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What to watch for today and over the weekend
The remains of the Genoa bridge will be blown up. A year after the structure collapsed, killing 43 people in the Italian city, demolition experts will bring down two large towers using explosives at 9am local time. Thousands have been evacuated from the surrounding areas.
The Senate votes on Donald Trump’s power to launch war on Iran. A Democrat-authored amendment that would require the US president to seek congressional approval before ordering any military against Iran will go up for a vote today. It would apply retroactively to the National Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping defense policy bill passed yesterday.
Trump meets with Xi Jinping. All eyes are on a meeting tomorrow on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, between the US and Chinese presidents over their ongoing trade war—which is now reportedly under a tentative truce for the conference. On Sunday, Trump and South Korean president Moon Jae-in will get together in Seoul to discuss efforts to restart denuclearization talks with North Korea.
50th anniversary of Stonewall. Today marks 50 years since members of the LGBTQ community rioted over a New York City police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the West Village. To commemorate the anniversary, millions are converging in the city for World Pride—while challenges for acceptance remain.
A crisis EU summit in Brussels. European leaders this week failed to fill top jobs for the bloc, including the head of its central bank and the executive European Commission, forcing them to call a last-minute meeting for Sunday, just two days before the new European Parliament begins its first session.
While you were sleeping
Joe Biden came under attack in the Democratic debate. The 76-year-old former US vice president was put on the defensive as his younger rivals in the race for the 2020 presidential nomination urged him to leave the fight against Trump to a younger generation. His rival, California senator Kamala Harris, confronted him over his record on race.
Apple’s design chief is leaving the company. Jony Ive, who led the crafting of almost all of the company’s iconic products over the last two decades, announced yesterday that he would launch his own design firm, LoveForm, in 2020, with Apple as his first client.
The US House passed a $4.6 billion border funding bill. Yielding to the Senate, the Democratic-controlled house approved emergency legislation to ease overcrowded conditions at holding facilities for migrants seeking asylum and to provide care for migrant children in federal custody. It will now go to the White House for Trump’s signature.
Boeing pushed back its timeline. The embattled company announced it now plans to complete updates for the 737 Max in September, with test flights projected for October. The latest delay came after US aviation authorities flagged another issue with the aircraft just before test flights using newly updated software were scheduled to begin.
Two Venezuelan ex-officials were indicted by the US. A former electricity minister and another former official were placed under US sanctions for corruption and charged separately for money laundering.
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Our week-long investigation into traveling intelligently continues today with tips on using ATM machines without getting dinged by exorbitant fees, and why it makes the most sense to use credit cards as much as possible when spending abroad.
Quartz Obsession
The Hayflick limit is life’s off-switch. Human cells can only replicate so many times before they stop and become senescent—unless they’re cancer cells. There are benefits to senescent cells, which boost immunity and fight cancer, but they’re also a problem of aging. As researchers look to extend lifespans, they’re trying to squeeze life out of our building blocks. Live it up at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Start working less, now. We need to mentally prepare ourselves for automation sooner rather than later.
For best results, pick your stocks randomly. Hedge fund elites can’t beat a portfolio made by throwing darts at a board.
The gig economy needs digital IDs. They would help workers do their taxes, and give clients a way to verify credentials.
Surprising discoveries
There’s a tool to fool ad trackers online. Called Track THIS, the browsing project opens up 100 tabs to disguise your data profile.
Crocodiles used to be vegetarians. Research suggests they actually went veg three times in the Mesozoic Era.
A new technique removes printer ink from paper. The process can be done five times before the reused paper starts to break down.
Line launched an AI-driven social credit rating system. Japan’s dominant social media platform will surface better deals for users with higher scores.
Online postage purchases were the undoing of a $9 million drug ring. US agents traced the drug dealers to their Stamps.com account.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stamps, and blank paper 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 Isabella Steger.