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. He’ll also have to contend with the expected debut of a new long-range airliner from rival Airbus.
The future of US democracy. The US Supreme Court will issue rulings today. Before the end of this month, court-watchers are expecting opinions that could influence future presidential elections, including on whether the next US census can ask about citizenship and on two cases concerning partisan gerrymandering.
Hearings on yet more US tariffs on Chinese goods begin. It is the first of seven days of public hearings on US president Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, as major American businesses warned him of massive layoffs and potential damage to economic growth.
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. A new London-Shanghai stock link allowing UK-listed companies to sell shares in China launched today.
Iran retreats further from a nuclear pact. The country will scale back compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal that it signed with six world powers, after the US quit the accord in 2018 and reintroduced sanctions. The announcement comes as Iran faces more blame for last week’s attack on two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, this time from the Saudi crown prince. The US says more evidence is coming.
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 the news and gossip from the south of France this week.
Over the weekend
Hong Kong’s protesters forced the government to backtrack. The city’s chief said she would indefinitely suspend a bill allowing the extradition of suspects to mainland China. Hong Kong still saw another massive protest yesterday calling for the bill to be totally withdrawn, amid anger over police use of force. In unusual timing, Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 democracy protests, was released early from prison this morning.
British prime ministerial candidates went head-to-head. In the first televised debate of the heated race to replace Theresa May, five Tories took aim at front-runner Boris Johnson, the former London mayor and foreign foreign secretary, who was absent from the event.
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 bromance has America 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.
Sara Netanyahu was sentenced for corruption. The wife of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convicted of misusing state funds to pay for lavish meals. Under a plea bargain, she admitted to a lesser charge and will pay about $15,000 in fines and reimbursements. Meanwhile, her husband could still face indictments on three corruption cases.
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?
There’s a pressing need for dedicated LGBTQ media. Stories go untold when there’s a lack of trans and queer reporters and editors.
Crystals are the new blood diamonds. Their contribution to your “healing” is harming the earth.
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 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, ancient bagels, and chill pills 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 Mary Hui and edited by Tripti Lahiri.