Good morning, Quartz readers!
Today we’re launching The Happiness Experiment, which uses economics, history, and evolutionary psychology to understand how our notions of happiness have changed over time.
What to watch for today
The UK parliament votes on a June 8 snap election called by Theresa May. The prime minister wants to bolster her mandate to guide the country’s exit from the European Union. Lawmakers look set to pass the motion, paving the way for even more arguing about Brexit in the weeks ahead.
The US, Japan, and South Korea discuss North Korea. The Defense Trilateral Talks take place annually, but this year’s event, being held in Tokyo, is particularly timely amid growing tensions on the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang may test another missile or nuclear weapon to mark a key military anniversary on April 25.
India’s finance minister visits the United States. Arun Jaitley has a packed schedule: He’ll be attending the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, participating in the G-20 meeting on the financial sector, and sitting down with US investors. He’s also slated to meet with US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and the editorial board of the New York Times.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump called for fewer visas for low-wage foreign workers. The US president’s new executive order (paywall) does not fulfill his campaign promise to end the H-1B visa program, but will make it more difficult to hire foreign workers who make below-median wages for their industry.
Chevron sold its Canadian gas stations and a refinery for $1.1 billion. The US oil giant found a buyer in Alberta-based Parkland Fuel, a marketer of petroleum products. Chevron, which last year suffered its first annual loss since 1987, is working to sell up to $10 billion in assets.
Mark Zuckerberg said augmented reality is Facebook’s “Act 2.” The CEO announced plans to use smartphone cameras to display virtual items in the real world. His company also unveiled a beta for tools allowing outside developers to build AR applications for the platform. Rival Snapchat meanwhile rolled out 3D artwork users can add to their snaps.
IBM reported its 20th consecutive quarter of revenue declines. The company’s “big bets”—notably in cloud computing, where Amazon dominates—are still not growing fast enough to offset declining sales in its older businesses. Revenue fell 2.8% in the first quarter. The company’s shares fell more than 5% in after-hours trading.
Quartz obsession interlude
Akshat Rathi on the UK’s general election Brexit re-do: “May’s Conservative Party looks set to increase its majority in parliament—it currently holds 330 seats in the 650-member parliament, and poll projections imply that it could gain 50 more in the upcoming vote… In reality, nothing is certain in today’s volatile political environment.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Being grumpy at work is good for you. That’s why corporate strategies to maximize worker happiness can quickly backfire.
Justin Trudeau is a disaster for the environment. His advocacy for new pipelines in Canada’s oil sands is an act of stunning hypocrisy.
Introverts make better CEOs. Extroverted corporate leaders aren’t better performers—they’re just better at schmoozing corporate boards (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Cologne is struggling to find a llama on the lam. It escaped with 13 other animals from a petting zoo.
United Airlines used to have men-only flights. They offered steaks, brandy, and cigars until 1970, when a lawsuit shut them down.
Collectively, humans have watched Adam Sandler on Netflix for longer than civilization has existed. Never mind that his recent projects have bombed in theaters and been torn apart by critics.
Almost all Americans use their phones while driving. It’s no wonder that traffic deaths are on the rise.
Disabled gamers are hacking their own custom joysticks. Their inventions include input devices controlled by the head and foot.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Adam Sandler faves, and grumpy colleagues to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.