 3 production.
The pope asked Ireland for forgiveness. During an emotionally fraught visit, Francis admitted that church officials should have done more to combat sexual abuse and the mistreatment of unwed mothers. On Sunday, Francis said he would not respond to a statement by a former top Vatican official calling for his resignation and accusing him of knowing for years about the sex-abuse allegations against US cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Gwynn Guilford on how 1825 foreshadowed the problems facing emerging markets today. “The slow-building threat of US tightening has given emerging-market leaders plenty of time to build reserves, limit reliance of dollar-denominated sovereign debt, and rein in budget deficits. But if the lessons of history are anything to go by, the deeper their ties to global financial centers, the less control smaller countries have over their own monetary systems—which means there may be more shakeups ahead.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Software should encourage us to stop and think. From impulse buys to knee-jerk reactions, we’re using technology to make the world more haphazard.
Aramco should ditch its IPO. Saudi Arabia needs to focus on weaning itself off oil first (paywall), then attract investments in a more stable economy.
You can pack your kids the same lunch every day. A good lunch only needs healthy essentials, not a social media-friendly aesthetic that changes daily.
Surprising discoveries
People still aren’t wearing enough sunscreen. Deadly melanoma is on the rise in the US.
Madame Tussauds has given up on Australian leaders. The turnover in prime ministers is so rapid, the museum’s Sydney outpost can’t make wax figures fast enough.
Capitalism is proliferating in North Korea. The country’s 400-plus officially sanctioned private markets bring in $60 million a year for Kim Jong Un’s regime.
Amazon is giving employees $50 gift cards to tweet nice things about the company. Participants in the “FC Ambassador Program” also get lunch and a day off.
Sports teams are betting on pink. Painting the opponents’ locker rooms with the color is hoped to lower testosterone and decrease aggression.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, glowing employer reviews, and waxy Australian politicians 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 Aisha Hassan and edited by Jason Karaian.