Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Emmanuel Macron visits Kenya. The first-ever trip by a French president to the country is part of a pan-African tour to to challenge China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Employers are feeling stingy at Japan’s annual wage negotiations. After several years of healthy raises to counter deflationary pressure, corporations are uneasy about the prospect of a weaker global economy.
Paul Manafort is sentenced in Washington, DC. Donald Trump’s former campaign manager pled guilty to conspiracy after lobbying for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians, in a case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. In a parallel case last week in Virginia, Manafort received a lighter-than-expected sentence for tax fraud and other charges.
While you were sleeping
Theresa May’s Brexit plan suffered another overwhelming defeat in parliament. Lawmakers voted down the plan by a 391-242 margin, after the prime minister spent weeks trying to shore up support and extract more concessions from the EU. With only two weeks to go before Brexit is due to take effect, a delay is looking increasingly likely. Here’s a flowchart of possible outcomes.
Europe grounded all 737 MAX planes. Most major markets other than the US have now halted flights by the Boeing aircraft after this weekend’s Ethiopian Airways crash. US president Donald Trump said on Twitter that modern planes were “becoming far too complex to fly,” without specifically mentioning Boeing, and had a phone call with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg.
Actors and executives were charged in a college admissions bribery scandal. “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman and TPG partner William McGlashan were among 50 people charged in a scheme to get their wealthy offspring into exclusive schools, including Yale and Harvard. They allegedly hired a company to cheat on entrance exams and create false athletic records using Photoshop.
Hundreds of Islamic State fighters surrendered near its last stronghold. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said it was close to retaking the Syrian town of Baghouz. The jihadist group, which once controlled about one-third of Iraqi and Syrian territory, has been reduced to a tiny sliver of land on the Syria-Iraq border.
The Trump administration is closing all overseas immigration offices. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency said it would transfer duties to domestic offices and overseas State Department offices, which could further slow applications for visas (paywall), foreign adoptions, and citizenship petitions. The move is part of the White House’s attempts to reduce immigration, including a shift to de-emphasize family reunification.
Membership
We have a Q&A with Angela Rodell, director of Alaska’s $60 billion sovereign wealth fund, which Hillary Clinton once considered proposing as a model for a similar nationwide program. There’s also a new installment of Private Key that explores just how a bitcoin investment can go horribly wrong.
Quartz Obsession
Stalking the history of celery, a forgotten status symbol in Victorian England: The tricky-to-grow swamp plant was once considered an exotic delicacy—and even inspired specific tableware designed to show it off. How did the fibrous stalk fall to the bottom of the crudité platter? Find out in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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The gender pay gap is more than just discrimination. Cultural norms influence the perception that women are less flexible employees who may not stick around.
It’s not pepperoni unless it curls on your pizza. Flat discs have been the norm for decades, but grease-filled pepperoni cups are arguably the true measure of a good pie.
College admissions have never been fair. Test scores are more accurately privilege scores—and it’s all entirely legal.
Surprising discoveries
Brexit has become a mental health issue. The National Health Service is gearing up to treat patients who constantly worry about their livelihoods.
Opioids are decimating the US labor pool. Research found that addiction significantly impacted male participation in the US labor market.
Salmonella is perfectly happy to live in dry food. A Pillsbury flour recall is a reminder that bacteria adapt quickly to all sorts of unlikely conditions.
The sun blasted Earth with radiation in 660 BC. If the solar storm had hit today, it would have sickened astronauts and taken out electrical grids.
Nobody leaves baby in an airport. A Saudi plane made an in-air about-face when a passenger realized she’d left her infant in the terminal.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, uncontaminated cookie dough, and pepperoni cups to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Adam Pasick and Susan Howson.