Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Volkswagen faces angry investors. The automaker holds a general shareholders meeting in Hanover, Germany, but questions on its emissions crisis will likely go unanswered. The meeting comes one day after German prosecutors launched a probe of former CEO Martin Winterkorn.
Israeli president Reuven Rivlin addresses the European Parliament. That will be followed tomorrow by a speech from Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. With both leaders in Brussels, EU officials are trying to set up a meeting between the two leaders.
The US’s third-largest political party holds a town hall meeting. CNN will interview Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson at 9pm ET. The former New Mexico governor will be joined by his VP pick William Weld, the former Massachusetts governor. The long shots have inched up in the polls.
While you were sleeping
Tesla offered to buy SolarCity for $2.8 billion. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also chairman of the rooftop-solar firm, whose CEO is Musk’s first cousin Lyndon Rive—among other entanglements. Tesla shares plunged more than 13% in extended trading, amounting to a loss in value of about $4.3 billion.
US regulators approved a study of gene-editing in humans. A biosafety and ethics panel cleared the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology for creating genetically altered immune cells to fight cancer. The study, funded by tech billionaire Sean Parker, still needs approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
The Clinton Foundation was reportedly hacked. Russian hackers broke into its networks, according to Bloomberg, and might have accessed embarrassing information about US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her family. Russian hackers earlier breached servers of the Democratic National Committee.
India launched 20 satellites on a single rocket. It was a notable feat for the Indian Space Research Organisation, which also held the previous record for most satellites sent into space during one flight. The launch took off from the nation’s space center in Sriharikota.
Regulators cleared NBCUniversal’s $3.8 billion purchase of DreamWorks. The US Justice Department found no threat to industry competition. NBCUniversal, the entertainment division of cable giant Comcast, looks set to acquire the studio behind Kung Fu Panda and Shrek.
Quartz markets haiku
Stocks won’t go too far
Until that dang Brexit vote
After that, look out.
Quartz obsession interlude
Mun Keat Looi on why his immigrant father is voting to leave the EU: “Having been born and raised in a Muslim country, he is always reminded of Malaysia’s history of political and racial tensions. The danger as he sees it is that some of the personal freedoms and equalities we treasure—women’s rights, LGBT rights—will not be tolerated let alone followed in conservative ghettos.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Annual pay raises don’t work. They neither motivate workers nor keep them from leaving for a better-paying job.
Brexit would crush the pound. A severe devaluation could wreak havoc on Britain’s economy, says George Soros.
American politics have slowly gone insane. Unless the problem is addressed, it will only get worse.
Surprising discoveries
The world’s cheapest serving of Coke goes for $0.07. You can find it in rural India.
Chinese bankers are getting spankings from “motivational trainers.” The attempt at improving performance backfired badly.
Refugees are taking Palermo’s city center back from the mafia. One of the world’s oldest cities is coming back to life.
The future of cremation may be dissolving bodies and flushing the remains. Canada is keeping a close eye on an allegedly eco-friendly funeral home.
Couples who share housework have more sex. It’s an inversion of earlier trends, when couples with “traditional” setups were the ones getting lucky.
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