Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Queen Elizabeth holds an emergency family meeting. Prince Harry, his brother William, and their father Charles are discussing the royal crisis, while Meghan dials in from Canada. The two younger princes have admitted a rift, and although Harry may think he has no future or family tree, he won’t be told to just go ahead now.
Boeing’s new CEO has a large in-tray on his first day. David Calhoun takes over from Dennis Muilenburg, who leaves the company with $80.7 million in pay and benefits, despite two fatal crashes that left 346 people dead.
The Academy announces Oscar nominations. Will they recognize movies by, and about, women? Another #OscarsSoWhite? Do the Brits clean up as usual?
Over the weekend
Iran denied shooting at protesters. Thousands of people have voiced their anger after Iran eventually admitted to downing the Ukrainian plane with a missile in Tehran last week.
US defence secretary Mark Esper undermined president Trump.
He said there is no “
” that Iran was planning an attack on four US embassies, which was used as justification for killing Qassem Soleimani.
Taiwanese voters showed what they think of China. President Tsai Ing-wen, who supports Hong Kong’s protesters, beat Han Kuo-yu, who was Beijing’s candidate, by 2.6 million votes in the biggest-ever election victory in Taiwan.
Eruptions and earthquakes rocked the globe. Ash from a volcano in the Philippines shut down Manila’s airport and forced thousands to evacuate, while a dramatic but less disruptive explosion struck Mexico. Meanwhile, the latest in a string of earthquakes hit Puerto Rico on Saturday.
Walmart India sacked dozens of senior staff. Fifty six executives, including eight from senior management, were let go as the India division of the world’s largest retailer braces for more layoffs. The subsidiary has grappled with mounting losses.
Quartz membership
Accounting is at a crossroads. The Big Four accounting firms are under more scrutiny than at any time since the Enron scandal. This week’s state of play explains what’s wrong with how public companies are audited, and how the industry is trying to improve.
Quartz obsession
Clowns are people, too. Whether you love them, hate them, or love to hate them, clowns are sprinkled throughout culture like the confetti they love to fling. Are we scared of what’s behind the greasepaint, or are we really just afraid of what they say about what entertains us? Clown around with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Data visualizations should make information the priority. Don’t worry about entertaining people if you’re making them smarter.
School textbooks can be partisan. A New York Times investigation found two states with two different narratives of US history, despite having the same publisher.
A “microbiata vault” could preserve humanity’s health. Much of our ancestral microbiome is becoming extinct.
Surprising discoveries
A text a day could keep the truancy officer away. Head Start, a US government program, cut school absenteeism by up to 20%.
A researcher discovered a 14th-century drawing of Venice. It’s the oldest illustration of the city to be found.
Scientists find the source of global humming. First reported in the 1970s, these low-frequency sounds are apparently the result of magma rising to form an undersea volcano.
Thailand’s king has a solution for congestion (that he’s caused) in Bangkok. Police must stop shutting down roads for royal motorcades.
South Koreans are learning to outsmart recruitment bots. Career consultants are teaching job-seekers to do things like “smile with your eyes.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, truancy texts, and AI-approved smiles to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Adam Rasmi and Hasit Shah.