Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
France goes to the polls for round one of the presidential elections. Eleven candidates are on the ballot on Sunday. Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen are in a virtual tie in the most recent polls, with the conservative François Fillon and the far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon not far behind.
Mike Pence journeys Down Under. The US vice president will meet with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull amid protests against the US-Australia military alliance. Relations have been tense since Donald Trump slammed Turnbull’s refugee resettlement program in a February phone call.
Samsung releases its first major smartphone since the explosive Note 7. The Galaxy S8 is available Friday. It’s garnering strong reviews for its curved screen and expandable memory—but most important will be its ability to not blow up.
While you were sleeping
A gunman killed one policeman and wounded two on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. The perpetrator reportedly opened fire near a department store and metro stop at around 9pm before he was killed by law enforcement. France is on high alert for terror attacks ahead of this weekend’s election.
Trump launched a probe into Chinese steel. The US president said dependence on steel imports may threaten national security, and announced an investigation led by commerce secretary Wilbur Ross. Ross made some of his $2.5 billion fortune by selling US steel producers to an Indian conglomerate.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was barred from running for president again. Iran’s Guardian Council blocked the ex-leader’s surprising bid to get his old job back. Hardliners like Ahmadinejad sense an opportunity: President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, faces criticism for reaching out to the West in light of Trump’s more aggressive stance toward Iran.
A US judge blocked the release of a new Prince album. Deliverance was due to be released today, on the anniversary of Prince’s death. The injunction requires audio engineer Ian Boxhill to release all original recordings, copies, and derivatives to the purple one’s estate.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ananya Bhattacharya on the worldwide crackdown against Indian engineers: “It’s not just the H-1B: Donald Trump’s message to bring jobs back to America has been loud and clear, but by no means is it new. With the rise of nationalist sentiment around the world, countries from the west to the east have been making moves to weed out the foreign worker population.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
Mnuchin blows hot /about tax plans and Wall Street / Goes weak in the knees.
Matters of debate
Walmart is bailing out Silicon Valley VCs. The retail giant is acquiring a string of failed e-commerce startups.
Trump’s North Korea strategy may actually be working. It’s significant that Pyongyang chose not to carry out a nuclear attack this weekend.
The US opioid crisis is a powerful rebuttal of drug legalization. Prohibition may be a failure, but some substances are just too dangerous for unrestricted access.
Surprising discoveries
Balenciaga is selling a version of Ikea’s iconic carry bags. The original costs $0.99, the knock-off more than $2,000.
Umbilical cord blood may be the fountain of youth. It contains proteins that reverse age-related memory loss in mice.
The Chilean revenue agency has a rapping chinchilla mascot. The animated star Ivo is fond of lines like “They’re awesome, those taxes!”
Spy satellites spotted North Koreans playing volleyball at a nuclear facility. It may be an elaborate misdirection—or just people who really like volleyball.
Scientists have created a Tarzan robot that can swing from vines. Though a tree sloth was their true inspiration.
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