Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
House Democrats meet to discuss the Mueller report. House speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to hold a conference call with Democratic colleagues about next steps following the release last week of special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report. The topic of impeachment may be raised in the meeting, according to Bloomberg (paywall).
The US ends sanctions waivers for Iran oil imports. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo is expected to announce that all countries must completely end their imports of Iranian oil or face sanctions, according to the Washington Post (paywall). The move escalates pressure on Tehran as the Trump administration tries to starve the regime of its oil money.
Tokyo prosecutors indict Carlos Ghosn on a new charge. They’ll reportedly accuse the former Nissan chairman of using company funds for personal investments in various firms. His detention period over the suspected financial misconduct expires today.
Tesla holds an investor day ahead of earnings. At the company’s California headquarters, CEO Elon Musk will drum up excitement about driverless vehicles. The electric-car maker is expected to announce losses (paywall) in a quarterly report on April 24. Meanwhile, in China, the company is investigating after a video showed a parked Model S catch fire in Shanghai.
Major European stock exchanges will be closed due to the Easter Monday holiday.
Over the weekend
Easter Sunday bombings killed close to 300 people in Sri Lanka. The attacks targeted churches throughout the country and three popular hotels in the capital, Colombo. It was the deadliest violence in Sri Lanka since the end of its civil war 10 years ago. Arrests were made, but no groups immediately claimed responsibility. The country has been placed under nationwide curfew and the government has temporarily blocked access to social media services like WhatsApp and Facebook.
Ukraine elected a comedian as its new leader. Volodymyr Zelensky, whose wildly popular comedy Servant of the People has skewered Ukranian politics since 2015, defeated the incumbent Petro Poroshenko with 73% of the vote. His election reflects the tide of populism in Europe and continued frustration with corruption in Ukraine.
Kidnappers killed a British woman at a Nigerian resort. Faye Mooney, a 29-year-old aid worker, and a Nigerian man were shot dead by gunmen who stormed a holiday resort. Three others were kidnapped.
Thai authorities seized a “seasteading” cabin. They are now seeking the couple who briefly inhabited the tax-free home in international waters off Phuket island. If convicted, the fleeing duo—US citizen Chad Elwartowski and partner Supranee Thepdet—could face the death penalty for violating Thailand’s sovereignty.
Thomas Cook is reportedly up for sale. One of Britain’s oldest package holiday operators could be split up in a takeover as a group of potential bidders including Chinese conglomerate Fosun looks to buy all or parts of the struggling company.
Quartz Obsession
Maslow’s pyramid: The popular framework for explaining human motivation has for decades been represented by a colorful diagram. But recent research suggests the hierarchy of needs not only fails to describe motivation accurately—it doesn’t even capture the complete thinking of the psychologist it’s named for. Read more in our Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Doing nothing is a way to do something. To mark Earth Day today, try to just sit still.
Your laptop-holding position reveals a lot. You can seem defensive, careless, or plain boring.
Print is the future of luxury. Books in dead-tree format are the ultimate status symbol.
Surprising discoveries
An insurance agent is in charge of restoring Notre Dame’s art. He has assembled a team of 30 specialists for the job.
A welder in Kentucky made a Game of Thrones throne. Crafted of aluminum and weighing 200 lbs (91 kg), the life-size “iron throne” took more than two months to complete.
A McDonald’s in China served bubble tea with disinfectant. The restaurant apologized and said it had reached a settlement with the customer, who was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A giant mammal fossil was found in a museum drawer. Researchers discovered a new species, dubbed “Simbakubwa kutokaafrika” or “big African lion,” after investigating the bones from a Kenyan museum.
A huge alligator invaded a Florida neighborhood. Measuring 11 ft and weighing 600 lbs (3.3 m, 272 kg), the creature plowed through a chain-link fence before authorities had to euthanize it.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, gator repellent, and GoT-inspired art 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.