Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Belt and Road summit kicks off. More than 30 world leaders gather in Beijing to discuss the controversial global infrastructure investment program. On Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad’s agenda is securing funding for a technology park that could indicate how China’s priorities are evolving.
An earnings bonanza. Amazon is expected to have been buoyed by its ad sales and cloud services, while Comcast and Starbucks will most likely also report growth. Slower sales and toy recalls are projected to have hurt Mattel, and 3M, Intel, Ford, Chipotle, and Nintendo all weigh in.
Shinzo Abe meets with EU leaders. In Brussels, the Japanese prime minister will sit down with Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk—presidents of the European Commission and European Council—to follow up on a newly established trade partnership.
While you were sleeping
Boeing’s financials took a big hit… After reporting that slowing production of the troubled 737 Max jets cost it $1 billion, the aircraft manufacturer said it would wait to deliver its forecast for 2019. Shares rose slightly as chief Dennis Muilenburg insisted there was “no surprise or gap” in safety precautions, but are overall still much lower than before the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March.
…But Facebook defied estimates. Despite a looming privacy fine, for which the platform has set aside $5 billion, Facebook came out on top, citing continuing interest in Instagram and skyrocketing ad sales. Shares jumped nearly 5% in extended trading.
Ford gunned its electric vehicle engines. The automaker announced a $500 million investment in startup Rivian, along with plans to add a new electric car to its fleet that uses the startup’s “flexible skateboard platform,” a chassis that includes motor, batteries, and controls. Rivian is touted as a Tesla contender, despite never having launched an electric vehicle.
Donald Trump vowed to fight subpoenas. The US president said he would challenge any efforts by Congress to question current and former members of his administration on any information from Robert Mueller’s recently released report.
Lyra McKee’s funeral turned political. The murdered journalist’s mourners used the platform to urge politicians in attendance—including UK prime minister Theresa May—to take action on Northern Ireland’s political deadlock. The New IRA has claimed responsibility for shooting the 29-year-old, but said they were aiming for police.
Membership
With the rise of at-home testing kits, it may feel like getting your DNA sequenced is straightforward. We use Moby Dick, of course, to explain why that might not be the case. We’ve also developed a handy chatbot to help you decide whether you should take an at-home genetic test at all. Plus, we analyzed the proxy filings of big tech companies to understand the voting power of the founders.
Quartz Obsession
The Ben Franklin effect: The theory that asking someone to do you a favor is a way to make them like you more has stood the test of time—and science. The foremost explanation is that it takes advantage of our unconscious dislike of cognitive dissonance. Do us a favor and read more in our Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Silicon Valley is racing to the bottom of the brainstem. But it’s not too late to reverse tech companies’ tendency to exploit human weaknesses.
The “Dark Ages” is a useless term for a complex era. Our simplistic orc stereotypes gloss over the achievements of a highly sophisticated civilization.
AI isn’t going to take over the world. We should be framing the conversation in terms of how machines can augment, not replace, our systems.
Surprising discoveries
NASA scientists detected their first “Marsquake.” The small tremor confirmed that the red planet experiences seismic action just like Earth.
A 22-million-year-old giant lion fossil had been hiding in a drawer. The specimen was found in the 1970s but had been mislabeled as hyena bones and stashed in a museum cabinet.
A new unmanned aircraft rises like a balloon and stays there. Developed in Scotland, it could make launching satellites cheaper.
Cans of air commemorate the current Japanese imperial era. They’re among many inventive products marketed to celebrate next week’s transition to the Reiwa era.
Blueberries used to just fill pies. Then science swooped in, and they juiced up our interest in superfood.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, air cans, and blueberry pies 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 Susan Howson and Jessanne Collins.