Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Paris Air show opens. The biggest event in commercial aviation is haunted by Boeing’s troubles with the 737 Max. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg admitted his company made mistakes after the plane was involved in two deadly crashes, but he’ll also have to contend with the expected debut of rival Airbus new long-range airliner.
The future of US democracy. The US Supreme Court will issue rulings today. Court-watchers are expecting opinions that may influence future presidential elections, including on whether the next US census can ask about citizenship and on two cases concerning partisan gerrymandering.
The United Kingdom woos China. Economic officials from both countries will meet in London in an effort to deepen mutual trade and investment as the UK aims to leave the European Union.
The ad industry gathers in Cannes. The 66th annual Cannes Lions advertising conference—or rather, International Festival of Creativity—opens on the French Riviera. Speeches and awards are the official reason for the gathering, but schmoozing on yachts and dealmaking over rosé is just as important. Sign up for our pop-up Cannes Daily Brief for all of the news and gossip from the south of France this week.
While you were sleeping
Hong Kong’s protesters forced the government to backtrack. The city’s chief said she would indefinitely suspend a bill that would have allowed extradition of suspects to mainland China. Hong Kong still saw another protest on June 16 calling for the bill to be totally withdrawn, and anger over police use of force led to more than 2 million people taking the streets.
Xi Jinping partied with Vladimir Putin. The Chinese president enjoyed a geopolitically significant 66th birthday celebration alongside Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, who gifted him a box of ice cream. Their burgeoning relationship has American military leaders worried.
A massive blackout in South America. Tens of millions of people went without electricity after all of Argentina and Uruguay, along with parts of neighboring countries, lost power. Investigators are still figuring out what went wrong.
More blame on Iran for tanker attacks. The Saudi crown prince said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf last week, and US Secretary of State Pompeo said more evidence would be forthcoming. Independent investigators say the US case is not yet conclusive (paywall).
The US has been messing with Russia’s grid. The New York Times revealed that the American military has been embedding malware in Russia’s electrical grid, which one law professor called “21st-century gunboat diplomacy.” President Trump said news reports of the operation were “a virtual act of treason.”
Quartz obsession interlude
Tiny houses do more with less. They’re a strategy for dealing with soaring housing costs in urban centers, a nifty design challenge, and a minimalist response to consumer culture. They’re also part of a long history of living in small spaces, whether by necessity or choice. Read about the big ideas behind tiny houses in the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
This man wants to abolish time. But can it be done?
Skilled workers are stressed in China. An uproar over compensation rules may be a sign that Chinese are losing faith in their government’s economic management.
Egypt is prosecuting a phony war on terror. US-backed strongman Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is using trumped up fears of terrorism to crush democracy and human rights.
Surprising discoveries
Billionaires aren’t paying up for Notre Dame. Smaller donors, often Americans, have delivered most of the funding to rebuild the torched Paris cathedral thus far.
Japan cracks down on fruit smugglers. Tokyo want to prevent seeds and saplings of domestically-bred “high-end fruit” like the Shine Muscat grape from being grown in abroad without permission.
Bronze-age bagels were tiny. Archaeologists exploring a 3,000 year-old site found tiny charred bread disks that might have been used for food or rituals.
Dolphins are dying at unusual rates in the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers say 297 dolphins have been stranded since February, more than three times the typical number, and wonder if the 2010 BP Oil spill is to blame.
A future stress vaccine? A bacterium decreased stress reactions in mice and scientists have figured out how it works.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, high-end fruit, and Russian ice cream boxes to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Tim Fernholz, Ephrat Livni and Youyou Zhou.