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What to watch for today
The EU tries again. After its longest-ever summit ended with top positions still unfilled, leaders will reconvene in Brussels to try and break the deadlock. The selection process has been complicated this year by results from the May European parliament elections, which ended the dominance of the bloc’s centrist parties.
Ukraine’s new president heads to Canada. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedian-turned-politician, is in Toronto for talks with prime minister Justin Trudeau and foreign minister Chrystia Freeland. Zelenskiy is trying to gather international support as Ukraine looks to resume a peace process with Russia, and seeks NATO membership.
NASA performs a crucial safety test. The American space agency will do a brief uncrewed flight test of the Orion capsule’s launch-abort system, which is meant to deliver astronauts to safety in case of an emergency. The test will be streamed live on NASA’s website at 7am US eastern time.
The semi-final of the women’s World Cup. England faces off against the US, favored to win the tournament, at 9pm local time in Lyon, France, in a bid for a spot in the final match on Sunday (July 7).
While you were sleeping
The US proposed $4 billion in tariffs against EU goods. Cheese, whiskey, and pork are among the products that may be hit with duties in retaliation against EU aircraft subsidies. The dispute stretches back 14 years, with Washington and Brussels accusing each other of unfairly subsidizing Boeing and Airbus, respectively.
US lawmakers toured border patrol facilities. Democrats said conditions were abysmal and border protection officers uncooperative after a visit to migrant detention camps in Texas. Trump signed a $4.6 billion aid package yesterday to help the US-Mexico border, which is struggling to deal with an influx of Central American migrants.
Hong Kong’s top official condemned protest violence. Chief executive Carrie Lam publicly denounced what she described as an “extreme use of violence” after hundreds broke off from a peaceful rally yesterday marking Hong Kong’s handover to China to breach and deface the city’s legislature.
Xi Jinping asked Trump to ease North Korea sanctions. China’s president made the request during the G20 summit last week, the country’s foreign minister said today. A day later, Trump met Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone, becoming first US president to step across into North Korea.
Nike recalled a shoe over racial concerns. The decision to withdraw the Air Max 1 USA followed former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others criticizing its use of an old flag which has reportedly been adopted by far-right groups as a symbol of white nationalism. The shoe was due to go on sale on July 4.
Antarctic sea ice hit a record low. New satellite analysis shows the loss of as much ice coverage in four years as the Arctic, in the north, lost in four decades. Less ice means more of the sun’s heat is absorbed by the sea, leading to a vicious cycle of heating.
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The core of Donald Trump’s conflict with China isn’t about trade. It’s about technology, argues reporter Gwynn Guilford. In today’s member exclusive, Guilford examines what Huawei tells us about Trump, trade, and technology. We also speak with writer and performer Aparna Nancherla in a members-only video about what comedy and depression have in common.
Quartz Obsession
Armyworms have invaded China. And India, and Taiwan, and the Philippines. It’s bad news, and the name is no exaggeration: since the inch-long worm made it to Africa in 2016, it’s done billions of dollars in damage to crops. Now it’s knocking on the door of the North China Plain, the country’s top grain-producing region. Worm your way over to the Quartz Obsession for more.
Matters of debate
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Being bored at work is a good thing. We need contrast to keep things exciting.
US women’s soccer destroys the case for pay inequality. The team is more successful than its better-paid male counterparts.
People are tired of new clothes. Secondhand goods are the new luxury.
Surprising discoveries
The North Pole is moving east. Its magnetic field is shifting 40 km (25 mi) a year toward Siberia (paywall).
Ivanka Trump is being photoshopped into history. #Unwantedivanka parodies the first daughter muscling into a chat with world leaders at the G20 summit.
Walmart is using VR to find employees who deserve promotions. The assessment looks at how workers might respond to challenging situations.
“Cable bacteria” form electric wires with their bodies. The earth is covered with chains of cells thousands-strong that band together to share electrons.
Wasp “super nests” are on the rise in Alabama. The 15,000-strong colonies can grow to the size of a car.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, luxury secondhand duds, and VR assessments 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.