Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Republicans are rolling into Cleveland. An estimated 50,000 people will descend on Cleveland for the week-long Republican National Congress, where Donald Trump will receive the party’s presidential nomination. On Monday, the theme will be “Make America Safe Again,” featuring retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, briefly considered a choice for Trump’s VP pick. Expect thousands of protesters.
Bad news for Russian athletes. A committee of anti-doping officials from 10 countries is expected to request that the Russian delegation be banned (paywall) from next month’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. If allegations of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are proven, Russia could face a complete Olympic ban.
Earnings aplenty. Bank of America, Netflix, Charles Schwab, Yahoo, and Hasbro will all report quarterly earnings.
Over the weekend
SoftBank Group offered $32 billion for the UK’s ARM Holdings. The Japanese telecom conglomerate is betting the technology and patents of the microchip designer will become increasingly important as ever more devices get connected to the internet. Shares in ARM surged 45% on the takeover news on Monday morning. But will new prime minister Theresa May try to squash the deal?
Venezuela reopened its border with Colombia. It’s the second time in a month that tens of thousands of people have streamed into its neighbor to buy food and medicines, since president Nicolás Maduro ordered the border closed last August. Venezuela’s economic crisis continues to worsen and riots over the lack of food and basics are common.
Three US police officers were shot dead in Baton Rouge. Less than two weeks after five policeman were shot to death in Dallas, a gunman killed three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday, injuring several more. The shooter, who died at the scene, has been identified as 29-year-old Gavin Long, a former US marine.
Morocco asked to rejoin the African Union. Thirty-two years after it left the organization because the AU recognized the independence of Western Sahara (Morocco claims it as part of its territory), the country sent a special envoy to lobby African leaders about rejoining the fold at the AU’s summit in Rwanda this weekend.
Turkey conducted mass arrests after a failed military coup. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to cleanse the Turkish state of dissidents; the state has arrested 6,000 people in the wake of the coup, which saw thousands of citizens take to the streets in support of the president. Turkey is now threatening war on any country that supports cleric Fethullah Gülen, who currently lives in Pennsylvania.
Quartz obsession interlude
Marc Bain on a designer growing Alexander McQueen’s skin in a lab: “Tina Gorjanc… is working on a project that will use McQueen’s DNA to grow skin, which she plans to tan and turn into leather jackets and bags. The skin will even bear tattoos based on the exact ‘locations, size, and design,’ of McQueen’s, she says.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Turkey was already undergoing a coup—by its own president. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been slowly taking over all aspects of state power.
Why some people really hate the phrase “All Lives Matter.” Because it is a given—people are trying to illustrate the extent to which black lives have not mattered (paywall).
Air travel is a modern manifestation of class warfare. Airline-loyalty programs that sort travelers into different lounges are just a corporate version of Plato’s gold, silver, and bronze citizens.
Surprising discoveries
SpaceX beat its own record for most rocket launches in a year. It has completed seven successful missions in 2016 so far.
The humble mushroom could help wean us off sugar. A Colorado startup is peddling fungi as a way to help food companies cut back on sweeteners.
Some people are using Starbucks orders as political protest. They are giving their names as ”Black Lives Matter.”
Mike Pence feels strongly about Disney cartoons. Donald Trump’s running mate once argued that the movie Mulan was a liberal attempt to shift attitudes about women in the military.
Almost everyone in Buenos Aires is in therapy. The country has the highest number of psychologists per capita in the world.
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