Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Shinzo Abe makes a historic trip to Iran. The Japanese prime minister will meet with president Hassan Rouhani (paywall) and remain in Tehran through Thursday, when he’ll get together with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Japanese government has said the visit is purely to soothe tense relations between Iran and the US.
A bumper crowd attends Renault’s shareholder meeting. Investors will be seeking a status update on the partnership with Japanese car maker Nissan (paywall), and on the failed merger talks with Fiat-Chrysler. It’s the French car maker’s first such meeting since Japan began prosecuting former Nissan and Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn for financial misconduct.
The Senate Intelligence Committee interviews Donald Trump Jr. At a closed-door appearance, the president’s eldest son will face questions about a Trump Tower project in Moscow, and a 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer believed to have damaging information on Donald Trump’s then presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Lululemon reports first-quarter earnings. The athleticwear retailer has been focused on expanding outside of the US and Canada, particularly in Asia. Chinese e-commerce sales jumped 150% in its previous financial year, which ended Feb. 3, and the company recently opened its first store in Osaka and its first airport store in Hong Kong.
While you were sleeping
Demonstrators occupied Hong Kong streets. Thousands of protesters gathered around the city’s government complex, facing off against riot police and forcing lawmakers to postpone today’s debate of a controversial bill that could lead to suspects being extradited to mainland China. An estimated 1 million people protested against the law on Sunday, but the government has refused to shelve the bill.
The US pulled off the Women’s World Cup’s biggest victory ever. The defending champions crushed Thailand 13-0, a record for the soccer tournament. It beat Germany’s 11-0 win over Argentina in 2007.
Trump reignited his bromance with Kim Jong Un. Eager to restart stalled denuclearization talks, the US president told reporters he had received yet another “beautiful letter” from his authoritarian pen pal—the two met for the first time exactly a year ago in Singapore—and seemed to denounce a Wall Street Journal report (paywall) that Kim’s assassinated half-brother was an agency informant.
China’s consumer prices grew at their fastest pace in a year. Food prices sent the index up 2.7%, the highest pace of growth since February last year. Pork and fruit prices have risen because of a swine flu outbreak, and due to weather conditions.
Membership
In today’s membership exclusive, 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 is developing a crypto token, even if no one needs it.
Quartz Obsession
Why is mayonnaise such a controversial condiment? Mayo’s versatility has made it a hard-to-top staple. But this straightforward spread has a complicated place in culture—raising an emulsion of questions about authenticity, access, and who gets to decide what’s delicious. Dive in at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Having fun is a crucial parenting skill. As demonstrated in the latest viral video sensation, a spirited back-and-forth helps babies’ brains develop.
The fashion industry needs to chill with luxury outdoor gear. It’s expensive, difficult to manufacture, and often unsustainable.
Breaking up Google could be good for investors. Smaller entities would mean more transparency and fewer surprises.
Surprising discoveries
Black-and-white film is making a comeback in Japan. A year after discontinuing the offering, Fujifilm has yielded to consumer pressure to bring it back.
Over 400 people competed “virtually” in the New York City marathon last November. This year its organizers aim to attract thousands of participants from all over the globe.
Fish can be heartbroken too. Researchers say that female central American convict cichlids that lose their mates are gloomy.
People are asking strangers on Facebook for money. Peer-to-peer aid groups are filling in where traditional safety nets fall short.
Hackers stole 18 hours of Radiohead outtakes and demanded a ransom. The band responded by putting the unreleased recordings up for sale, and pledged to give away the proceeds.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, virtual marathon times, and purloined Radiohead tracks 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 Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.