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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.
China and Russia begin joint naval drills. In a sign that the two countries’ militaries are growing closer together to counter US dominance, the drills will take place off the northern Chinese port city of Qingdao and feature ships, submarines, and aircraft.
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
Spain’s governing Socialists claimed victory. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez’s party won in the country’s snap poll, the third general election in four years. Far short of majority, it will need to form a coalition to counter the rise of ultra-nationalist Vox, the first far-right party to enter parliament since the end of military rule in the 1970s.
Two US Navy warships passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait. The voyage is part of the Pentagon’s increasing frequency of movement through the waterway despite opposition from China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, and risks raising US-China tensions. In a rare move earlier this month, a French warship also passed through the Taiwan Strait.
China’s BYD delivered stellar results. The world’s largest maker of electric vehicles reported a 632% jump in first-quarter profit compared to 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.”w
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 chilled-out, pre-Instagram heroes of the 1980s and 1990s are back in vogue.
Hitler would have loved social media. The Nazi leader would have used digital platforms to promote his hateful ideology, says Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Parents should pledge to not give their kids smartphones. A group oath to bar tap-tap-tapping until at least eighth grade would address a growing public health crisis.
Surprising discoveries
Food can taste fragrant. New research shows that the tongue can detect odours, and adding sweet smells to food might help cut sugar intake and tackle obesity.
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.
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 by Mary Hui and edited by Tripti Lahiri.