Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Julian Assange fights 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 UK prison for breaching bail conditions to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations.
Possible strikes in Venezuela. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for government employees to strike, as part of the last phase of a bid to oust strongman president Nicolás Maduro dubbed “Operation Liberty.” Guaidó, who has US support, is hoping a broader general strike later this month will eventually remove Maduro.
The US House honors the Paris agreement. Lawmakers will vote on the Climate Action Now Act, which would effectively restore US participation in the 2015 agreement, after Donald Trump withdrew from it two years ago. The bill is expected to pass in the Democratic-controlled House, but fail in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Investors tune in to CBS. The TV network is expected to post a rise in first-quarter earnings, though its share price has lagged behind competitors like Disney this year. Analysts will be looking out for any updates on merger talks with Viacom, and details about where the network fits in the ever-shifting streaming landscape.
While you were sleeping
William Barr said he’s skipping a House hearing. The US attorney general’s decision comes the same day the Justice Department missed a deadline to release the full, unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Yesterday, Barr faced tough questions from senators and was accused of misleading Congress to protect president Trump.
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 will risk exclusion from the US financial system.
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.
The UK got a blueprint for reaching “net-zero” emissions by 2050. The government’s official advisor on climate change said Britons should make radical lifestyle changes, including flying less and eating less meat, to slash carbon emissions. The report comes shortly after parliament declared the issue an emergency.
Another day of mixed earnings. Oil giant Shell posted a bump in net profit, climbing to $6 billion in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Volkswagen revealed a fall in earnings (paywall), though beat even gloomier expectations, with the costs of the “dieselgate” emissions scandal still weighing on the automaker.
Membership
For many politicians on both sides of the aisle, Silicon Valley is a symbol of what’s wrong in America. Presidential hopefuls are criticizing Big Tech, and some want to break up the sector. In our latest member exclusive, we look at what has changed, and why Silicon Valley may escape regulation from Washington but not the world.
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
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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 are key to boosting productivity and GDP.
Paywalls aren’t the only way to save journalism. The Guardian started asking for donations, and readers responded (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 overly thick aluminum.
There’s now an antidote to the world’s most venomous creature. The Australian box jellyfish has enough venom to kill 60 people.
Thailand’s king Maha Vajiralongkorn had a surprise wedding. He married one of his bodyguards 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 countermeasures, and Dickensian 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 Adam Rasmi and edited by Jason Karaian.