Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Pentagon proposes more Middle East troops. Officials will present a plan to the White House for an additional 10,000 troops in the region, amid escalating US rhetoric against Iran. Lawmakers and global allies have expressed doubts (paywall) about how much of a threat the country poses.
European Parliament elections kick off. While most countries won’t vote until May 26, the UK—which thought that by now it’d be out of the EU and not participating—and the Netherlands begin voting today. In the UK, the recently formed Brexit Party is expected to come out on top.
India announces its election results. Early counting, in line with exit poll forecasts, suggests prime minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is heading for a majority, even without counting seats won by alliance partners. Follow the action in the world’s biggest vote with Quartz’s real-time results tool.
Global aviation regulators meet in Texas. The US Federal Aviation Administration is hoping for a consensus on how to move forward with the troubled Boeing 737 Max, though a patch has yet to be submitted for approval. European and Canadian officials have made clear they’ll decide for themselves when the plane is safe.
While you were sleeping
US Navy ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait again. Less than a month after two US warships transited through the strategic waterway, another two US vessels made the same voyage in a move that is likely to anger Beijing, which has long asserted sovereignty over Taiwan.
Honda announced a recall. The Japanese carmaker is calling back 137,000 SUVs in the US, Korea, and Canada after six reports that air bags deployed in US vehicles with no collision, causing three injuries. The carmaker has had to recall 13 million vehicles in the last decade over a separate airbag issue.
US authorities confirmed the death of a sixth migrant child. The federal agency responsible for the care of unaccompanied migrant children confirmed to CBS News that a 10-year-old girl from El Salvador died while in its custody last year, several months after she crossed the US border. Her death was the first of a migrant child in US custody since 2010.
Panasonic halted business with Huawei. The Japanese electronics group joins a growing list of companies distancing themselves from the Chinese telecoms giant to comply with an executive order signed last week by Trump. The move follows announcements from major Japanese and British mobile carriers that they are suspending orders for Huawei smartphones.
Lenovo shrugged off the US-China trade spat. The world’s largest PC maker, headquartered in both Beijing and North Carolina, posted quarterly profits up more than three-fold. Executives said its manufacturing, which is spread across the globe, will continue to help the company weather geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Quartz Obsession
Jumpsuits are a true all-in-one garment. They’re futuristic, yet retro. Buttoned-up, yet rock ‘n roll. Maybe that’s why they’re a go-to for pilots, sky divers, and utopian thinkers (and were favored by Elvis, no less). Now, after a slow initial start, they’ve finally made it to the C-suite. Learn why the democratic onesie could be here to stay.
Membership
As workplace models change and philosophies about work evolve, the terminology we use for describing success is quickly losing relevance. Today’s chapter on the world of new management looks at a few of the major factors reshaping the modern career arc. Over at Private Key, we look at why Tether, a crypto token once valued for its stability, is looking increasingly risky.
Matters of debate
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Freezing offices are terrible for women’s productivity. Women perform better in toastier temperatures.
Working parents need to be loud and proud. Not talking about childcare obligations only makes change happen more slowly.
Streetwear is consumers dictating the terms of fashion. The balance between brands and buyers has fundamentally changed.
Surprising discoveries
The country where malaria was discovered is free of the disease. Algeria is the 38th country to be certified malaria-free, some 140 years after a French doctor discovered the parasite there.
A Chinese fern excels at absorbing arsenic. Pteris vittata can tolerate up to 1,000 times more of the toxin than other plants, which could make it useful at mines and other industrial sites.
Women outperformed men after a Japanese medical school stopped rigging scores. Tokyo Medical University had previously doctored test scores to admit more men.
The size of giant Bahamian iguanas is no longer a mystery. The endangered Allen Cays rock iguana got twice as long as other nearby subspecies because of seabird droppings.
Hunger Games and Twilight are getting a theme park. Film company Lionsgate’s upcoming park in China will feature rides and experiences based on its movie franchises.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, mysterious iguanas, and vampire rides 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 Jackie Bischof.