Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Brexit vote is finally here. The United Kingdom will decide whether to leave the European Union in a contentious and divisive referendum. The “leave” camp edged ahead in two recent polls.
Aung San Suu Kyi meets with the Thai junta. The de facto leader of Myanmar, who faced down military leaders at home, will sit down with the generals who are now running Thailand.
India and Pakistan join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The Moscow- and Beijing-dominated group was created as a counterweight to NATO, and also includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
While you were sleeping
US Democrats staged a Congressional sit-in over gun control. About 30 lawmakers said they won’t budge until Republicans agree to vote on a gun control measure introduced after the Orlando massacre. Meanwhile, another mass shooting killed three Americans.
Bernie Sanders conceded the presidential nomination. “It doesn’t appear that I’m going to be the nominee,” the Vermont senator said in an interview. He recently met with rival Hillary Clinton to reportedly discuss how best to beat presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The US slapped stiff tariffs on Chinese steel. Duties of more than 500% will be imposed on certain steel products in the wake of a ruling by the International Trade Commission. The US government agency concluded that China’s cheap production has hurt the American steel industry.
Colombia and FARC agreed to a cease-fire. After half a century of fighting and 265,000 deaths, fighting between Colombian government and the country’s largest guerrilla group will come to an end. The deal represents the last major hurdle to signing a peace deal to end the country’s bloody civil war.
Investors were skeptical about Elon Musk’s empire building. The tech billionaire claimed Tesla’s proposed $2.8 billion acquisition of SolarCity is “blindingly obvious,” but investors didn’t quite buy it, sending Tesla shares down by more than 10%. SolarCity shareholders may hold out for a higher price; Musk is recusing himself since he chairs both companies.
Quartz markets haiku
Maybe Brexit is
like Quebexit, pretty soon
We’ll all forgets it.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jenny Anderson and Nushmia Khan on what Donald Trump and Brexit have in common. “Each camp is making its case within the cultural confines of its country. Trump is bombastic, brazenly self-promotional, and loves to talk about how rich he is… But the Brexit campaign is equally nasty, in its own particular British way.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Removing the headphone jack from phones is hostile to users. No one wants this, Apple.
The tech economy raises wages for everyone—except the truly poor. Extreme wealth doesn’t trickle down.
There’s a better way to watch TV. Play back the video at twice the normal speed.
Surprising discoveries
Frequent flyer programs are beyond the realm of human understanding. The US government is preparing a crackdown.
The Philippines held an apocalyptic earthquake drill. Children and government workers played dead to develop a “culture of preparedness.”
Living in a city makes birds age faster. The stress of urban life outweighs the benefits.
Burger King is selling an unholy junk food-fast food combination. Mac’n’Cheetos will follow in the footsteps of Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos.
C-SPAN is now airing Periscope and Facebook Live streams. The stodgy public broadcaster stretched a little to cover the Democratic gun control sit-in.
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