Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump drops in on the UK. The US president kicks off a three-day state visit with lunch with the royal family and a banquet at Buckingham Palace. He sparked controversy beforehand by backing Boris Johnson as the next Conservative Party leader (and thus prime minister).
Mexico and the US meet for tariff talks. Mexican economy minister Graciela Márquez Colin meets today with US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross after Trump stepped up his threat of a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports starting June 10. The tariffs are set to increase by 5% each month, up to 25%, unless Mexico stems the flow of migrants into the US.
Huawei moves forward. The Chinese telecoms firm begins defending itself in a trade secrets case in a Texas federal court against CNEX, a microchip company backed by Microsoft and Dell. It has reportedly scaled back its phone production following blacklisting by the US, according to the South China Morning Post.
Apple gathers developers. The company hosts its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California from today through June 7. Expect changes or updates to iOS, macOS, and built-in apps like Maps, Mail Home, and iMessage; and possibly new hardware.
Over the weekend
Hundreds mourned the victims of the Virginia Beach shooting. A Sunday candlelight vigil commemorated the lives of the 12 people killed by a gunman two days earlier. The shooter opened fire at his municipal government workplace and died in an ensuing gun battle with police.
The US and China implemented tariffs against each other… The US started collecting higher tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods at seaports early Saturday morning. In response, China began slapping increased retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion worth of American goods.
…while FedEx got caught in the Huawei dispute. China announced an investigation into the US delivery company, which it said violated Chinese laws by diverting packages sent to Huawei to the US instead. China recently announced it would create a list of “unreliable” foreign entities, following the US blacklisting Huawei.
US regulators set their sights on Google… The Justice Department is reportedly preparing an anti-trust probe into the tech firm’s business practices. Tech companies have come under increased scrutiny worldwide, with European regulators fining Google $2.72 billion in 2017 for abusing its market power in internet searches.
…and found new flaws with the Boeing 737 Max. The Federal Aviation Administration revealed that more than 300 planes of the grounded aircraft series and an older model may have improperly manufactured wing parts that need to be quickly replaced. Meanwhile, the global airline industry cut its 2019 profit expectations to the lowest in five years amid rising fuel costs and trade tensions.
Quartz Obsession
There’s simply not enough shade. Poor urban design practices have left sidewalks and shared spaces unsheltered from the sun. In a rapidly warming world, trees have tremendous cooling power, and access to shade isn’t a nicety, it’s an environmental justice issue. Grab some cover with the Quartz Obsession.
Membership
How sneakers took over fashion. Fashion has historically been defined by its great houses and the gowns, suits, and handbags they crafted. These days, however, it’s all about sneakers. The rise of what used to be gym equipment into a leading artifact of high fashion says a lot about how we’ve changed as a culture. Delving into sneakers’ rapid ascendance is Marc Bain, Quartz’s fashion reporter, starting with a state of play memo laying out the growth of the sneaker industry both financially and culturally.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
A perfect summer is a no-plan summer. Clear your calendar and rejoice in boredom.
We don’t need any more mason jars. They’re terrible for drinking and an overdone aesthetic.
Multiple career goals are better than one. Being realistic about career success can help us avoid “arrival fallacy.”
Surprising discoveries
Conservation efforts have sparked a return of the great white shark. Hundreds have been spotted near Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Millennials spend as much proportionally on luxuries as their parents did at their age. They just have far less money to begin with.
Google and Apple are upending Japan’s salary traditions. Global competition for tech talent is forcing Sony to reconsider its seniority-based approach to pay.
The Tamagotchi is making a comeback. A new and improved version of the classic egg-shaped plastic pet will be released in North America next month.
A meal with Warren Buffett costs over $4.5 million. That was the winning bid for an annual “power lunch” with the Berkshire Hathaway CEO benefiting charity.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, unwanted mason jars, and affordable lunch partners 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.