Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Indonesia’s president vies for a second term. Joko Widodo leads polls with a strong economic record, but is facing questions about his commitment to Islam (paywall) in the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Jokowi, as he’s known, picked a top Islamic cleric for his running mate and made a recent visit to Mecca.
Singapore unveils the “Jewel.” The Moshe Safdie-designed playground for travelers at Changi Airport has four floors of foliage and a 130-foot indoor waterfall. Later this year, it will add a glass-bottomed bridge and bouncing nets.
China releases quarterly GDP figures. Economists expect economic growth to cool to 6.3%, the lowest rate since 1992, when the country started releasing such data. But as always with Chinese economic statistics, the real question will be how much to trust the numbers (paywall).
While you were sleeping
Netflix shrugged off Apple and Disney. The company posted better-than-expected earnings and revenues, but shares sank on its thin outlook in the face of new streaming video competitors. Netflix said it doesn’t “anticipate that these new entrants will materially affect our growth.”
French officials found no signs of arson in the Notre Dame fire. More than 50 investigators are combing through the heavily damaged Paris cathedral after yesterday’s devastating blaze, but public prosecutor Remy Heitz said there was “no obvious indication” that it had been intentionally set. President Emmanuel Macron said he hopes to have it fully rebuilt in five years.
US regulators greenlit Boeing’s software fix to the 737 Max. The software upgrade and changes in training protocols were deemed “operationally suitable” by the Federal Aviation Administration, an important step in getting the grounded plane back in the air. Separately, an institutional shareholder group said that Boeing should appoint an independent chairman (paywall) to rebuild trust in its damaged brand.
Apple paid Qualcomm to settle their long-running patent war. The companies dropped their litigation on the first day of a trial in California, with Apple paying an undisclosed sum to its chip supplier. Shares of Qualcomm, which has been locked in a bitter dispute with Apple over royalties and the licensing fees, shot up more than 20%.
Egypt moved to extend the president’s possible term until 2030. Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who led the military overthrow of a democratically elected government in 2013, would also gain more power over the judiciary and extend the military’s role in Egyptian politics. The constitutional changes are part of a referendum that must take place within 30 days.
Quartz Obsession
The Notre Dame fire: If there’s a silver lining to the tragic event, it’s that the 13th-century cathedral is an architectural mutt to begin with, built and restored by countless architects over the centuries. Still, the fire forces us to confront a very uncomfortable truth: Our monuments are built for the generations to come, but our ability to protect them is much more limited than we might like to admit. Read more in our Quartz Obsession.
Membership
In today’s Q&A, reporter Max de Haldevang speaks with senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the man bent on stamping out hidden money in the US. And in Private Key, we have a look at how Andreessen Horowitz has approached investing in cryptocurrencies.
Matters of debate
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DNA tests don’t tell us who we really are. Knowing genetic geological origins overshadows the effects of racism in the present day.
Students focus too much on making an impact. Instead, we should encourage them to prioritize the quality of human interaction.
Breaking the law is the future of climate protests. Activists are increasingly willing to commit crimes to save future generations.
Surprising discoveries
NASA is shooting mice into space, and they’re thriving. Rodents used tails and toes to go about their normal business in microgravity.
Stonehenge was built by Turkish immigrants. New DNA evidence reveals that a group from Anatolia brought agricultural know-how and a penchant for stone monuments to ancient Britain.
Microplastics are falling from the sky. Even the remote Pyrenees aren’t safe from tiny plastic particles that travel on the wind.
China’s censored “Game of Thrones” premiere only lost six minutes. The custom version axed axe violence and sex scenes, but the episode emerged mostly unscathed.
A swimming dog was rescued 130 miles away from land. Workers on an oil rig off Thailand found “Boonrod” freezing and exhausted, but alive.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, rescued pups, and deleted scenes 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 Adam Pasick and Susan Howson.