Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The UK finds out who will lead its government… Voting has closed, Theresa May will step down, and Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt will be named the new head of the Conservative party. That winner—likely to be Johnson—becomes Britain’s prime minister, and will start work in Downing Street tomorrow.
…And braces for another heatwave. Parts of the UK could hit new record night-time temperatures of around 24°C (75.2°F). The heatwave will extend into the rest of the week, with some parts of the country expected to hit 37°C on Thursday.
Voting begins to confirm Spain’s PM. Socialist Pedro Sánchez hopes to hold onto his seat as acting prime minister, but far-left party Podemos is withholding its support. Sánchez will probably lose the first vote today, but could gain a simple majority in a second vote on Thursday if the two parties reach a deal.
Italy’s deputy prime ministers talk. Matteo Salvini from the rightist League and Luigi Di Maio from the populist Five Star Movement may meet today to avoid a possible collapse of the government. The talks come a day before prime minister Giuseppe Conte addresses parliament over reports that a Salvini associate colluded with Russia.
While you were sleeping
Puerto Rico staged one of its biggest protests ever. Tens of thousands of people blocked miles of highways to pressure governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign after leaked texts revealed his profanity-laced attacks on rivals, while a separate probe exposed his administration’s cozy relationships with special interests.
The US moved to expedite deportations. Under new rules announced by the White House, migrants who illegally entered the US will be removed in a matter of days by cutting out court oversight. The government said it would free up space in detention camps and reduce the workload on courts.
South Korea fired warning shots at Russian military planes. The government said it scrambled fighter jets in response to multiple Russian aircraft entering its airspace on the east coast twice. The defense ministry said it was the first time that Russian aircraft had committed such an act.
Venezuela was plunged into darkness again. The government blamed a country-wide blackout on an “electromagnetic attack” on its hydroelectric system, without elaborating. Commuters were thrown into chaos in Caracas as traffic lights and the subway stopped working during rush hour.
Cristiano Ronaldo won’t face criminal charges. Las Vegas prosecutors said they won’t charge the soccer star over allegations that he raped a woman in a hotel in 2009 because there was not enough evidence.
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It’s time to reboot the Hollywood franchise. Summer is traditionally when movie studios release their biggest, most-expensive, most crowd-pleasing films. This week, our in-house Hollywood expert, reporter Adam Epstein, takes a look at the film industry’s reliance on these kinds of movies and charts what we can expect in the months and years ahead, starting with today’s state-of-play memo.
Quartz Obsession
Skinny jeans just won’t quit. The profile we love to hate (and hate to take off) has been a status symbol for years now, but its growth has slowed, while sales of wide-leg jeans are picking up. Since this particular denim style is overdue for an overhaul, trend-watchers are expecting skinny jeans’ grip on the market to slack. Get the skinny at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Changing the name of the 737 Max won’t fool anyone. Boeing may have its hopes, but travelers are smarter than that.
Evidence shows you’re not open-minded. But please, feel free to categorically deny it.
Apple would rather its next leader be a Tim Cook than a Steve Jobs. Heir apparent Jeff Williams is known for his even temper and efficiency.
Surprising discoveries
An uncontacted Amazon tribe appeared on video. Indigenous activists behind the camera say it proves that people in the rainforest need protection.
France found a missing submarine after 51 years. Relatives of the 52 sailors on board have been waiting to find the final location of their loved ones since 1968.
Google pays random people to scan them. Insiders think the data will be used to perfect facial recognition on the upcoming Pixel 4.
The Milky Way ate another galaxy. New evidence suggests that we cannibalized stars and dust from our smaller neighbor 10 billion years ago.
The Dutch have built a floating dairy farm. On a river running through Rotterdam, 32 cows are fed by soccer field trimmings and potato peels, tended to by robots.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stardust, and comfortable jeans 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.