Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The United Nations votes on the Chagos Islands. The US and the UK are expected to be soundly defeated as the UN’s General Assembly decides whether ownership of the territory should be ceded to Mauritius. The territory is one of Britain’s last remaining footholds in the Indian Ocean region, and hosts a US military base.
British Steel could go under. The UK’s second-largest steel producer could fall into administration as soon as today after failed talks to secure an emergency £30 million ($38.2 million) loan from the government. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the company to be nationalized, though the government has ruled out the option.
US Democrats argue impeachment. House speaker Nancy Pelosi will discuss the pros and cons of beginning impeachment proceedings against president Donald Trump, who many Democrats say has finally crossed a line by refusing to comply with ongoing Congressional investigations. Pelosi herself has been outspoken in her reluctance to attempt an impeachment.
The US Fed releases its May meeting minutes. After the central bank voted to keep rates steady, investors will be looking for more clues on what Fed chair Jerome Powell meant when he alluded to “transitory” factors that could be impacting on inflation.
Amazon shareholders vote on facial recognition. They will decide whether the company should stop selling its Rekognition system to US police forces and other government agencies, and whether to commission an independent study into whether the technology threatens people’s civil rights. Amazon has tried to block the votes, which are non-binding.
While you were sleeping
House Democrats subpoenaed two more former Trump aides. The House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to former White House communications director Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson, chief of staff of ex-White House counsel Donald McGahn, intensifying the fight between Democrats and the Trump administration.
North Korea warned the US over a seized cargo ship. In a rare press conference, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations pressed Washington to immediately return the vessel, which was impounded earlier this month over accusations that it was used to export coal in violation of US and UN sanctions. Meanwhile, the country’s state media slammed former US vice president Joe Biden for criticizing leader Kim Jong Un.
The US might blacklist a Chinese surveillance technology firm. Under new restrictions currently under consideration by the Trump administration, Hikvision may be forced to obtain government approval to buy American technology, according to the New York Times (paywall).
Louisiana passed an anti-abortion bill. The state’s senate approved a state constitutional amendment declaring that citizens have no constitutional right to abortions. The move comes after Georgia, Missouri, and Alabama all passed highly restrictive laws that effectively ban the procedure. The amendment now goes back to the house for final approval before being put to a state referendum in the fall.
Post-election protests turned violent in Indonesia. Supporters of Prabowo Subianto, the former general who lost to incumbent Joko Widodo in the presidential election, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles as authorities responded with tear gas and arrested more than 20 protesters. Prabowo, who has refused to concede, is alleging widespread fraud.
An Omani author won the Man Booker International Prize. Jokha Alharthi is the first female novelist from the country to be translated into English and will share the £50,000 ($63,600) prize with translator Marilyn Booth. Her novel, Celestial Bodies, is the first time an Arabic book has won the prize.
Quartz Obsession
The only thing better than being yourself is pretending to be somebody else. Digital avatars allow us to explore different parts of our personalities, experiment with gender, and commit fraud more easily. They’re also a huge industry, and further tweaks to our online personae, include voice masking, are still to come. Look behind the mask with the Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Even small changes might address some of the biggest failings of traditional hiring methods. We continue our deep dive into the new world of management with the five questions everyone should be asking about their company’s hiring process. Over at Private Key, we look at the viability of initial exchange offerings, a twist on initial coin offerings.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Work is the millennial religion. But a society built on work cannot stand.
Digital tools could more effectively assess pain. Unfortunately, they’re also likely to introduce bias.
Game of Thrones failed fantasy. In a rush to finish the show, its creators forgot the reasons for the genre’s appeal.
Surprising discoveries
A Nepalese mountain guide set a new Everest record. Kami Rita Sherpa reached the peak for the 24th time, surpassing the record he’d set just a week earlier.
Scientists found a liquid ocean on Pluto. It opens up the possibility that frigid planets could potentially harbor alien organisms.
23andMe partnered with Airbnb to suggest heritage travel destinations. The latest attempt to profit from highly questionable race science encourages people to “travel to their roots.”
Mexican commuters are buying fake phones. Muggings on public buses have become so common that it makes sense to have a decoy to hand over.
Belgian monks brewed a fabled medieval beer. Grimbergen Abbey rediscovered a recipe that was thought to be lost for 220 years.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Everest records, and dummy phones 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 Isabella Steger.