Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China’s vice premier begins meetings in Washington. Liu He will meet with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin to resume negotiations to end trade tensions. The two sides remain divided on how to monitor and enforce any commitments made by China, and on whether existing US tariffs should be removed.
NATO’s secretary general addresses US lawmakers. Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization tomorrow, Jens Stoltenberg is also expected to discuss the security threat from China (paywall), after several years of focusing on Russia.
Malaysia’s former prime minister goes on trial for 1MDB corruption. Najib Razak has been charged with more than 40 counts of corruption and money-laundering in connection with the looting of at least $4.5 billion from a state fund during his rule. He denies any wrongdoing. Malaysia also announced today that the sale of a luxury yacht purchased by fugitive financier Jho Low helped it recover $126 million of public money.
House Democrats subpoena the full Mueller report. Lawmakers will try to force attorney general William Barr to produce the report on Russian interference “without redactions” and “without delay”—an attempt that is all but certain to end up in court. The unredacted report is highly unlikely to be publicly released, since it contains sensitive intelligence and details of ongoing investigations.
While you were sleeping
Chicago elected its first African American mayor. Former assistant US attorney Lori Lightfoot handily won the race after a campaign that focused on reforming Chicago’s police force. As an openly gay woman, Lightfoot will also become the first LGBTQ individual to lead a major US city when she takes office in May.
Jeremy Corbyn agreed to Theresa May’s offer of cross-party Brexit talks. In what could potentially pave the way for a softer Brexit, the Labour leader said he was “very happy” to discuss the deadlock over the UK’s exit from the EU with the prime minister. For this new plan to work, May will need the EU to grant another extension to Brexit beyond the April 12 deadline.
Toyota opened the door to its hybrid-vehicle technology patents. The company said the move, which grants access to nearly 24,000 patents through 2030, was done in the spirit of “cooperation.” The automaker has gained control of 80% of the hybrid vehicle market since introducing the Prius in 1997.
Juan Guaidó was stripped of immunity. The Venezuelan opposition leader may now face prosecution for declaring himself interim president. The move comes after Guaidó was barred last week from holding public office for 15 years. Separately, thousands of Venezuelans broke through barricades along the Colombia border in an attempt to find supplies and work in the city of Cucuta.
Brunei enacted draconian Sharia laws. Adultery and homosexual sex are now punishable by death from stoning under legislation introduced by Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. A group led by actor George Clooney is calling for the boycott of hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Group.
Quartz Obsession
Romance novels are the beating heart of the publishing industry. The genre of bodice-ripping escapism dates back to before bodices were even worn—and has proved to be one of the digital age’s most profitable literary products. Today’s Quartz Obsession peeks under the covers.
Membership
In less than 10 years, CATL has beaten its competitors to become the world’s largest maker of lithium-ion batteries. We look at how the company came to supply more than 40% of all batteries that go in electric vehicles in China, where more EVs are sold than the rest of the world combined.
Matters of debate
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Workplace automation will hit women hardest. They hold more of the jobs most at risk of being taken over by machines.
Reality is delicious all on its own. A Zen teacher and chef says that the secret to appreciating life lies in accepting that nothing is perfect, but everything is useful.
Digital technology has lost its way. We’ve allowed it to manipulate and control us.
Surprising discoveries
Central banks are going green. Monetary policy makers (paywall) around the world are starting to see climate risks and extreme weather not as “temporary shocks,” but endemic issues.
Excess sewage might have caused a flamingo influx in Mumbai. The population has tripled in an area where sewer runoff encourages growth of the flamingo’s favorite algae.
The Avengers Hulk-smashed digital box offices. Fandango and AMC experienced outages when legions of fans tried to buy tickets for The Avengers: Endgame.
Tweeting while flying kills migratory birds. We know texting while driving can be deadly, but for some migratory birds, making flight calls during their nighttime migrations can cause untimely ends.
An automated Tesla was manipulated by tiny stickers. Researchers used fake road markings to trick the car’s software into changing lanes.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Avengers tickets, and romance novel recommendations 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 Rosie Spinks and edited by Jackie Bischof.