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What to watch for today
Egypt’s parliament votes to extend its presidential term limits. Under the proposed changes, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be able to seek two new six-year terms starting in 2022, and the military will receive expanded powers to intervene in civil matters
The US and Israel discuss terrorist threats. Delegations will convene in Jerusalem for their annual counterterrorism meeting to address shared threats facing the two countries, including from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah.
Netflix releases its first quarter results. With stiff competition from the likes of Amazon and Hulu and two new formidable challengers nipping at its heels, the video streaming platform can’t afford to show signs of weakness.
While you were sleeping
The Notre Dame cathedral fire was brought under control. The blaze, possibly ignited during restoration work, caused the 850-year-old Gothic building’s spire and roof to collapse. Firefighters brought the flames under control in the early hours of the morning and several invaluable artifacts were rescued.
The Pulitzer Prizes were announced. The New York Times won the explanatory reporting award for its 18-month investigation of Donald Trump’s finances, while international reporting on Myanmar and Yemen were also recognised.
House Democrats subpoenaed Deutsche Bank and financial institutions. Congressional investigators demanded documents from several banks as part of an investigation into president Donald Trump’s finances. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup were also handed subpoenas.
Ecuador said it’s been hit by 40 million cyber attacks Julian Assange’s arrest. Attacks on the webpages of public institutions began after the Wikileaks founder was stripped of political asylum and expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London last Thursday, according to Ecuador’s deputy minister for information and communication technologies.
A US museum cancelled a gala honoring Brazil’s president. The American Natural History Museum announced that it would no longer host a black-tie event that would have honored Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right populist who has rolled back environmental and Amazon rainforest protections.
Quartz Obsession
Got a nemesis? You’re not alone. Research suggests 70% of people have had a singular enemy at some point, and social media means we’re more open about it. But we can harness those bad feelings for good:” Having the right kind of nemesis can push us towards our better selves, in terms of what we do and how we behave. Throw some side-eye towards today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
It may not surprise you to learn that the US has become a really terrific—maybe even the best—place to hide money from prying eyes. Our intrepid reporter Max de Haldevang went to places like Wyoming, Nevada, and other states that are in an arms race to lower the bar for corporate disclosures.
We also have a video interview with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt on the value of a good coach—in his case, former Intuit CEO Bill Campbell.
Matters of debate
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12-hour days are not a blessing. We should ignore Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s worship of the “996” lifestyle.
English is one of the world’s weirdest languages. It sounds strange and has odd grammar.
The US and China treat Latin America like a playground. Diplomats are trading barbs about which nation interferes most in countries like Venezuela.
Surprising discoveries
Science clickbait is being roasted on Twitter. A Boston-based researcher is using @justsaysinmice to shame coverage that conflates rodent research with implications for humans.
A humble Portuguese pastry is a global sensation. Crafty marketing and some subtle government backing (paywall) have made the pastel de nata an Instagrammable hit.
Big Weed is paying big taxes. Uncle Sam took a $4.7 billion cut out of $13 billion in revenue in 2017, with many businesses paying in cash.
Yangtze turtles are nearly extinct. The death of the softshell species’ last-known female cuts the population down to three.
Private jets in India are booked up for political campaigning. The country’s vast election is being fought in the skies (paywall), where Narendra Modi has the upper hand.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, sound scientific research, and pastel de nata recipes 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 Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.