Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The People’s Republic of China turns 70. The nation kicked off celebrations with a grand military parade and will see a massive fireworks display. In a speech this morning, president Xi Jinping declared “there is no force that can shake” China. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, protesters will mark the day with demonstrations, though much of the city’s train network has been pre-emptively shut down.
The IMF gets a new chief. Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist with a strong track record at the World Bank and the European Commission, takes the helm as the first International Monetary Fund leader from an emerging economy. Her job won’t be an easy one.
Cory Booker could drop out of the 2020 race. The US Democratic presidential and New Jersey senator hopeful said he would quit the race by today if he didn’t meet a fundraising goal. Booker said he had seen a surge in donations in recent days but that he still needs further support.
While you were sleeping
Political drama erupted in Peru. President Martín Vizcarra dissolved congress to overcome resistance from the right and push through anti-graft reforms, and vowed to call new elections. Some opposition lawmakers refused to leave the chamber and accused Vizcarra of being a dictator.
Japan’s sales tax went into effect. An increase from 8% to 10% on a wide swath of goods and services will either support prime minister Shinzo Abe’s claim that the revenues will help Japan’s economy, or, as some analysts fear, throw it into a recession as consumers spend less.
Donald Trump asked Australia for help with Mueller. The president pressed prime minister Scott Morrison in a recent call to help attorney general William Barr gather evidence for help connected to the Russia probe. Following the Ukraine scandal, it’s seen as another case of Trump apparently using diplomacy for personal gain.
A San Francisco tour guide was charged with spying for China. A 56-year-old ethnic Chinese, naturalized American citizen had been allegedly passing classified information regarding US national security to China. The FBI had been tracking the man for four years.
Rip Curl was sold. The Australian surf brand was acquired by New Zealand’s outdoor-wear company Kathmandu for A$350 million ($236 million), though its headquarters will remain at legendary surf spot Bells Beach in Victoria state.
Quartz Membership
One of the world’s most global industries is finding itself at the mercy of global economic, demographic, and technological trends; now, disruption seems inevitable. Every aspect of the passenger airline business will need to change, in ways large and small, from how they fly to the nature of the aircraft itself to how many pilots are in the cockpit. Quartz tourism reporter Natasha Frost’s state of play explores the turbulent skies of air travel as this week’s field guide takes off.
Quartz Obsession
Hangovers are the worst. It’s safe to assume that humans have been experiencing morning-after malaise for about as long as we’ve been producing alcohol, which is around 9,000 years. While the only surefire solution is to let your liver finish breaking alcohol down into carbon dioxide and water, the quest for a hangover cure continues. The Quartz Obsession raises a glass.
Matters of debate
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Forget the trolley problem. The classic ethical dilemma has nothing to do with designing “good” self-driving AI.
Not all millennials are woke. In Europe, young people’s political views have shifted right instead of left.
It’s time for startups to update their aesthetics. Modeling self-contained campuses after their parents’ garages cuts tech workers off from the real world.
Surprising discoveries
Elon Musk roasted NASA’s administrator. The pair have been in a snippy tit-for-tat over delayed rocket designs.
Beware Trojan Horse iPhone cables. The malicious, mass-produced cables look legit but allow hackers to take over your computer.
Theresa May is mulling a murder mystery. The former UK prime minister said she’d rather write a novel about an ill-fated Alps expedition than pen a political memoir.
Drones ended a 17-year manhunt. Chinese authorities used aerial surveillance to uncover a convicted human trafficker’s hideaway cave.
There might be a black hole in our solar system. And that’s not even the weirdest possible explanation for the strange gravitational disturbances in our cosmic neighborhood.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Alpine thrillers, and hangover cures 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.