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What to watch for today and over the weekend
Hong Kong protestors renew their efforts. After chief executive Carrie Lam failed to withdraw the controversial China extradition bill by the protestors’ stated Thursday deadline, demonstration leaders began circulating calls for further widespread rallies.
Donald Tusk gives a Brexit brief. The European Council president hosted talks on Thursday regarding the process to determine his successor, and is scheduled to provide an update Friday on any new council developments regarding Brexit.
The Women’s World Cup moves to its knockout phase. The US, Japan, Australia, France, England, Germany, and other heavy hitters have advanced to the Round of 16, which begins Saturday and goes through Tuesday. The FIFA tournament’s knockout phase will feature two African teams for the first time: Nigeria and Cameroon.
While you were sleeping
Slack soared in its stock market debut. In the tech world’s latest flashy public listing, the workplace communication platform saw shares reach $42 in early trading, for a $21 billion valuation. The move to go public with a direct listing rather than a traditional IPO is a first for a Silicon Valley darling, and may open the floodgates for more companies to pursue the route.
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are the last men standing in the British PM bakeoff. By the fifth and final round of voting among Tory MPs the remaining contender, Michael Gove, was knocked out so narrowly that Johnson’s team was accused of a tactical ploy. Johnson is the favorite to win in the next round of voting among 140,000 Tory members.
Donald Trump shrugged off Iran’s attack on an unmanned US drone… The act could have been the mistake of a “loose and stupid” officer, the US president surmised, while also reiterating “this country will not stand for it.” The incident comes on the heels of the US’s announcement that it will send additional troops to the region after two oil tankers were attacked last week.
… While the US Senate voted to block his plan to sell arms without approval.The move is a bipartisan rebuke to the administration’s attempt to sell $8 billion in munitions to Saudi Arabia and the UAE by declaring an emergency over tensions with Iran. The House is also expected to vote to block the sales, though Trump has said he’ll veto the legislation.
Facebook use has plummeted since Cambridge Analytica. The Guardian reported that user engagement has dropped almost 20% since April 2018, when the Cambridge Analytica report kicked off a series of scandals around privacy, data, and the platform’s role in fueling hate crimes.
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Eight decades after the release of Reefer Madness and the emergence of the tactics that gave way to the US War on Drugs, the producers of CBD products in the US are helping cannabis shed its political and historical baggage, and re-emerge as a product that’s more wellness than weed. Jenni Avins continues her deep dive into the world of CBD to ask whether this feat of rebranding is a good thing.
Quartz Obsession
Strip malls may look bland, but there’s uniqueness within. Their low rents give immigrants a foothold in the market, and they’ve become destinations for a world of food in big cities. Now developers are trying to spruce them up for the social-media age and the road ahead. Pull up to the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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You’re heading for a professional decline. Instead of dreading it, you can prepare by resetting the way you define your worth.
The deep sea is more important than deep space. The ocean is just as impressive an alien environment—and we need to care a lot more about it.
Smart homes remain frustratingly dumb. The complicated processes involved can make just getting up to turn off a light seem much more convenient.
Surprising discoveries
The trade war is driving up Bible prices. China is the world’s largest publisher of the holy Christian text.
Ho Chi Minh’s corpse is getting some work done. Vietnam has called in an international team of experts to help preserve the embalmed body of its founding leader.
Most of the 9 million US dairy cows descend from just two bulls. The gene pool of Holsteins is so narrow that if they were wild they’d be critically endangered.
Thousands petitioned Netflix to cancel Good Omens. Just one problem: The “blasphemous” apocalypse drama is an Amazon Prime original.
The proof is in the raw sewage. A federally funded study of it confirmed that cannabis use increased in Washington state after legalization.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, reasonably priced books, and old-fashioned light bulbs 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 Jessanne Collins and Susan Howson.