Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Israel’s parliament votes on dissolving itself. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struggled to form a new governing coalition, and a deadline to do so expires tonight. If a bill to dissolve the parliament wins final approval, Israel would be forced to host a new election despite having just held a national vote last month.
A UK judge decides whether to summon Boris Johnson over Brexit claim. A crowdfunded private effort wants the frontrunner to be Britain’s next prime minister to face prosecution for misconduct over the misleading claim that the UK sends the EU £350 million ($443 million) a week. The figure was emblazoned on a bus during 2016 campaigning for the Brexit referendum.
The Council of Europe releases a report on Malta’s rule of law. The 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has remained unsolved, raising concerns about the country’s judicial independence and law enforcement, according to Europe’s human rights watchdog.
Arsenal and Chelsea face off in Baku. Controversy hangs over the decision to hold the Europa League final in the capital of Azerbaijan, which has a poor human rights record and fraught relations with most countries in Europe. Less than 10% of tickets have been sold as the cost and difficulty of travel have discouraged fans from attending the game.
American and Chinese news anchors debate. Trish Regan from Fox Business and Liu Xin from China’s state broadcaster will talk tariffs and technology on Regan’s primetime show.
While you were sleeping
Huawei asked a US court to throw out the federal ban on its equipment. The telecom giant said it had filed a motion for summary judgment asking for US legislation barring federal agencies from buying its products to be declared unconstitutional. The company filed suit against the US in March; this motion seeks a judge’s decision without going to a full trial.
China threatened to hit back at the US with rare earths. Its state planning body suggested that the country’s control over supplies of a group of 17 metals used in everything from consumer electronics to military equipment, could be a counter weapon in the escalating trade war. In a strongly-worded commentary, the Communist Party’s official mouthpiece, People’s Daily, echoed the threat and said, “don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
Venezuela released economic data for the first time since 2015. The numbers painted a grim picture: GDP contracted by 22.5% in the third quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Oil earnings also dropped while inflation has skyrocketed to 130,060%. For comparison, the IMF put Venezuelan inflation at 929,790% (paywall) in 2018.
Teachers in New Zealand went on a mega-strike. More than 50,000 primary and high school teachers walked out in the biggest industrial action ever seen in the country’s schools as they demanded a pay raise of at least 15%. The government, which offered a 3% salary bump, says it has no more money to give.
Papua New Guinea’s prime minister resigned. Peter O’Neill, who had led the country since 2011, had been mired in a months-long political crisis over corruption and underdevelopment. The parliament is scheduled to vote for a new prime minister on Thursday.
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.
Quartz Obsession
Cauliflower masquerades as steak and moonlights as rice. It’s vegan, paleo, and low carb. Crunchy when raw, it can be boiled into a mush, or roasted to perfection. It may just be all things to all people, and its popularity has rice producers in an uproar and farmers planting more of it than ever.
Matters of debate
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Aladdin shows Disney still doesn’t get the Middle East. Harmful tropes and a confusion of cultures make the live remake almost as problematic as the original.
Steak could stand in Impossible Burger’s way. Engineering an alternative to whole-muscle cuts might prove…impossible.
Are Hollywood studios obligated to take a political stance? While producers and writers call for production boycotts in abortion-banning states, media companies have remained pointedly silent.
Surprising discoveries
Finns are taking lessons in small talk. Not generally disposed to casual conversations with strangers, they now want to learn how to chit-chat (paywall).
The world’s rivers are swimming in antibiotics. Tainted waterways could contribute to the rise of antibacterial-resistant superbugs.
A man smuggled 4,700 leeches in his carry-on bag. A security dog sniffed them out, but the question remains: Who counted them?
Elephant seal dialects have all but disappeared. Decades ago, seals in isolated colonies made distinctive calls, but after years of intermingling they’ve lost their regional accents.
A pigeon saved a German driver from a €105 ($117) speeding ticket. The animal swooped in front of a traffic camera just in time to cover the motorist’s face and hide their identity.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, leech-sniffing dogs, and well-timed pigeons 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 Tripti Lahiri.