Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A day of grilling in Congress. Executives from major pharmaceutical companies will testify before the Senate Finance Committee over the steep cost of prescription medicines. Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr, who is scheduled to present on the Justice Department budget, is likely to face tough questions from House Democrats over his summary of Robert Mueller’s Russia report.
Boeing delivers an update. Some analysts expect the aircraft manufacturer will show it delivered fewer than half of the 737 Max jets it was expected to in March, in the wake of a second fatal crash of the model. The plane was grounded globally after the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy last month, wiping $25 billion from its market value.
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.
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. The lead-up to the International Monetary Fund’s report, out at 9am EST, has been tinged with concerns about slowing global growth (paywall).
While you were sleeping
The US threatened Europe with $11 billion in tariffs. Helicopters, aircraft parts, wine, and cheese are among a long list of products that could be slapped with duties (paywall) in retaliation for EU subsidies to Boeing rival Airbus.
Changes ahead for Sony. The stock price for the Japanese electronics giant jumped more than 9% on Tuesday, following a Reuters report that hedge fund Third Point would increase its stake in order to push for more changes, such as exploring potential takeover interest in the conglomerate’s movie studio.
Iran’s president hit back at Washington. After the Trump administration yesterday took the unprecedented step of designating a branch of Iran’s army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a terrorist organization, Hassan Rouhani accused the US of being a “leader of world terrorism.”
A judge blocked one of Trump’s asylum policies. The decision halts the practice of sending asylum seekers back to Mexico as they await a court hearing, but is on hold until Friday to allow US officials to appeal.
Google drones got the green light in Australia. Project Wing, a branch of Google’s parent company Alphabet, won approval to deliver small items like food and medication via drone in Canberra, in a first for a commercial drone business.
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
In a banner year for tech IPOs, reporter Alison Griswold asks if we are at risk of building the next dot-com bubble. Over at Private Key, Matt De Silva examines why not even terrorists want to use cryptocurrencies anymore, despite US and European policymakers fearing that they might use cryptocurrencies to fund attacks and operations.
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.
The on-demand economy keep us from growing up. Conveniences like Uber and TaskRabbit mean that we’re increasingly outsourcing adulthood.
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 spread. 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 5 billion years, our solar system could be a white dwarf orbited by the outer planets.
An Instagram account featuring trendy pastors has churchgoers outraged. Followers of “PreachersNSneakers'” are questioning the morality of church leaders wearing pricey outfits.
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 planet fragments 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.