Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Italy weighs starting a criminal case against Matteo Salvini. The senate votes on whether to strip the far-right League party leader of his parliamentary immunity and press charges over his alleged kidnapping of migrants. He is named in other lawsuits and faces an ongoing trial.
The UK’s communications watchdog is given expanded powers. Ofcom will be responsible for policing social media platforms, making sure that tech firms protect people from harmful content and remove illegal materials.
Google goes to EU court. The tech giant is appealing antitrust fines levied against it for allegedly favoring its own shopping comparison tool over smaller European rivals. The landmark case could determine how the EU deals with US tech firms accused of abusing market power.
The EU could revoke Cambodia’s trade preferences. Cambodia benefits from a trade program allowing duty-free exports from developing countries, but the bloc may roll back the privileges over human rights abuses. Meanwhile, the EU will approve a trade deal with Vietnam despite human rights concerns.
While you were sleeping
Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic primary. The Vermont senator repeated his 2016 success, fending off his rivals. The field also began to thin, as businessman Andrew Yang and Colorado senator Michael Bennet both dropped out.
Another 39 aboard the Diamond Princess tested positive for coronavirus. The quarantined cruise ship docked off of Japan now has 174 cases of the newly named Covid-19 on board. The vessel originally carried more than 3,700 passengers and crew, but dozens who were infected have been evacuated.
Four prosecutors in the Roger Stone case quit in protest. The mass withdrawal came after justice department officials slashed the prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation for Stone, a longtime confidant of US president Donald Trump found guilty of seven crimes including obstruction of justice and lying to Congress.
The US indicated diplomacy headway with the Taliban. A deal, which the White House is terming a “reduction in violence announcement,” is yet to be formally presented, but is expected to pave the way for the government to make good on Donald Trump’s promise to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
Quartz membership
Amazon is getting physical. With more than 500 brick-and-mortar stores across the US, the e-commerce giant is rapidly expanding its offline presence, reports Quartz’s Marc Bain. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon’s bet on physical stores.
Quartz daily obsession
Rooibos may seem like a recent novelty, but South Africa has been sipping on it for generations. While the legacy of colonization and apartheid has left rooibos production almost entirely in the hands of white growers and processors, South Africa has taken potentially ground-breaking steps to compensate indigenous communities who discovered the plant long before the rest of the world jumped on the teawagon. Lift your pinky, it’s the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Extremists should be given therapy. Punishment alone won’t stamp out terrorism.
We could see a new world war in the Arctic. The region has huge strategic significance—and lots to fight over.
Our world is built for search engines. Producers renamed Birds of Prey to optimize the film for Google searches.
Surprising discoveries
The Parasite craze found its way into the noodle market. Inspired by a scene in the award winning film, people are mixing two types of noodles to make chapaguri.
China authorized temporary private property seizures to control the coronavirus outbreak. The emergency measures were rolled out in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
A 75-year-old wants to be the world’s oldest professional soccer player. Ezzeldin Bahader is training with a third-tier Egyptian club in the hopes of breaking a 73-year-old goalie’s record.
People born blind are safe from schizophrenia. The strange correlation might point to a link between vision and psychotic disorders.
The CIA secretly owned the company that made the world’s encryption devices. For decades, spies used Crypto AG’s products to listen in on secret communications.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Korean noodles, and “encrypted” messages 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 written by Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.