Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US Congress gets back to business. After their Easter break, lawmakers will return to a Washington transformed by the release of Robert Mueller’s report. Among Democrats, some want to proceed with impeachment proceedings against Trump, but others fear it could lead to a political backlash (paywall).
India begins the fourth part of its seven-stage elections. Nine states will vote in the nation’s general elections today. Some 900 million of India’s 1.3 billion people are registered to vote, making the whole thing a rather gargantuan undertaking.
Alphabet delivers its first-quarter results. Soaring ad sales should help Google’s parent company report a rise in revenue. Solid contributions are also expected from other businesses, including YouTube, its app store, and its cloud and hardware offerings.
Over the weekend
Hong Kongers protested an extradition plan. More than 100,000 demonstrated against an ordinance that would let the government send criminal suspects to mainland China—and its murky judicial system. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, backs the plan.
China’s BYD delivered stellar results. The world’s largest maker of electric vehicles reported that its first-quarter profit jumped 632% from a year ago, in marked contrast to the woeful results recently released by Tesla. Warren Buffett has a large stake in the company.
Japan will invest $40 billion in US car factories. At least that’s what Donald Trump said Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe told him during their recent meeting. Trump delivered the news at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, which he chose to attend in lieu of the White House Correspondents Dinner.
“Avengers: Endgame” obliterated box-office records. The Marvel movie had the biggest opening weekend of all time, with ticket sales estimated at $350 million in the US and $1.2 billion globally. In China it took in over $330 million, also a record.
Xi Jinping trumpeted “Belt and Road” progress. The Chinese president said $64 billion in deals were signed during a conference held last week for the sprawling international infrastructure initiative. He tried to reassure critics concerned about what they see as China’s “debt-trap diplomacy.”
Quartz Obsession
Happy Birthday, Bauhaus! The short-lived German design school was meant to create a new future after WWI with a clean break from the past, a focus on simplicity, and an embrace of the new industrial era. Its avant-garde aesthetic was a victim of the Nazis’ rise, but when its teachers and students scattered, they set up outposts the world over—and the design-forward world we live in, from Apple to Ikea to Louis Vuitton, carries its DNA. Get schooled at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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It’s time to celebrate the slackers. The age of the Influencer has peaked. Now is the moment to embody the lifestyles of our chilled-out, pre-Instagram heroes of the 1980s and 1990s.
Hitler would have loved social media. Disney CEO Bob Iger says that the Nazi leader would have used digital platforms to promote his hateful message.
Parents should take a pledge not to give their kids smartphones. In order to delay the age their children start tap-tap-tapping, they should take a group oath to put off the privilege until at least eighth grade.
Surprising discoveries
Nearly 300 ballot counters have died from exhaustion in Indonesia. The nation’s latest elections involve up to 750 million ballots that must be counted by hand.
Mark Zuckerberg built Priscilla Chan a screen-free bedside alarm. The Facebook CEO doesn’t want his wife’s sleep disrupted by a smartphone’s glare.
Over 13% of homes in Japan are abandoned. It’s another result of the nation’s shrinking population.
Ningxia notched over $740 million in wine sales last year. The autonomous region is emerging as China’s answer to Bordeaux, and has a similar latitude.
Pepsi is suing Indian farmers for growing special spuds designed for Lay’s chips. The proprietary FC5 potato is patented, after all.
Correction: Japan’s new emperor will ascend the throne on May 1. In Friday’s newsletter, we stated he would do so over the weekend.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Ningxia grapes, and patent-free spuds 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 Steve Mollman and Georgia Frances King.