Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
NIO reveals how much cash it’s burning. The US-listed Chinese electric vehicle startup spent hundreds of millions of dollars on sales to capture 1% of China’s EV passenger car market last year. Skeptical investors will be looking at first-quarter results to see how sustainable this is.
EU leaders gather in Brussels to discuss top jobs. The bloc will kick off the first round of the nomination process for the heads of EU institutions over an informal dinner. It is expected to be a long, contentious battle.
Taking the temperature of US consumers. This month’s consumer confidence index is expected to show a modest bump; recent scores have been the best in two decades. The number will indicate how cheery US shoppers are feeling going into the summer months.
While you were sleeping
Trump talked up the US military’s “fearsome” power in the Pacific. The US president wrapped up a four-day visit to Japan with a speech at a US navy base in Yokosuka hinting at tensions over China’s naval expansion. Trump also offered his condolences to victims of a rare stabbing spree near Tokyo today that left 16 people wounded and at least three dead.
Israel stepped closer to a snap poll. A bill to dissolve the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, passed its first reading (paywall), with a possible new election date set for Sept. 17. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until Wednesday night to form a governing coalition, but talks are deadlocked a month after elections saw his right-wing Likud party tie the centrist Blue and White party for the most seats.
Reports hinted at the price tag for Tesla’s China-manufactured Model 3. The US electric vehicle maker could price the vehicle at between $43,431-$50,670, according to Bloomberg (paywall); a final decision is expected on May 31. The vehicles will be made at Tesla’s new Shanghai factory, which will circumvent China tariffs and make them eligible for government subsidies.
Maduro pledged “good faith” ahead of talks with the opposition. Representatives of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó will meet this week in Norway, marking the first face-to-face discussions between the two sides. Some 50 countries have recognized Guaidó as the interim president.
The death toll from Brazil prison violence climbed to 57. Approximately 42 inmates were killed yesterday in riots at four prisons in western Brazil, following the death of 15 on Sunday. Officials have sent a task force to control the disturbances. Severe overcrowding in Brazilian prisons has fueled fights and riots.
Quartz Obsession
Nothing tastes better than food on a stick. According to one long-time vendor at the Iowa State Fair, simply sliding a spear into a culinary concoction is practically guaranteed to increase sales by at least 30%. That must be why everything from bananas to poutine to veal cubes has been properly skewered.
Membership
The influencer economy. Reporter Hanna Kozlowska dives into the world of influencers and microinfluencers—the people being energetically courted by brands to promote their products and services on social media. We also have interviews with former Greek finance chief Yanis Varoufakis, and educator Esther Wojcicki. Over at Private Key, reporter Matt De Silva talks bitcoin bargain hunting.
Matters of debate
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We have too much stuff. Online shopping is to blame for choice fatigue.
Baldness is this year’s hottest cultural trend. As John Travolta put it last week after shaving his head, “It’s so much easier.“
Long live the mommy blog. So many companies build their business models on women; why shouldn’t mothers build businesses on themselves?
Surprising discoveries
An albino giant panda was caught on camera for the first time. The big white bear was captured by an infrared camera while roaming a Chinese forest.
Toe wrestling has two new world champions. Alan ‘Nasty’ Nash, from England, successfully defended his title over the weekend, while Lisa ‘Twinkletoes’ Shenton claimed the women’s crown.
Florida banned the dumping of blood to attract sharks. “Chumming” is used to lure the ocean’s top predators to baited hooks.
Leonardo da Vinci may have had ADHD. Researchers are undecided on whether the condition helped or harmed his art.
Stressed-out travelers leave nearly $1 million a year in US airport bins. The TSA uses the money for security upgrades.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, albino pandas, and toe-wrestling tips 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.