Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
China and the EU hold a timely summit in Brussels. Premier Li Keqiang and top EU officials will underscore their commitment to the Paris climate agreement. Also on the agenda: North Korean missile tests and global steel production.
Vladimir Putin chats with Western business execs. The Russian president is expected to drop in on a roundtable with the heads of BP, Boeing, and Total at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Ireland may elect a gay prime minister. Leo Varadkar would be the youngest politician to become Taoiseach, and the first of ethnic minority heritage—his father is from India. Varadkar is up against housing minister Simon Coveney for the leadership of the Fine Gael party.
It’s US jobs report day. Non-farm payrolls are expected to have grown by around 180,000 in May, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.4%. Based on the numbers today, the Fed may raise the benchmark interest rate this month.
While you were sleeping
The world reacted with dismay and anger to Trump’s Paris pull-out. Hot on Elon Musk’s heels, Disney chief Bob Iger resigned from a White House advisory council and Apple’s Tim Cook wrote to staff that he’d tried to change Trump’s mind but failed. The UN, politicians, and business leaders expressed their incredulity, sadness, and disappointment at the president’s decision to abandon the global accord.
The White House asked the Supreme Court to reinstate the travel ban. Lawyers from the Department of Justice asked the court to overturn last week’s ruling (paywall) from the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which called for a freeze on Trump’s initiative to temporarily ban citizens from six mostly Muslim countries. The move will test how the nation’s highest judicial body receives the controversial order.
Baccarat clinked glasses with its new Chinese owner. The exclusive French crystal glassware maker agreed to sell a nearly 90% stake to Chinese investment group Fortune Fountain Capital. The 250-year-old company traces its heritage back to when King Louis XV of France granted permission for a glassworks in the town of Baccarat in eastern France. Now the company will focus on growth in Asia and the Middle East.
Snapchat Spectacles launched in Europe. Seven months after Snap debuted its camera-equipped sunglasses in the US, happy snappers from London to Barcelona can now grab a pair. Snap is hoping the €150 ($158) Spectacles can keep its 55 million daily European users away from other camera apps.
The death toll from the Manila casino blaze reached 36. A lone gunman entered Resorts World and began shooting into the air before setting fire to the tables. He later set himself on fire and died. Around 70 more were injured. A Filipino ISIL group tried to claim responsibility for the attack, but officials are insisting it was a robbery attempt and not terrorism-related.
Quartz obsession interlude
Akshat Rathi on the gravitational waves created when two black holes merge. “In a sense, such an event is like what happens when a stone is thrown in a still pool: the stone disrupts the water, creating waves of water carrying energy away from the spot where it hit; the most violent processes in the universe can disrupt space-time in the same way, radiating waves of distorted space-time.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Climate change is a problem for every income bracket. Some billionaires are fighting global warming, but the poor will suffer the most.
The US and UK are no longer global leaders. Both countries are experiencing the slowest economic growth of any G7 member.
AI could decide the next superpowers. Venture capitalist Kai-fu Lee believes technological change will lead to the emergence of at least two in the next 50 years.
Surprising discoveries
Uber drivers are sharing passenger antics on social media. The dash-cam videos are designed to guard against bad reviews or false accusations.
A startup is charging $8,000 for blood transfusions from young people. It’s part of a clinical trial, but there’s no evidence that older people receiving blood plasma from the young prevents disease.
Walmart is asking employees to deliver packages on their way home from work. The retail giant wants to take advantage of its huge footprint as it competes with Amazon.
A French winery may have unearthed the world’s oldest bottle of Bordeaux. It dates back to the 1700s and was packaged in a specially sealed bottle with a green-heart stopper.
Canada is urging teens to swap naked mole rat pictures instead of nude selfies. A child protection agency launched an ad campaign featuring one of world’s ugliest rodents.
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