Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Hong Kong selects a new leader. On Sunday, the 1,194 members of a Beijing-sanctioned “election committee” will choose the semi-autonomous territory’s new chief executive. Carrie Lam, until recently the city’s second-ranked official, is expected to win over financial secretary John Tsang, who is supported by pro-democracy parties.
The EU’s bummer of a 60th birthday party. Leaders will meet on Saturday in Rome under the specter of Brexit. Disgruntled members Greece and Poland are threatening not to sign a declaration designed to promote unity and solidarity.
Marine Le Pen visits Russia. The French far-right presidential candidate and longtime Vladimir Putin fan arrives in Moscow on Friday to meet Russian lawmakers. Russia has been accused of interfering in Western democracies, including the upcoming French election.
While you were sleeping
Republicans failed to reach an agreement on replacing Obamacare. A last-ditch lobbying effort by US president Donald Trump failed to corral ultra-conservatives who wanted to allow stripped-down plans without benefits like maternity care. A vote could be rescheduled for tomorrow—or very possibly suspended indefinitely.
A former Russian MP was shot dead in broad daylight in downtown Kiev. Denis Voronenkov, a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, said just days ago that his life was in danger from the Kremlin. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko called the murder “an act of state terrorism.”
Israel arrested a teenager for making bomb threats to Jewish institutions around the world. The 19-year-old, who had dual US-Israeli citizenship, is accused of phoning in false alarms at dozens of Jewish community centers and schools in the UK, US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. His motivations remain unclear.
Soundcloud raised $70 million in debt funding. The struggling Berlin-based music service warned earlier this year it would have to raise money if it failed to attract more paying customers.Talks to sell the company to Spotify fell apart last year.
UK police identified British-born Khalid Masood as the man who attacked Parliament. The 52-year-old Birmingham resident killed three people and grievously injured many with his car, then fatally stabbed a police officer before being shot and killed by security forces.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ilaria Maria Sala and Isabella Steger on Hong Kong’s “election”: “Campaigning has become part of Hong Kong’s political culture now, there is an expectation that you have to win the hearts and minds of the people,” said one pro-democracy lawmaker. “But in the end, it cannot sway anything. The system is rubbish, the winner is predetermined.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
The cracks are spreading
In the Trump trade’s foundation
Watch out for debris.
Matters of debate
Monogamy is based on flawed science. Bias has been getting in the way of important research.
Being vegan isn’t all that great for humanity. An all-plant diet wastes land that could otherwise be used to feed more people.
The gig economy glorifies workers’ helplessness. Companies like Uber and Lyft are touting inspiration stories of contractors who work themselves to the bone.
Surprising discoveries
The $5 male fertility test is coming. Users inject a tiny sperm sample into a 3D-printed smartphone case.
The ultra-rich paint their jets in “Matterhorn White.” The understated tone “evokes a snowy morning,” at up to $350,000 per coat.
At least one Chinese shoe manufacturer is moving to the US. Fed up with skyrocketing wages, Dongguan Winwin is moving closer to its most lucrative customers.
Reality TV contestants emerged from a year’s seclusion to find their show canceled. The UK show “Eden” in the rugged Scottish Highlands was pulled from the airwaves months ago.
An eco-friendly brewery made beer from purified sewage. San Diego’s Stone Brewing’s Full Circle pale ale uses the same water to which it will return.
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