Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The European Central Bank makes a big decision. The ECB’s latest call on interest rates and stimulus measures comes after euro zone inflation has finally reached the bank’s 2% target. Analysts don’t think the bank will raise rates during its meeting, but it could drop some hints.
European Union council president Donald Tusk is up for re-election. The former Polish prime minister will likely serve another term, despite opposition from rival Polish lawmaker Jacek Saryusz-Wolski.
The trial of Samsung’s heir begins. Vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, currently in jail, faces charges of bribery and embezzlement in a growing scandal that began with South Korean president Park Geun-hye. The trial is expected to last a few months. Samsung shares have surged despite—or possibly because of—the scandal.
While you were sleeping
Hawaii launched the first attack on Trump’s new travel ban… A federal judge ruled the state can sue over the US president’s executive order temporarily banning the entry of refugees and travelers from six Muslim-majority countries. Hawaii argues the order violates the US Constitution and would hurt its universities and tourism sector.
…and Tesla completed a Hawaiian solar power project. The Kapaia installation on Kauai includes a 13-megawatt solar system and 52 megawatt hours of Tesla Powerwall batteries. Tesla has a 20-year contract with the island’s utility provider to deliver affordable electricity. Hawaii has the highest electric rates in the United States.
China’s producer prices surged at the fastest pace since 2008. They rose 7.8% last month from a year earlier, compared with a 6.9% increase in January. That beat expectations and lifted the outlook for global reflation, but the sustainability of the momentum is in question.
Uber said it would stop “greyballing” local authorities. The company had used a program called Greyball to identify the accounts of local regulators trying to keep an eye on the company’s service—or conduct a sting operation against it—and do things like send them nonexistent cars. Uber said it would keep using the tool for testing new features and other purposes.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jenny Anderson on “adulting school” and its limited benefits: “Somehow, Gen X became the suits. Not through any superior abilities or unique confidence, but through paying a lot of bills and taking care of children—a remarkably effective adulting strategy. Their struggles were no less fraught or self-indulgent: They just didn’t feature on Facebook or Instagram.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Marine Le Pen is luring French women to the far right. Her promise to staunchly defend women against Muslims, immigration, and globalization is gaining traction.
Alexander Hamilton was a dangerous reactionary. The current darling of American liberals thought democracy was a disease.
Blockchain will do to banks and law firms what the internet did to media companies and ad agencies. Firms unprepared for the changes will be less likely to thrive.
Surprising discoveries
It was eyes, not legs, that led fish onto land. Fossils show that the size of eyes nearly tripled before the water-to-land transition.
Malta’s “Azure Window” landmark collapsed into the sea. The rock arch was shown in Game of Thrones and many other TV shows.
The CEO of America’s biggest processor of meat is betting on a meatless future. Tom Hayes of Tyson Foods believes plant-based “meats” have a place on future kitchen tables.
Americans are having much less sex than in years past… The cause is still up for debate, but it doesn’t seem to be linked to more work or internet porn (paywall).
…Except perhaps on the elite version of Tinder. The secret invite-only service is available to the ridiculously good-looking, fabulously famous, and mega-rich.
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