Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron meet. The British and French leaders will continue trying to find a way out of the Brexit deadlock, a day after German chancellor Angela Merkel gave Johnson 30 days to come up with alternatives to the Irish border backstop.
Kosovo’s parliament votes on dissolving itself. Parties have been pressing for snap elections after prime minister Ramush Haradinaj stepped down last month over a war crimes summons from the Hague. If the assembly is dissolved, elections must be held within 45 days.
The UN Security Council may discuss US missiles. Russia and China have requested a meeting today after the US tested cruise missiles that would have been banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which it formally withdrew from earlier this month.
Bangladesh again tries to send some Rohingya home. The South Asian country and the United Nations are working with Rohingya refugees to see if they will take up Myanmar’s offer for thousands of them to repatriate. Many fear persecution and violence if they go back.
While you were sleeping
Jair Bolsonaro blamed NGOs for Amazon wildfires. As the world’s largest rainforest burns at an unprecedented rate, Brazil’s far-right president accused green groups, without evidence, of starting the fires “to call attention against me, against the Brazilian government.”
Emmanuel Macron scrapped the G7 communiqué. The French president decided to drop the tradition of signing a joint final statement at the end of this weekend’s summit, saying there was no time to waste wrangling over a “pointless” document. He instead proposed informal, closed-door discussions to formulate strategy.
Environmental and animal rights groups sued Donald Trump. Nonprofit environmental law group Earthjustice filed suit against the US president on behalf of seven organizations over the administration’s plans to revise the country’s Endangered Species Act, which the activists say would put at-risk species in danger of extinction.
Washington governor Jay Inslee withdrew his US presidential bid. The candidate, who ran on a platform of climate change, announced his decision to pull out of the race for the Democratic nomination and will instead compete for a third term as governor.
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Quartz Obsession
Tramadol is the opioid crisis you might not have heard of. While oxycodone and fentanyl get headlines in the West, tramadol use is surging in West Africa and parts of the Middle East. Despite being much less potent, it’s still addictive. Time to crack down? Not so fast—in many countries, it’s the only widely available and affordable form of pain relief for patients. Go beyond the headlines with today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Practice doesn’t make perfect. The “10,000-hour rule” produces as many mediocre talents as it does experts.
Governments should just print more money. They could kick-start stalled economies, so long as they stop at the first sign of inflation.
We have too many “National Something” days. The growing number of fake, corporate-sponsored holidays is just sad.
Surprising discoveries
SONG TITLES ALL LOOK LIKE THIS NOW. unless they look like this. And it’s a trend that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Los Angeles is cooling its sidewalks with goo. As global warming exacerbates extreme urban heat, titanium dioxide-infused gloop could help reduce temperatures.
A septuagenarian won a thousand-kilometer horse race. Mongol Derby champion Bob Long said being prepared gave him the edge he needed.
Hong Kong protest tattoos abound. From umbrellas to bleeding eyes, activists are getting permanent reminders inked onto their skin.
A black hole devoured a neutron star. For the first time, scientists have detected gravitational waves that may have originated from one such collision.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, SONG TITLES, and sidewalk goo 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 Tripti Lahiri.