Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Boeing releases earnings. The aircraft manufacturer is expected to report lower first-quarter profit and sales, and update investors on its efforts to recover from the 737 Max crisis. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Visa, Facebook, and AT&T are projected to deliver good news, and investors wait to see what Tesla’s delivery reports and online sales models might mean for the automaker’s earnings.
Kim Jong Un arrives in Vladivostok. The North Korean leader travels to Russia to meet president Vladimir Putin for the first time, with a formal sit-down expected Thursday. The pair will likely discuss possible alliances on issues like US tariffs and ongoing negotiations with South Korea.
China gets an early look at Endgame. The quest to explode all previous box office records—already well underway with unparalleled advance ticket sales—begins in China, which will get to see the final installment of the mega-popular Avengers franchise two days early.
While you were sleeping
Twitter and Harley posted earnings data. The social media platform preferred—and criticized—by the US president shared a revenue increase of 18% over the same quarter last year, with triple the profits and a major user jump. Harley-Davidson reported mixed results, though an encouraging message from Donald Trump boosted its stock. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq markets closed at record highs, reversing the losses they suffered in late 2018.
Egypt’s constitutional vote swung strongly in its president’s favor. Nearly 90% of voters approved a referendum that will extend Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s term to six years and make him eligible to run for a third term. The president’s supporters have been accused of buying votes.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka. Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believes that Sunday’s deadly attacks must have been perpetrated with the help of international terrorists, expanding the government’s earlier claim that the Sri Lankan group National Thowheed Jamath was responsible.
The US brought its first federal charges against a pharmaceutical distributor. Rochester Drug Cooperative, the country’s sixth-largest distributor, admitted in court filings that it knowingly sold highly addictive prescription opioids (paywall) to pharmacies that were illegally peddling the drugs.
Trump didn’t turn over his tax returns. The US president did not release the six years of financial information by the Tuesday deadline set by the House of Representatives. A White House spokesman indicated Trump might be willing to do so after the completion of his IRS audit, but the issue could very well go to the Supreme Court (paywall).
Membership
Large direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies have huge databases of customers, but they’re hampered by their homogeneity. We dive into how smaller companies and nonprofit groups have emerged to fill the gaps. Over at Private Key, we examine what presidential hopeful Andrew Yang gets right—and wrong—about blockchain.
Quartz Obsession
White-out: Even as paper sales decline, the correction fluid market has stayed remarkably resilient. Invented by a secretary who managed to turn her secret weapon against typos into a multimillion dollar juggernaut, correction fluid’s modern appeal is anything but opaque. It would be a mistake to ignore this Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Ebay should not allow dinosaur fossils. Private fossil collections may be legal, but they deprive scientists and the public of the chance to learn.
The Instagram look is so last year. A new generation of online influencers favors a messier, less curated look, without the old visual rules.
Shutting down social media can be a matter of life and death. The Sri Lankan government was right to cut access to platforms that channel outrage and fuel violence.
Surprising discoveries
Merriam-Webster is now more swole. The dictionary added 640 new words, including snowflake, buzzy, go-cup, swole, and omnicide.
Two gorillas were selfie naturals. The orphaned animals learned to imitate their caretakers (paywall), standing tall and looking into the camera.
The British army has a plan to slay a dragon. In honor of Saint George, the army released an odd video of soldiers explaining how they’d take down the mythical beast.
McDonald’s is bringing international menu items to the US. Fans of Spain’s McExtreme Bacon Burger, Dutch Stroopwafel McFlurries, and Australian Cheesy Bacon Fries rejoice.
Computers are encouraging too much sitting. Standing desks have become a popular alternative, but there’s little evidence they improve people’s health.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, swole snowflakes, and dragon tactics 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 and edited by Susan Howson and Nicolas Rivero.