Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US House votes to hold the attorney general in civil contempt. Democrats want William Barr to hand over an unredacted copy of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference. However, after a deal with the Justice Department was struck yesterday to give the Judiciary Committee access to Mueller’s “most important files,” lawmakers won’t go to court to enforce the resolution.
E3 kicks off in Los Angeles. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, the world’s premier computer and video games event, brings together some of the biggest gaming companies around, and a big push for streaming games will feature prominently.
Tesla holds its annual shareholder meeting. The electric-vehicle company has had a tough year of sinking share prices, missed production quotas, and weak demand. CEO Elon Musk will lay out plans for future growth.
While you were sleeping
Travelers’ data were stolen in a hack against the US border agency. Tens of thousands of photos of travelers and license plates were taken from the US Customs and Border Protection agency in a data breach that targeted a subcontractor. The cyber-attack comes as the agency seeks to expand its collection of sensitive data, raising fresh concerns about its privacy practices.
Kim Jong Nam was reportedly a CIA source. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, who was killed in a 2017 attack in Malaysia, had met with agency operatives, the Wall Street Journal reported (paywall). He was also reported to have been in contact with security services of other countries, particularly China’s.
US officials confirmed Pompeo’s LGBT flag restrictions. The State Department said secretary of state Mike Pompeo, an evangelical Christian, barred embassies from using their flagpoles for the rainbow flag. A spokeswoman said staff are free to hang flags elsewhere during Pride month.
India might have overestimated its GDP growth. Officials’ boasts about the “fastest growing major economy” could have been based on faulty economic data, according to a former advisor to prime minister Narendra Modi. He said GDP growth in recent years was closer to 4.5%, a healthy annual pace but below the blockbuster 7% reported from 2012-17.
Foxconn announced a management shakeup. The Apple supplier said a new operations committee made up of nine executives would assert more control of the company, as chairman Terry Gou gears up for Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election.
Membership
In today’s membership exclusives, reporter Chase Purdy continues his coverage on Israel’s food startup culture with a look at how it plans to avert water scarcity. Over in Private Key, John Detrixhe investigates how a group of banks are developing a crypto token, even if no one needs it.
Quartz Obsession
Your smellscape is how your nose knows the world. A combination of 400 kinds of olfactory receptors means each person smells things a little (or a lot) differently from the next, which is why we can’t always agree on whether our wine is woody or if our pee smells weird after we eat asparagus. But scientists are hoping those unique prints can make connections between the sense and a range of ailments. Don’t turn up your nose at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Supermarkets should take charge of the war on plastic. They need to cut back on the amount of plastic on their shelves.
The Raptors’ approach to competition is worth emulating. Toronto’s basketball team takes its rivals seriously.
Men in ballgowns is this year’s best red-carpet trend. Long defined by drab suits and bowties, men’s fashion is getting a much needed refresh.
Surprising discoveries
Egypt wants to take a King Tut statue off the market. Egyptian officials argue that the 3,000-year-old bust was likely stolen, and Christie’s auction house should return it.
A missing $450-million painting could be on Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s yacht. The whereabouts of “Salvator Mundi”—which may or may not be by Da Vinci—has been a mystery.
A Japanese town hosted an office chair Grand Prix. Racers seated in ordinary office furniture scooted through city streets for two hours.
Nancy Pelosi and Justin Trudeau are sports gamblers. The California congresswoman and Canadian prime minister made a friendly wager on the NBA finals.
Kylie Jenner’s Handmaid’s Tale-themed party got some flak. Critics said that the persecution of women is not something to celebrate.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, appropriate party themes, and missing masterpieces 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 Jason Karaian.