Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Jair Bolsonaro meets Donald Trump. The far-right Brazilian president will meet his US counterpart in Washington, marking his first foreign visit since being elected.
Google reveals its gaming platform. The company’s first-ever keynote at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (starting at 10am local time, or 5pm UK time) is expected to reveal its rumored “Yeti” console along with a streaming service.
Japan’s Olympic chief steps down. Tsunekazu Takeda, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, is expected to resign due to bribery allegations, though he has denied any wrongdoing.
While you were sleeping
Lyft outlined its IPO goals. The underdog ride-hailing company—bound for the Nasdaq as LYFT—confirmed plans to raise $2 billion in its public debut, targeting a $23 billion valuation. Although Uber’s more lucrative IPO isn’t far behind, the much smaller Lyft is hoping investors will bite on its simpler business model.
The Dalai Lama floated a gambit for after his death. Tibet’s spiritual leader said it’s possible his reincarnated successor could be located in India, in an attempt to undercut a successor named and controlled by the Chinese government.
A besieged Hollywood boss stepped down. Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara was accused of improperly using his influence to further the career of an actress, with whom he reportedly shared an intimate relationship. The studio, recently acquired by AT&T, will name an interim leadership team.
Two payment purchasing giants will combine in a $34 billion deal. Fidelity National Information Services set a new e-commerce merger record (paywall) by agreeing to buy its smaller peer Worldpay. The deal, worth $43 billion including debt, is one of several fueling consolidation in the $1.4 trillion global payments market.
A shooter murdered three people in Holland. After an extensive manhunt across Utrecht, authorities detained a 37-year-old Turkish man suspected of shooting and injuring several people on a tram. The attack has not been connected to any terror groups.
Quartz Obsession
Is this the end of the runway for the 737? The world’s best-selling airplane was almost killed off by Boeing twice, but the portly “square plane” turned out to be just the right size for the modern short-haul market. Now, after two fatal crashes in less than six months, the company’s cash cow is once again in danger. Get some in-flight reading at the Quartz Obsession.
Membership
The case for legalizing sex work. Quartz’s Allison Schrager, author of the forthcoming book, An Economist Walks into a Brothel, breaks it down: “We may not feel good about sex work—I don’t after seeing it up close—in part because it commodifies the human body. But prostitution won’t disappear because we don’t like it, and a legal, regulated market acknowledges that reality and offers protections for providers.” Read here with a free trial to Quartz Membership.
Matters of debate
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For long-term economic growth, density is destiny. China and India are currently low-income countries, but long-term trends suggest that’s an aberration.
Americans are fine with reparations, just not for slavery. The country has granted payouts to a number of groups over the last century.
“Snowplow parents” are short-changing their children. The affluent moms and dads who bribed their offspring into university are only the most visible example.
Surprising discoveries
New York City’s new selfie hotspot owns your photos, forever. The terms of service at The Vessel in Hudson Yards retain blanket rights to all images and recordings captured there.
NASA is warning astronauts to beware of space herpes. The stress of space travel can cause the dormant virus to flare up, triggering cold sores and chickenpox.
A French judge said “non” to a child named after two soccer players. “Griezmann Mbappe” was stripped of his two first names under a 1993 law.
Almost no one noticed a massive meteor explosion. It blew up above the Bering Sea on December 18th, 2018 with 10 times the energy of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
A Belgian racing pigeon was sold for a princely sum. A Chinese buyer purchased Armando for €1.25 million euros ($1.4 million); the previous record was a mere €376,000.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, racing pigeons, and space herpes inoculations to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by McKinley Noble and Adam Pasick.