Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The EU’s jobless rate in February. Economists expect a slight decline from 9.6% to 9.5% as the euro zone’s modest recovery continues. That would be welcome news, but the bloc’s high unemployment rate—roughly double the US equivalent—remains one of its key worries (paywall).
America’s H-1B visa applications open. A popular visa for foreign tech workers, the permit for skilled US jobs hit its 85,000 cap in less than a week last year after the application process began. This year, amid immigration tensions, the option to expedite the application for a $1,225 fee has been frozen.
French food safety ratings go online. For the first time, France’s government is putting (link in French) the results of its sanitation ratings on the internet, including for restaurants, supermarkets, markets, and farms.
While you were sleeping
The Trump administration confirmed it’s the wealthiest in modern US history. Personal financial disclosures released by the White House reveal US president Donald Trump’s senior staff members have a combined net worth of over $12 billion. The filings include the income and assets of Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and chief of staff Reince Priebus.
Tesla delivered a record number of vehicles in the first quarter. It hit the 25,000 mark, a 69% increase over a year ago. That was a relief for the electric car maker, as production challenges had led to a 9% decrease in the final quarter of last year.
Ecuador went to the polls. In a tight race leftist candidate Lenin Moreno appears to have narrowly beaten conservative rival Guillermo Lasso, though it isn’t official yet. Lasso is already demanding a recount. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is probably breathing easier, as Lasso had promised to boot him from Ecuador’s embassy in London should he win.
A massive landslide in Colombia killed more than 200 people. The disaster, in the city of Mocoa near the Ecuador border, was caused by heavy rain. A senior UN official blamed the incident on climate change.
Brexit sparked talk of war with Spain. In the latest EU exit spat, Scotland’s threat of a national independence referendum prompted Spain to say it would not veto an independent Scotland’s bid to join the EU. Senior British politicians then stoked the flame, asserting that Britain would go to war to defend the disputed territory of Gibraltar against Spanish aggression.
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi held on in by-elections. The legislative elections were a litmus test for the de facto leader’s popularity after her pro-democracy party overtook military rule in 2015. The governing National League for Democracy party took eight out of 12 seats for the combined upper houses of the national parliament, but just one out of seven in state assemblies.
Quartz obsession interlude
Oliver Staley on the coach who turned tiny Gonzaga into a US college basketball giant: “[Mark] Few is justifiably celebrated as one of the game’s great coaches for taking a small and obscure Catholic college from sleepy Spokane, Washington (population: 211,000) and turning it into a college basketball powerhouse… Less well known is that it was Few’s predecessor, Dan Monson, that started Gonzaga’s run of greatness.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Democrats can work with Donald Trump. They share economic populist values that would help (paywall) the US economy and the Democratic party.
Baseball isn’t boring. As the slowest of American sports, its highs and lows can be as satisfying (paywall) as a great novel.
Silicon Valley is addicted to ”bro CEOs.” We’re giving young jerks (paywall) limitless money and power to create doomed corporate frat houses.
Surprising discoveries
Snapchat is turning into a search engine. The fleeting-photo-sharing service launched a search function for its stories, paving the way for more ads.
The extinct Tasmanian tiger was spotted in Australia. Scientists plan to erect 50 camera traps in Queensland to get a glimpse of the mysterious creature.
The live shareholder meeting is dead. More US companies are opting for (paywall) online annual shareholders’ meetings, to the chagrin of traditionalists.
A badger was caught on video burying a dead cow to eat later. The impressive act shed light on the habits of the small, nocturnal animal.
Britain is self-conscious about its passport color. It may return to navy blue, which MP Andrew Rosindell said would end ”the humiliation of having a pink European Union passport.”
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