Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Italy releases its budget outline. Financial markets are counting on economy minister Giovanni Tria to water down some of the ruling coalition’s big-spending plans, including a basic income for the poor. After Greece, Italy’s public debt is the highest in the euro zone.
Christine Blasey Ford takes center stage. The California psychology professor will testify before US lawmakers that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. An additional two women have come forward with allegations of misconduct; Kavanaugh has denied wrongdoing. Here’s how to watch the proceedings live.
Jeremy Corbyn goes to Brussels. The Labour party leader will meet with the EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and urge the bloc not to allow a “no-deal Brexit” to pass. Corbyn said his party would vote against prime minister Theresa May’s latest Brexit plan.
H&M announces earnings. The Swedish retailer is battling problems (paywall) such as an inventory backlog, falling foot traffic, and logistics disruptions, and is outperformed by fast-fashion rivals such as Zara owner Inditex.
While you were sleeping
The IMF and Argentina reached a bailout agreement. The organization will increase its financing package to Argentina to $57 billion, up from the $50 billion originally slated, for 36 months. Argentina is in the midst of an economic crisis as the value of the peso has plunged and agricultural exports have been hit by a drought.
One of the suspects behind the Salisbury poisoning was identified as a Russian colonel. One of the two suspects, previously named as Ruslan Boshirov, is believed to be Anatoliy Chepiga, a special forces veteran. He and another suspect have been charged in the UK with attempted murder and conspiracy.
Uber reached a settlement with US states over a data breach. In November 2016 the ride-hailing giant learned hackers had accessed the personal data of drivers and riders, yet it failed to notify authorities of the breach. The company agreed to pay $148 million and tighten its data security.
Stripe is now among the world’s most valuable private startups. The payments firm recently closed a $245 million funding round (paywall) that values it at $20 billion. Stripe helps companies set up online billing and payment systems, and now counts Google and Uber among its customers.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Andrew Taggart on how workers killed the liberal arts: “What the liberal arts had for the longest time held open was a space in which human beings could discover that they were more than ‘functionaries’ or ‘workers,’ a space devoted solely to the contemplation of higher things… The liberal arts, which once advocated free thought for its own sake, have now been put to use instead as a way to prepare us for a compressed life of creative office work.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Labor unions are thriving in the US thanks to millennials. The stigma that unions kill jobs, created by prominent “union-busters” like Ronald Reagan, has largely worn off.
Banning anonymous social-media accounts is counterproductive. If democracies do so, authoritarian governments will follow suit and use it as an excuse to suppress opposition speech.
Misogyny is deeply entrenched at elite private schools. Institutions that don’t help boys understand personal accountability are tacitly endorsing sexism.
Surprising discoveries
Thomas Edison thought gold would be worthless. The famed inventor believed “the secret of transmuting metals” would allow scientists to turn iron bars into gold.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a mortgage. The power couple spends $200,000 a month on their home, freeing up other funds for money-making investments.
The fastest-growing tourist destination in Europe is San Marino. The 24-square-mile micro-nation saw more than two visitors for every permanent resident in 2017.
Soccer fans can soon show love for their favorite team with crypto. French club Paris Saint-Germain will sell supporters a token backed by the blockchain startup chiliZ.
Sweden’s ad ombudsman ruled the “distracted boyfriend” meme sexist. It said the image portrays the two women as objects.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, labor-union dues, and non-sexist memes 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Alice Truong.