Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Theresa May convenes a crucial cabinet meeting. The UK prime minister is under intense pressure to abandon Brexit talks with Labour, after a group of senior Conservative leaders warned that striking any deal with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn involving a customs union would be “bad policy and bad politics.”
Mike Pompeo meets with Vladimir Putin. After making an unplanned stop in Brussels to meet with European leaders, the US secretary of state is due to discuss arms control, election interference, and Iran with Russia’s president in Sochi. Ukraine, Venezuela, and North Korea will reportedly round out the agenda.
Sudanese protesters and the army continue negotiations. Five demonstrators and an army major were shot dead yesterday, hours after protest leaders and the military council agreed to a power structure on transitional authorities following the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir last month. Both sides will hammer out details of the transitional period today.
The Cannes Film Festival begins. The prestigious French cinema showcase will feature new films from heavyweights including Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodóvar, though it is already being criticized for featuring only four films (out of 21) with female directors. Separately, Eurovision kicks off in Tel Aviv, but political conflict hangs over the popular song contest as critics have questioned Israel’s suitability as a host.
While you were sleeping
Hackers used WhatsApp calls to install spyware. The messaging service, used by 1.5 billion people worldwide, revealed that attackers had exploited a major vulnerability in the app to install Israeli surveillance software on phones by calling targets, even if they did not answer their phones. It is unclear how many users were targeted using this method.
Early results showed Rodrigo Duterte’s allies set for victory. Philippines voters have thrown their support behind the president and his policies in mid-term elections, with administration loyalist candidates poised to take nine of 12 open seats in the upper house. Official results are expected in the coming days.
Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty in the college bribery scandal. The Desperate Housewives actress admitted to paying to rig her daughter’s college entrance exam scores as part of a sweeping scheme involving wealthy parents who bribed and cheated their way through the college admissions process.
The Chinese owner of Grindr said it would sell the app under US pressure. Beijing Kunlun Tech said it reached an agreement with the US government to sell the gay dating app by June 30, 2020. Until then the company agreed not to access users’ personal information, due to fears the information could be used to undermine US national security.
Quartz Obsession
Staplers: Holding it together for over a century. Even in increasingly paperless offices, staplers are still a big business. There are artisan stapler-makers that will set you up with something cute or brawny—or there’s Swingline, the market leader, which has its own pop culture cachet from the 1999 cult classic Office Space. We’ve collated everything you need to know in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Today we begin our field guide on Boeing’s 737-Max crisis. It’s possible that Boeing weathers the storm and the status quo prevails. However, if the Boeing Max crisis precipitates a more fundamental industry disruption, imagining what comes next is nothing short of existential for the state of modern aviation.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
A sex strike won’t erase punitive abortion laws. Though well-intentioned, the proposal is rooted in antiquated ideas about female sexuality.
University presses shouldn’t have to turn a profit. Their sole mission is to spread knowledge.
The worldwide helium shortage is no laughing matter. The gas is a crucial element in medical devices and chemical research.
Surprising discoveries
Just thinking about coffee can help you focus. The effect only works for people who associate coffee with alertness, ambition, and productivity.
At the ocean’s deepest depths, researchers found a plastic bag. A submarine expedition to the bottom of the Mariana Trench also discovered several plastic candy wrappers.
The triangle weaver spider turns its web into a slingshot. Instead of simply ensnaring insects, it creates a slingshot with its silk web to catapult itself forward and capture its prey.
Anti-gentrification activists in Berlin are fighting to save a massive grocery chain. Residents hate the new luxury food market so much that they’re defending the local Aldi.
A notoriously stinky fruit forced the evacuation of an Australian library. Authorities feared a gas leak, but the real culprit was a durian.
Sunscreen is better in Europe. American lotion is goopier, greasier, and less protective than the stuff across the pond.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stinky fruit, and good sunscreen 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 Mary Hui and Isabella Steger.