Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump goes to Capitol Hill. The US presidential candidate will meet with Republican lawmakers in a last-ditch effort to unify a fractured GOP before the party’s national convention in two weeks. Many key (and politically vulnerable) lawmakers won’t attend, citing scheduling conflicts.
China releases foreign reserves numbers. Investors will look for signs of anxiety about the country’s weak economy and fallout from the Brexit vote. The yuan has been on a losing streak, and reserves are expected to fall to the lowest level since 2011.
PepsiCo reports quarterly results. Investors want to know about the impact of Brexit and slowing global growth. They’ll also look for news on product revamps after a recent customer revolt prompted the company to announce it will go back to using the artificial sweetener aspartame in Diet Pepsi.
While you were sleeping
Danone neared a $10 billion deal for health-focused WhiteWave Foods. The acquisition would give Silk, the plant-based soya milk label, to the world’s biggest yogurt maker. Demand for healthier fare is making companies like Denver-based WhiteWave, which focuses on organic foods, tasty targets.
France jailed two former Rwandan mayors over a massacre. A French court sentenced Tito Barahira and Octavien Ngenzi to life in prison, charging them with genocide and crimes against humanity for their leading roles in the mass killing of ethnic Tutsis in 1994.
The Federal Reserve was right to be nervous about Brexit. Newly unveiled minutes showed that the US central bank decided in mid-June to postpone an interest rate hike because of uncertainty over the then-upcoming UK vote on whether to leave the EU. Higher rates this year are now in doubt.
US police fatally shot two black men in 24 hours. A black man stopped for a broken tail light in Falcoln Heights, Minnesota was shot and killed Wednesday evening, reportedly as he was reaching for his wallet. His death comes after the July 5 killing of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man shot by two police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Samsung Electronics delivered strong results. Thanks to cost-cutting and solid sales of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7, the world’s top handset maker beat estimates and had its biggest operating profit in more than two years. An overhaul of its low- and mid-end handset lineup also helped.
Quartz obsession interlude
Oliver Staley on how Lionel Messi avoided taxes by exploiting a basic human right: “The laws governing the rights to one’s image vary from country to country (and in the US, from state to state) but they’re rooted in the concept of a right to privacy, which includes the right to control one’s identity and image.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
A work-free world might not be so bad. Fears of an idle, robot-powered society are a relic of our current mindset.
Big Food is struggling in an artisanal world. Faced with consumers who want healthier, less processed food, companies are manufacturing authenticity on social media.
A drug company is gouging people with deadly allergies. Patients are turning to syringes instead of expensive EpiPens.
Surprising discoveries
The US military is creating an army of insects. Bomb-sniffing locusts with implanted electrodes are about a year away.
An Ohio airline is offering “Mile High Club” flights. For $495, couples can have an hour of romance on Flamingo Air.
Neuroscientists say multitasking literally drains your energy. Try carving out different times for specific activities instead.
Like grumpy old men, monkeys get less social with age. Elderly macaques have fewer friends and spend less time on social interactions.
In Vancouver, single women can have solo weddings. The symbolic ceremonies celebrate independence and commitment (to oneself).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, grouchy monkeys, and solo wedding invitations to hi@qz.com. You can download our iPhone app or follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.