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What to watch for today
The Conservative Party holds a third round of votes for prime minister. Tory MPs will vote on the five remaining candidates, and the person with the least votes will exit the race. Boris Johnson remains the front-runner, while former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab is out of the race. The process will keep going till just two are left, after which general party members will get to weigh in.
A Dutch-led investigation team names suspects and charges in the MH17 crash. The Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down by suspected pro-Russia separatists in 2014 as it flew over Ukraine to Amsterdam, killing all 298 people on it.
The US and China restart trade talks. Negotiators will prep for a meeting between president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping alongside the G20 summit next week in hopes of deescalating the trade war. Talks collapsed last month as the US said China backtracked on pledges.
Fed policymakers are expected to keep rates steady. After a two-day meeting, they are more likely to indicate cuts for later this year.
US lawmakers hear from pilots on 737 Max training. A former chief of the US Federal Aviation Administration will also speak before a House subcommittee on aviation. Meanwhile, at the Paris Air Show, Boeing got its first new order for the 737 Max since it was grounded in March after a second deadly accident.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump officially kicked off his re-election campaign. Speaking at a rally in Orlando, Florida, it seemed like 2016 again (paywall) as the US president brought up touchstone issues dear to his base—including the “witch hunt” Russia probe and Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Guatemala said it wouldn’t accept US-bound asylum-seekers. Trump wants Mexico and Guatemala to process people who enter their territory to seek refuge in the US—and tweeted that the Central American nation was on the verge of agreeing to do so. The country’s interior minister disputed the claim.
Nissan and Renault neared a compromise. The Japanese-French car alliance, fragile since Japan’s prosecution of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn for financial misconduct, looked even more precarious after Renault signaled it wouldn’t support (paywall) Nissan’s corporate governance overhaul. That could change with key roles in new Nissan board committees reportedly on offer.
Trump withdrew his nomination for US defense secretary. Patrick Shanahan, who had been serving as acting defense secretary, announced his resignation shortly after the Washington Post published a story about domestic violence incidents in his family (paywall). Trump tapped Army secretary and former Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper to take his place.
Correction: This section yesterday accidentally elevated Matteo Salvini. He is Italy’s deputy prime minister, not prime minister.
Membership
At the intersection of the $4 trillion wellness-industrial complex, the $17 billion legal cannabis industry, and the anxiety epidemic crippling America sits a little bottle of CBD oil. To some, it’s a radical cure with massive, untapped potential. To others, it’s snake oil. We continue our deep dive into the CBD boom with an insider’s view from cannabis analyst Vivien Azer.
Quartz Obsession
Compost may be key to addressing climate change, but large-scale collection of food scraps, yard trimmings, and even human bodies poses a huge logistical challenge. Cities like Seoul, South Korea, which recycles 95% of its food waste, are proving it’s possible, while sites in Sweden, California, and New York are turning egg shells and carrot tops into biogas and saving money in the process. Sift through the compost heap with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Tragedies are a way of getting more followers on social media. Instagram accounts are hijacking Sudan’s political struggle.
US socialism is back. And it’s here to stay until the market economy benefits more people.
Maternity leave is a no-win scenario for moms. Women are penalized whether they take time off or not.
Surprising discoveries
Two neighboring bookshops in Paris are fighting a culture war. The ideologically opposed shopkeepers’ tactics include demanding the return of bookmarks (paywall).
Indians want their food to be extra. Data from Uber Eats show the most popular requests in the country are for extra sauce, onions, mayo, and cheese.
Boaty McBoatface made a serious contribution to science. The unmanned submarine, named by internet trolls, uncovered a link between Antarctic winds and warming seas.
There’s a hit Japanese TV show about work-life balance. I Will Not Work Overtime, Period! follows a professional striving to leave the office by 6pm (paywall).
A Pakistani politician gave a press conference as a cat. Someone accidentally applied a feline filter to the Facebook livestream carrying his address.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, hostage bookmarks, and extra sauce 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.