Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Israel’s pivotal election. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the right-wing Likud party faces off against centrist Benny Gantz, in a contest that could set the tone of Middle Eastern politics for years to come.
Chinese premier Li Keqiang meets with EU leaders. Li hopes to quell a backlash on various trade issues, including aggressive foreign investments, when he meets Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels.
Hong Kong’s Umbrella 9 verdict. Nine citizens at the center of the 2014 democratic-rights movement—marked by protesters fending off tear gas with umbrellas—are expected to receive long prison sentences.
Donald Trump hosts Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Despite Egypt’s unapologetic record of human rights abuses, its president is expected to enjoy a warm White House welcome.
The IMF releases its world economic outlook. Investors expect good news, though the lead-up to the International Monetary Fund’s report (releasing at 9pm HK time) has been tinged with concerns about slowing growth.
While you were sleeping
Korean Air CEO Cho Yang-ho died in Los Angeles. The airline chairman’s death ends a downward spiral that started in 2014, with several scandals involving his family. Cho, facing corruption charges, was ousted from the company’s board last week in an unprecedented move. His son, Cho Won-tae, is expected to succeed him as chairman.
The US labeled Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group. That’s a first for a foreign military unit, in a decision that was reportedly opposed by the Pentagon and CIA. Iran quickly countered by applying a similar designation to US forces, while also threatening other reprisals.
UK lawmakers targeted tech giants over harmful content. A new proposal could see companies like Facebook face major fines and legal consequences for scandals like election meddling and the Christchurch mosque shootings. Britain’s plan would also set up an independent internet regulator.
Pinterest posted a cautious IPO price range. The social media platform will list shares between $15 and $17 apiece, which would set a market cap below its most recent $12 billion private valuation. It’s yet another sign that profit-starved start-ups are heading for rough Wall Street debuts this year.
Donald Trump fired Secret Service director Randolph “Tex” Alles. The decision to dismiss the former Marine general reportedly comes as part of a large-scale White House purge of the Department of Homeland Security at the behest of Trump advisor Stephen Miller.
Quartz Obsession
The world doesn’t have enough capacitors. The tiny components known as multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are simple and cheap—an iPhone contains about a thousand, a Tesla nearly 10 times more. But in our energy-hungry economy, there won’t be enough to go around for many years to come. Find out why in our Quartz Obsession.
Membership
It’s tech IPO season, and Alison Griswold has everything you need to know. We also have the battery breakthroughs we’re going to need for a carbon-free future; a dive into Hollywood’s risky business; and a new members-only video series, Because China, that looks at the world’s newest superpower—starting with its recent disruption of global recycling.
Matters of debate
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YouTube’s golden age of indie creators is drawing to a close. The site’s algorithms increasingly favor big brands and content makers.
Now is the time to oppose Donald Trump’s Federal Reserve nominees. Otherwise a goldbug could soon be running the world’s most powerful central bank.
Robocallers will never be defeated. Even the most ambitious plans only aim to get the nuisance spam calls to a “manageable level.”
Surprising discoveries
The complex anatomy of dolphins is the key to their sex lives. New research supports the theory that they get it on purely for pleasure.
A common food additive might help the flu. A preservative called Tert-butylhydroquinone makes infection-fighting T cells more sluggish.
A planet fragment orbiting a dying star offers a glimpse of Earth’s grim future. In a mere five billion years, our solar system could be a white dwarf orbited by Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the outer planets.
A group is fighting to protect the rights of robots. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots argues that “they are people too!”
Scientists have identified a form of matter that’s liquid and solid at the same time. The team used AI to isolate potassium atoms that exhibit properties of both.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, flu-fighting tips, and robot rights manifestos 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 McKinley Noble and Adam Pasick.