Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The world marks 30 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre. Events commemorating the 1989 student protests calling for a freer China take place from Taiwan to Washington DC, with Hong Kong holding its annual vigil. Others will find ways to observe the anniversary despite deeper online censorship. Some former protesters moved to the US; others emerged from prison into a China where many have accepted an all-powerful state in exchange for prosperity.
Donald Trump warns the UK over Huawei. Getting Britain to back away from the Chinese telecom company is top of the agenda for the US president as he meets with outgoing prime minister Theresa May. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets to mock Trump with the help of the diaper-wearing “Trump baby” blimp. His state visit began yesterday with a banquet at Buckingham Palace.
Amazon’s re:MARS conference begins. A public version of Jeff Bezos’s invitation-only event, focusing on artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and space, kicks off in Las Vegas today.
Renault’s board considers a tie-up with Fiat Chrysler. The proposed merger with the Italian-American carmaker would reshape the European auto industry and create one of the world’s biggest car companies. Japan’s Nissan has said any deal would require a fresh look at its existing relationship with the French automaker.
The Muslim world gears up for Eid feasting. The holy month of Ramadan, which began in early May, ends with the fast-breaking festival of Eid al-Fitr once the new moon is sighted. While a few began celebrating yesterday, many more will mark Eid today, and yet others will celebrate Eid from tomorrow.
While you were sleeping
Congress approved funding for natural disasters. The Democratic-controlled House passed a $19 billion relief bill, with bipartisan support, to speed up the disbursement of funds to communities affected by tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and other disasters. It now heads to president Trump to sign into law.
Argentina’s women protested for their rights. Thousands took to the streets in Buenos Aires calling for abortion rights and denouncing violence against women. Since 2015, women and LGBT people have marked June 3 with demonstrations to raise awareness about issues such as femicide, the killing of a woman or girl on account of her gender, which has claimed nearly 3,000 victims over a decade.
James Holzhauer’s record Jeopardy! winning streak ended. The pro-sports bettor, who previously set a record for most prize money in a single episode, was finally bested (paywall) by a Chicago librarian. His 32-game streak netted him $2,462,216, a mere $58,484 shy of Ken Jennings’ $2.52 million over 74 games. A snippet of Holzhauer’s loss was leaked on Twitter before airing Monday night.
Turkey said it won’t back down on a Russian missile deal. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara would go ahead with its purchase of the S-400 missile system instead of US Patriot missiles, despite a warning from the Pentagon last week that the consequences would be “devastating” for the fellow NATO member.
Sudan’s army backtracked on pledges to protesters. After a deadly raid by the military on protesters in Khartoum yesterday, the transitional military council—set up in April after longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir was ousted—said it was scrapping all agreements with the demonstrators, and would hold elections in nine months.
Membership
We continue our stroll into the world of sneakers with a look at how luxury brands have sought to cash in by introducing sneaker styles that are as much signature products as handbags and other fancy accessories. “Instead of the ‘It’ bag, it is all about the ‘It’ shoe,” says market analyst Kayla Marci. And over at Private Key, Matt De Silva explains why it’s unlikely that crypto backers will get the special regulatory treatment they want.
Quartz Obsession
Rats: can’t live with ’em, can’t live without them. They can carry dozens of diseases, but their genetic similarity to man makes them critical for medical research. Reports of the pest are growing in quickly gentrifying cities—perhaps because new construction brings them out of old hiding places—but they can also be trained as friendly pets or to sniff for land mines. Get acquainted with our oldest frenemy.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
It’s OK to say someone is “disabled.” Using “identity-first” language makes disability a marker of pride.
The internet is splintered and broken. It’s beyond repair—but we can, and must, rebuild it.
Nice people are happy people. Praising others will make you feel better.
Surprising discoveries
Jay-Z is the first rapper billionaire. His fortune encompasses liquor, art, real estate, and investments in firms like Uber.
Our phone addiction is finally being reflected in TV shows. Some are even showing GIFs on screen.
Humans have been impacting Earth’s climate for millennia. Ancient Romans burned so many fires they affected temperature levels.
Africa’s top phone-maker won out with better selfies. Transsion designed a front-facing camera calibrated to better capture darker skin.
Prehistoric humans were into craft brewing. Pottery pieces at two ancient sites showed early farmers experimented with different ways of brewing alcoholic drinks.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, properly lit selfies, and prehistoric craft beer recipes 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.