Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Democrats spar on a crowded stage. Twenty presidential hopefuls, split into two groups, will introduce themselves to voters at live televised debates tonight and tomorrow. The more obscure candidates will look to capture the attention of the millions expected to tune in.
NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels. They’re expected to endorse measures that could force Russia to abide by a decades-old missile treaty that the US pulled out of earlier this year, citing Moscow’s non-compliance. “Burden-sharing”—paying more of its costs, as the US wants—and Afghanistan are also on the agenda.
Mark Zuckerberg chats about fixing Facebook. At the Aspen Ideas Festival, which it helps sponsor, Facebook’s chief will talk with Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein about regulation, privacy, and the social media network’s new oversight board.
Pet food and antivirus pivots. General Mills is expected to continue its upward trend with a significant rise in revenue, thanks to its acquisition of natural pet food brand Blue Buffalo last year. Meanwhile, BlackBerry’s earnings will reveal how its shift to US government technology and antivirus services has affected its bottom line.
While you were sleeping
The US House passed a $4.5 billion border-aid measure. The emergency aid comes after reports of migrant children being subjected to poor hygiene, inadequate food and water, and insufficient bedding at a Texas detention center. The conditions prompted John Sanders, the acting Customs and Border Protection commissioner, to step down yesterday.
Robert Mueller agreed to testify. The former special counsel will comply with a subpoena by House Democrats to publicly answer questions on July 17 about his 22-month-long investigation into president Trump. The testimony will be closely-watched, despite Mueller previously saying he would only comment on what is already contained in the 448-page report.
Mike Pompeo talked tariffs with India. The secretary of state sat down with prime minister Narendra Modi amid ongoing disputes, including a $5.2 billion arms deal with Russia. Trump has called India a “tariff king” and scrapped the preferential trade status that allowed it to export $6 billion in duty-free goods a year.
Apple took the steering wheel. The tech giant confirmed it purchased the fledgling Texas startup drive.ai to bring on engineering talent, as the company looks to invest more in the self-driving and autonomous vehicle market. The sale comes after drive.ai had said it would shutter and lay off its 90 employees.
Hong Kong protesters sent the G20 a message. They delivered letters during a morning march to foreign consulates urging diplomats to press Chinese president Xi Jinping on democracy in Hong Kong at the G20 summit, which starts Friday. China said Monday that it would not allow any such discussion at the event.
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled against freeing “Lula.” It declined to temporarily release former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was jailed on corruption charges and barred from contesting the 2018 election. Lawyers had argued the convicting judge, now justice minister under Jair Bolsonaro, had been compromised.
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Matters of debate
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Trump’s China trade war is changing history. The convergence of one, integrated global market no longer seems inevitable.
There’s nothing new about “biohacking.” We’ve been gradually altering our bodies since the dawn of agriculture.
“Aggression detectors” are dangerous snake oil. Schools are installing the unproven and invasive surveillance devices to try boost security.
Surprising discoveries
Tencent ended an era of Chinese hook-up culture. “Drift bottle” allowed users to send anonymous messages to prospective lovers.
Doctors can learn Martian medicine at a desert space camp. Earthlings role play their way through Red Planet medical disasters.
You can now rent a tropical island on Airbnb. Its new “luxe” tier also offers medieval castles, with an average weekly listing price of $14,000.
A tiny English village museum is a hit in China. More than 400,000 people took a virtual tour of the 50-year-old attraction.
“Plasticrust” is the world’s newest, grossest form of pollution. Scientists are finding scabby, blue-green plastic encrusted onto rocks.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, DIY biohacks, and castle recommendations 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 Adam Rasmi and edited by Jackie Bischof.