Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
A pivotal US jobs report could eliminate—or confirm—fears of a recession. Analysts expect the US economy to have added 180,000 jobs in March, after an alarmingly low 20,000 the previous month.
Julian Assange may get booted from Ecuador’s embassy. A high-level Ecuadorian source reportedly told WikiLeaks the group’s founder would be expelled and arrested by UK authorities within “hours to days.” Assange has been living in Ecuador’s London embassy for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault and rape charges.
Cross-party Brexit talks continue. May asked the EU this morning for a further delay to Brexit until June 30 in order to continue talks with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the UK parliament to find a Brexit compromise. The UK is currently scheduled to leave the EU on April 12; the bloc’s other 27 leaders would need to approve the extension first.
Rwanda remembers its genocide. The 1994 massacre saw hundreds of thousands of Rwandans killed, mostly of the Tutsi minority. French president Emmanuel Macron will not be among the world leaders attending a 25th anniversary event in capital Kigali on Sunday. France’s backing for the Hutu regime, and the role of UN-mandated French soldiers, has cast a long shadow over relations.
North Korea holds a rare tourist event. The annual Pyongyang marathon taking place Sunday is the biggest event drawing Western and other foreign visitors to the isolated country. Last year saw a drop in numbers due to the US travel ban and escalating tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump delayed a US-China summit. The US president confounded expectations of an imminent announcement (paywall), telling reporters he was not ready to invite Chinese president Xi Jinping to Mar-a-Lago until prospects for a trade deal improve. Speaking alongside Chinese vice premier Liu He, Trump said: “If we have a deal, we’ll have a summit.”
The New Zealand mosque shooter was charged with 49 more murders. A Christchurch judge ordered mental health tests for 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, who appeared via video in the courtroom. Tarrant was also charged with 39 counts of attempted murder and was not required to enter a plea.
Samsung’s first-quarter profit plunged 60%. The South Korean electronics giant saw its biggest drop in quarterly operating profits (paywall) in four years, due in part to lower memory chip prices and a slowdown in smartphone sales. Its release today of the Galaxy S10, the world’s first 5G phone, may help it bounce back from recent crises.
Germany’s economy got a tiny bit of good news. Industrial output in Europe’s largest economy ticked up slightly in February, after mild weather lead to a spike in construction activity, although manufacturing production and industrial orders both saw declines. Economists yesterday slashed 2019 growth forecasts for the country.
The UN released a dire forecast for Venezuela’s children. As the country’s migrant crisis escalates, UNICEF expects it will need to provide assistance to an estimated 1.1 million Venezuelan children this year at home and abroad.
Quartz Obsession
Your false eyelashes might have come from North Korea. A Chinese supplier sourced some materials from the DPRK, which Kim Jong Un is pushing to produce “the world’s best cosmetics.” It’s another unlikely turn in the curious history of the appendage, which includes hair sewn into eyelids, magnetic application, and a financial opportunity the struggling cosmetics industry is going to great lengths to harness. Take a glance at the Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Our deep dive into batteries this week included a state of play memo that outlined in clarity and detail the shape of the battery landscape, and a first-ever look by a Western news organization inside China’s CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer. Today we look at key questions that cut through the battery-industry hype, and answer readers’ burning questions on the battery revolution.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Fortnite is a public health risk. According to Prince Harry, the wildly addictive game should be banned.
Driving in cities should not be free. Congestion costs should be shared by drivers and passengers—just as with other forms of travel.
Nike’s Air Jordan was a sea change in menswear. The latest, most expensive sneaker is now the ultimate fashion status symbol.
Surprising discoveries
Spain’s hash is full of feces. The country’s cannabis carries a “dangerous amount of fecal matter” due to the intimate way it is smuggled.
The UN is considering floating cities to cope with climate change. Climb aboard, your city’s waiting for you.
Brexit is befuddling financial-news algorithms. The robots that predict currency fluctuations have been overwhelmed by Britain’s legislative paralysis.
Cats may be able to recognize their own names. But actually deciding to acknowledge the person who said the name is a different story.
The EU wants veggie burgers to be labeled “veggie discs.” The ban aims to protect meat-related terms, and has angered sustainable food activists.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, floating city plans, and recognizable cat names 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 Adam Rasmi and edited by Jackie Bischof.