Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Important local elections in the UK. Over 200 councils will hold elections on bread-and-butter issues, but the polls are also seen as an important litmus test for public sentiment toward the major political parties, as dissatisfaction over Brexit and talk of a general election mount.
Possible strikes in Venezuela. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for government employees to strike, as part of the last phase of what he calls “Operation Liberty” in a bid to force president Nicolás Maduro to resign. He hopes that the action can pave the way for a general strike later in the month to eventually topple Maduro.
Julian Assange fights his extradition. The Wikileaks founder will appear in a London court for an initial hearing over an extradition request by the US. It comes a day after he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations.
The Bank of England stands pat ahead of Brexit talks. Analysts do not expect a move by the central bank until there is more clarity on the UK’s EU divorce—so don’t hold your breath.
While you were sleeping
Lawmakers challenged the US attorney general’s handling of the Mueller Report. William Barr was accused of misleading Congress and the public to protect Donald Trump, after Robert Mueller released a letter accusing Barr of misrepresenting his findings. Democrats also renewed their calls for Barr to resign.
A cruise ship carrying Scientologists was quarantined for measles in Saint Lucia. Authorities said they discovered a case of measles on the vessel, which has 300 people on board, and ordered it to stay docked in the capital Castries. The ship, Freewinds, belongs to the Church of Scientology.
The US ended all waivers to its Iran oil embargo. At midnight, the 180-day waivers granted to eight countries, including China and India, expired. Anyone caught violating the embargo from now will risk exclusion from the US market and financial system.
The UK got a blueprint for reaching “net-zero” emissions. The government’s official adviser on climate change said Britons should make radical lifestyle changes including flying less and eating less meat to slash carbon emissions by 2050. The report comes shortly after parliament declared the issue an emergency.
UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson was fired by Theresa May. An investigation found that he disclosed information to the press over a decision by the government to involve China’s Huawei in building the UK’s 5G network. Williamson said he was the victim of a “kangaroo court.“
Taiwan’s iPhone billionaire and presidential hopeful met with Trump. Foxconn boss Terry Gou, who recently said that a sea goddess told him in his dreams to run for president, reportedly sought US guarantees of Taiwan’s safety in his meeting with the US president. Gou will travel to Wisconsin tomorrow, where progress on the construction of a Foxconn facility employing about 13,000 people has been uncertain.
Membership
Tony Blair is obsessed with the Industrial Revolution. In an interview with Quartz, the former UK prime minister outlines why politicians are hopelessly unprepared for the next big shake-up. Plus: The unavoidable reality about “luxury sustainable tourism” is that it doesn’t actually exist.
Quartz Obsession
Beige is back. The subdued neutral tone is so hot right now—heralded as the key to understated and timeless dressing, a symbol of solemnity in troubled political times, and even an antidote to our overperformative digital age. Learn more about beige’s true colors in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Slack is undermining workplace productivity. More people are turning back to using email as a place to have meme-free, thoughtful conversations.
The “silver tsunami” is the workforce the world needs right now. Older workers who want to work longer are key to boosting productivity and GDP.
Paywalls aren’t the only way to save journalism. The Guardian started asking for donations, and readers have come through (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Spoilers have been infuriating people since Victorian times. The concept arose with literary serials in the 19th century.
Metal fraud cost NASA two satellites worth $700 million. It blamed bad parts purchased from a supplier whose workers falsified data about the parts’ suitability for use in space vehicles.
There’s now an antidote to the world’s most venomous creature. The Australian box jellyfish has enough venom to kill 60 people, but a new drug will block the symptoms if applied quickly.
Thailand’s king Maha Vajiralongkorn had a surprise wedding. He married one of his bodyguards, who was formerly a flight attendant, days before his coronation ceremony.
Scrabble OK’ed “OK.” The new edition of Collins Official Scrabble Words risks the wrath of purists by designating it a permitted two-letter word.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, jellyfish antidotes, and Victorian spoilers 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.