Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump meet. After his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week, the South Korean president is in the US discuss with president Trump a possible formal declaration to the end of the Korean War.
Bill Cosby’s sentencing hearing begins. The 81-year-old entertainer faces up to 10 years in prison for each of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He’s been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 60 women.
Japan and the US talk trade. Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan’s economy minister, and US trade representative Robert Lighthizer will meet Monday to lay the groundwork for a summit between their bosses later in the week. Besides trade, investment and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be on the leaders’ agenda.
Over the weekend
A second woman accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Deborah Ramirez told The New Yorker that the Supreme Court nominee exposed himself to her while they were students at Yale University. The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to hear from Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a high-school party, on Thursday. Kavanaugh’s legal team plans to submit the judge’s calendars (paywall) from 1982 as part of his defense.
A new round of US-China tariffs went into effect. Donald Trump’s 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods began just after midnight ET on Monday, and Beijing quickly retaliated by slapping tariffs of 5-10% on $60 billion worth of US products. Analysts predict the trade war will escalate further, with no new talks planned.
The Vatican reached an historic deal with China. The Church agreed to recognize seven bishops appointed by Beijing, part of a provisional agreement under which both sides will have a say on who becomes a bishop. The deal could help pave the way for the eventual reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two governments, which were broken off in 1951.
US airlines avoided fee rules. Lawmakers unveiled a bill to keep the Federal Aviation Administration open, but dropped a proposal requiring baggage or ticket change fees be “reasonable and proportional.” Fliers can look forward to new rules that set minimum seat sizes and forbid passengers from being ejected from flights they’ve already boarded.
Trump aims to bar immigrants who use public benefits. A new US rule would deny permanent residency to immigrants who legally use public benefits, including Medicare and food assistance. Immigrant advocates fear children will be hardest hit if their parents remove them from public programs in order to keep their families together in the US.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Corinne Purtill on life advice from the inventor of Rubik’s Cube. “Rubik listens patiently. He smiles. You can tell he was a good teacher… ‘If you are not able to do something, that is true for the present, not for the future. All the time there’s a chance to go a step further. If something takes a while to be comfortable with it, that’s a much longer and valuable [goal] that you have achieved.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Apple’s new iPhones are bad for women. Bigger screens make the phones uncomfortable to hold for anyone with smaller hands, including women and children.
YouTube is failing its creators. The platform’s biggest stars are trapped in a constant cycle of content production—and burning out as a result.
You should be glad to sit in the middle seat. With flying cheaper and safer than ever, people should stop clinging to the idea of a “glamour age of travel.”
Surprising discoveries
Cows prefer to set their own schedules, too. After installing milking robots, one Icelandic farm saw its cows produce 30% more milk.
Galileo tried to trick the Inquisition. A newly discovered letter shows the 17th-century astronomer edited his words to sound less strident about Copernican theory.
Japan landed two small rovers on an asteroid. It’s the first visit to a “C-type” asteroid, which scientists believe includes significant amounts of carbon and water as well as metals.
Deep-sea life is mucking up plans for ocean mining. A stretch of Pacific seabed designated for mining turns out to be teeming with marine worms, red shrimp, and more.
Spotify is creating playlists based on people’s DNA. The streaming platform is collaborating with Ancestry to suggest songs based on the cultures your ancestors came from.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, DNA-based playlists, and contented cows 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 and edited by Cassie Werber and Sarah Todd.