Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The UN releases a major warning to humanity. The “Summary for Policymakers,” recapping an 1,800-page report authored by 400 scientists, focuses on the planet’s biodiversity crisis. It warns among other things that up to a million species face extinction, reports Agence France-Presse.
Microsoft explains Windows 10 to developers. At the annual three-day Build event in Seattle, the software giant will outline features of the upcoming operating system, which will reach users later this year.
Tiger Woods receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The formerly disgraced golfer will be awarded the honor following his fifth Masters win last month.
Over the weekend
Trump said he’ll hike tariffs on China. The US president tweeted Sunday he plans to increase tariffs on about 6,000 Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. The abrupt announcement followed Trump’s recent claim that trade negotiations were going well.
North Korea tested rocket launchers. State media said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a performance of “large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons.” Analysts say the move is likely aimed at pressuring Washington to resume negotiations on ending sanctions.
The US accused China of putting Muslims in “concentration camps.” Randall Schriver, head of Asia policy at the US Defense Department, condemned Beijing for what he referred to as the country’s “mass imprisonment” of an estimated 3 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.
Brunei walked back its gay death penalty following backlash. The oil-rich country’s sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, extended a moratorium on upcoming sharia legislation punishing gay sex, adultery, and rape with death. The move was a response to global outcry and a celebrity-led boycott of hotels owned by the sultan.
Quartz Obsession
“Salvator Mundi”: For years the painting has baffled the art world. Was it created by Leonardo da Vinci or not? Lately that question has been overshadowed by another: Where exactly is this maybe-masterpiece? Catch up on the case in our Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Older people can launch brilliant careers, too. Longer life spans mean we can now bloom and re-bloom in our professional lives.
Women pay the price for men not having friends. In a world of toxic masculinity, they play the roles of best friend, lover, and on-call therapist for their male partners.
Portion control doesn’t work. The emphasis on quantification and restriction—rather than the types of foods we consume—is classic fad diet culture.
Surprising discoveries
SpaceX’s billionaire moon passenger says he’s broke. Last year Yusaku Maezawa, CEO of struggling online fashion retailer Zozo, paid an undisclosed sum to join SpaceX’s first flight around the moon.
Serial-killer films on are on the decline. In spite of a fresh slate of such offerings from streaming services, they’re losing popularity on the big screen.
Backpacks are replacing purses among white-collar women. Sales of women’s backpacks are up by 28% in the past year as professional women eschew tasteful-yet-impractical handbags.
Laundromats are helping to shrink America’s literacy gap. A Clinton Foundation-sponsored project plans to install learning spaces for kids into 600 laundromats across the US.
Thieves are hijacking honeybees. “Bee-rustling” is becoming a common crime—and it can cost beekeepers their entire livelihoods.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, moon tickets, and “Salvator Mundi” sightings 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 Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz.