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 snap election called by Theresa May. The prime minister wants to bolster her mandate to guide the country’s exit from the EU. Lawmakers look set to pass the motion, paving the way for even more arguing about Brexit.
The US, Japan, and South Korea discuss North Korea. The Defense Trilateral Talks take place annually, but this year’s event 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.
Morgan Stanley is next up with its first-quarter results. Investors are hoping to see more positive results after rival Goldman Sachs disappointed on earnings Tuesday.
While you were sleeping
Fox prepared to cut Bill O’Reilly loose. The pressure to let go of its star anchor has escalated since a New York Times article revealed it paid $13 million in settlements (paywall) for sexual harassment claims from women who’d worked with O’Reilly or appeared on his show. His departure could happen (paywall) in the next few days—and hurt Fox: “The O’Reilly Factor” draws 4 million viewers a night.
Democrats fell short of a win in the Georgia House race. Democrat Jon Ossoff had 48.6% of the vote (paywall) as of Wednesday morning—just shy of the 50% he needed for the seat. Now it goes to a June 20 runoff between Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel. Democrats poured money into Ossoff’s campaign, which was being closely watched as a referendum on Trump—who went on a major Twitter offensive against Ossoff before the vote.
Shoppers in the Americas avoided Burberry. Despite doing robust trade in China, the famous trenchcoat maker missed quarterly estimates thanks to a sales slump in the Americas. Burberry refuses to sell its luxury products in US stores that offer discounts for fear of watering down its exclusive brand image, while more wealthy Americans are shopping abroad thanks to the strong dollar.
Akzo Nobel went all out to avoid a US takeover. The Dutch company, which owns Dulux, will split into a paints division and a chemicals unit, the latter to be sold or listed the stock market. It will also give shareholders €1.6 billion ($1.7 billion) worth of dividends in an effort to placate them after refusing two takeover bids from US-based PPG Industries this year. A merger would create the largest paints company in the world, worth around $130 billion.
Xi Jinping streamlined the Chinese military. The Chinese president, who’s also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is reorganizing the People’s Liberation Army into what he says will be a leaner, world-class fighting force. Beijing has been beefing up its military hardware as it flexes its muscles over sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
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.
Facts are not more important than opinions. Labeling something a “fact” doesn’t mean it’s infallible, and opinions hold value as careful judgements when empirical investigation is inadequate.
Introverts make better CEOs. Extroverted corporate leaders aren’t better performers—they’re just better at schmoozing (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
United Airlines used to have men-only flights. They offered steaks, brandy, and cigars until they were shut down by a lawsuit in 1970.
“Australia first” is bad news for jockeys. The country’s skilled worker visa shutdown reserves jobs such as jockey, goat farmer, sailmaker, and antique dealer exclusively for Australians.
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 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.