Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Trump doubles down on drilling. The US president will sign two executive orders directing the Environmental Protection Agency to change rules allowing states to delay oil and gas pipeline projects for environmental reasons.
The EU holds a high-stakes vote on a Brexit delay. With an April 12 deadline looming, European Council president Donald Tusk will urge leaders gathered in Brussels to offer a flexible extension of up to one year for the UK to leave the EU; Theresa May has asked for a delay until June 30. Any EU decision must be unanimous.
Democrats push “Medicare for All.” Senator Bernie Sanders will introduce legislation today calling for public healthcare for every American. Fellow Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand, are among the bill’s co-sponsors.
A day for space ambitions… Anticipation is high for the release of a “groundbreaking result” from the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, expected to be the first-ever photo of a supermassive black hole. Meanwhile, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket is scheduled to vault a Saudi satellite into orbit, which, if successful, could bring the company closer to missions to the moon.
…and economic insights. Investors will be looking at the US Federal Reserve’s March meeting minutes to try to understand (paywall) into its decision to ditch any further interest rate increases this year. New inflation data will also be released today. Separately, top bank CEOs are set to testify in Congress and make the case that their institutions are much safer in the decade since the financial crisis.
While you were sleeping
Benjamin Netanyahu looked set for a fifth term. The Israeli prime minister’s Likud party is currently tied for parliamentary seats with the opposition Blue and White party, but looks to be in a stronger position to form a coalition government with allies. A reelection celebration may be short-lived, as Netanyahu faces three corruption cases.
Nicolás Maduro agreed to accept aid. Following a meeting with the Red Cross, the strongman president said Venezuela, where millions are malnourished due to a collapse in oil exports and international sanctions, was ready to accept help. US vice president Mike Pence is scheduled to address a UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela today.
Airbnb canceled its ban on West Bank settlement listings. The home-sharing company reversed its November decision to remove around 200 Israeli settlement listings located on the occupied Palestinian territories. Instead, it will donate any profits from listings to humanitarian aid groups.
New details emerged about Uber’s IPO. The ride-sharing firm will seek to sell around $10 billion of stock for a valuation of up to $100 billion when it goes public, making it one of the biggest technology IPOs of all time. The company plans to make its IPO registration public on Thursday.
Volkswagen explored investing further in China’s EV market. Reuters reported that VW, the largest foreign car company in China, is mulling buying a large stake in its Chinese electric vehicle venture partner JAC Motors. More electric vehicles were sold in China last year than in the rest of the world combined.
Quartz Obsession
99% of the wasabi the world consumes is fake. Made of Western horseradish and green food coloring, the spicy paste that adorns most sushi (and some peas) is an imitation of the real deal—the stem of the Japanese horseradish, one of the most valuable vegetables on earth. Taste the full story in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
It’s guides galore in today’s membership offerings, with a list of five practical things to never remove from your suitcase, a breakdown of how to use Yelp and other user-generated review sites, and everything you need to know about India’s parliamentary elections, the world’s largest democratic contest ever.
Matters of debate
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It may be too soon for #MeToo comebacks. Apologies may not be enough to convince a public to forgive and forget.
We should have adult slumber parties. Childhood sleepovers can be rewarding for grown-ups, too.
Sexism is making the global tuberculosis epidemic worse. In many of the world’s hardest-hit areas, men won’t support women getting screened or treated.
Surprising discoveries
Ancient Greek shipwrecks are now open to scuba divers. A cargo vessel that sank in the 5th century could herald a new age of underwater tourism.
The era of “janties” is upon us. The denim undies are the logical successor to short shorts.
An immense ice core could reveal 1.5 million years of climate history. The Antarctic site is so thick that scientists’ drills will take three years extract a sample.
A US hearing on online hate was disrupted by…online hate. A YouTube livestream chat of the congressional hearing was quickly shut down after being bombarded with racist and anti-Semitic comments.
Swedes have a word for the climate change sin that is air travel. A growing number of people in the Nordic country are avoiding “flygskam” by opting for train travel instead.
Corrections: The April 9 version of the Daily Brief stated that pharmaceutical executives would testify before Congress; in fact it was pharmacy benefit management companies. The April 3 version described Lori Lightfoot as the first LGBTQ mayor of a major US city; that honor belongs to Annise Parker, the former mayor of Houston.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, real wasabi, and non-denim underwear 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.