Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Donald Trump visits Japan. The US president will be the first foreign leader to meet new emperor Naruhito. The visit is expected to feature more steak, sumo, and fighter jets than policy, as Japan tries to avoid a bubbling over of trade tensions.
Youth around the world strike, again, for climate action. The “Fridays for Future” movement, inspired by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, hopes to hold over 2,000 demonstrations in more than 200 countries on every continent.
Voting continues in Europe. Citizens in EU member states choose a new European Parliament this weekend, amid a rise in nationalism and populism across the bloc, and ongoing drama over Brexit and immigration. Results will be announced Sunday night.
It’s a wrap for Cannes. The 72nd annual film festival closes out with the prestigious Palme d’Or award for best film tomorrow. Features of this year’s festival have included lackluster standing ovations, Elton John, disappointing zombies, and conversations over representation.
While you were sleeping
Theresa May revealed her departure date. Facing a cabinet revolt and a parliamentary rebellion, the prime minister outlined plans for her resignation after a bruising three-year battle over Brexit. She will step down as Conservative Party leader on June 7, but remain as prime minister until a successor is picked, which could take weeks (or, given split in the party, months).
The US filed 17 new charges against Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks leader, currently in jail in the UK and fighting extradition to the US and Sweden, is accused of obtaining and publishing secret government documents. The Department of Justice’s decision to charge him under the Espionage Act has free press advocates worried.
China hit back at Huawei claims. It accused US secretary of state Mike Pompeo of “fabricating rumors” about the company’s alleged ties to government. Meanwhile, president Trump suggested the phonemaker could be part of a future trade deal with China, a week after blacklisting the company from US supply chains.
Taiwan held its first gay marriages… Scores of same-sex couples began tying the knot a week after lawmakers ushered in marriage equality, capping years of political wrangling and cementing Taiwan’s status as the vanguard of gay rights in Asia. Activists say the fight is not over, as some transnational couples aren’t yet able to marry.
…as Brazil criminalized homophobia and transphobia. The country’s top court voted to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT people, amid a spike in attacks (paywall) against the community since the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, a self-described homophobe, began his campaign last year.
Harvey Weinstein reached a tentative $44 million deal with his accusers. The disgraced media mogul and Hollywood producer is said to have agreed on a settlement to resolve lawsuits by women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
Quartz Obsession
Man camps are the architectural equivalent of the gig economy. Boomtown shelter is as old as resource extraction, but today it’s big business as oil-field workers expect to live better than prospectors. Think cafeterias, gyms, and mini-cinemas in (almost) hotel-like accommodations.
Membership
Quartz at Work editor Heather Landy this week created an extensive package of articles to guide us through the strange territory of the modern workplace, from giving feedback to shaping our careers. We also sat down with Airbnb founder Joe Gebbia to learn about the life cycle of a startup, had a member-exclusive feature on Alphabet CEO Larry Page, and visited Zambia in the latest episode of video series Because China.
Matters of debate
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Africa should screen visitors for measles immunization. Western tourists should be subject to the same scrutiny African travelers were during the Ebola crisis.
White guys should stop mentoring white guys. Python’s creator says that’s one way to address bias in open-source programming communities.
We need two women’s restrooms for every men’s bathroom. Because urinals are more populous than stalls, women face unequal queues for the loo.
Surprising discoveries
A one-mile wide asteroid is passing by Earth. The huge rock, which even has its own moon, is flying by this year at a safe distance of 3.2 million miles.
Even Russian trolls don’t seem interested in European elections. It could be the most consequential vote in years, but interest in the parliamentary elections is declining.
Evidence of a billion-year-old fungus turned up in the Canadian Arctic. The fossil is twice as old as the previous record holder.
Tesla poached a UK museum’s social media manager because of a sheep meme. Elon Musk’s weird Twitter relationship with @theMERL paid off for one guy.
Pop music is singing the blues. A Quartz analysis shows mentions of “depression” and “anxiety” have increased in pop and hip-hop songs, while use of the word “peace” has declined.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, man camp reviews, and EU fan mail 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.