[Quartz - qz.com]
Daily Brief sponsored by
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting. In addition to the usual business of voting on board directors and stockholder proposals, CEO Elon Musk [will answer questions] from members of the Tesla Motors Club forum. Livestream it [here].
Lionel Messi stands trial for tax fraud. The Argentine soccer star and his father, Jorge, [allegedly hid $11.25 million] from the Spanish government in South American tax havens from 2007 to 2009. The Spanish tax agency is demanding a $4.5 million fine and a 22-month sentence for both Messi and his father.
New data on US home prices. The S&P/Case-Shiller Index will [update on residential values across the United States]. With home sales and residential investments rising, the US housing market may be [starting to boom.]
Sponsor content by XEROX
Are you a digital leader or laggard? In today’s competitive business world, transforming from a paper-based organization to a digital one is imperative. Document analytics can be your secret weapon for making your [digital transformation] ambitions a reality.[Advertisement]
While you were sleeping
Volkswagen made a bit of a comeback. The scandal-hit German carmaker [reported a 3.4% rise] in first-quarter profit to $3.8 billion, beating analysts’ forecasts of $3.1 billion. VW didn’t have to set aside money for the emissions-rigging scandal this quarter. Last year, it allocated $18 billion to fix the 11 million affected cars and pay for fines and lawsuits.
The EU clamped down on online hate speech. Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft signed up to new EU [code of conduct] (paywall) that requires them to review flagged hate speech on their platforms within 24 hours and remove it. The new guidelines are the Brussels’ first attempt to develop a consolidated approach across the whole of the EU.
North Korea botched a missile test. It [failed to launch] an intermediate-range ballistic missile, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. Japan put its military on alert Monday, as Musudan missiles could theoretically reach any part of Japan or US military bases on Guam. Pyongyang tried and failed to launch three Musudans in April, US and South Korean officials have said.
Brazil’s new anti-corruption minister quit. Another man down in interim president Michel Temer’s new cabinet; Fabiano Silveira [resigned after a recording was made public] that seemed to show him trying to derail a corruption investigation at the state oil company. Last week, the planning minister stepped aside after a similar recording was released.
It’s Steph Curry vs. LeBron James once more. The Golden State Warriors [recovered from a 3-1 deficit] to win the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. The defending champions—who [made history in the regular season] for the most wins—are through to the NBA finals, where they will face the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second year in a row.
Quartz obsession interlude
Olivia Goldhill on the dangers of overwork. “Workaholism, long-associated in some parts of the world with an industrious work ethic, can develop into a full-blown psychological addiction. Troublingly, a recently published study of 16,426 working adults in Norway found that those with workaholism are significantly more likely to have psychiatric symptoms.” [Read more here.]
Matters of debate
A mafia expert thinks the London is the most corrupt place on Earth. Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano says Naples has nothing on [the UK’s unscrupulous financial capital.]
The dress code is dead. A revolution in office culture is underway—and it values [personal expression] (paywall).
Twitter is perfect for poetry. The social platform’s 140-character limit has given rise to a new literary art: “[Twitterature].”
Surprising discoveries
The richest families in Florence in 1427? They are still the richest families [in Florence today].
Germany’s unemployment is at a record low. Despite the turmoil caused by the migrant crisis, its rate is the lowest [since reunification in 1990].
There’s a World Cup for unrecognized states. Abkhazia, Somaliland, and the Chagos Islands are [some of the competitors].
Early copies of “Alice in Wonderland” were supposed to be trashed. One of the 22 surviving copies of the first run will be [auctioned off in June].
Swedish men now outnumber women. Thanks to immigration and rising life expectancy, the [percentage of men] in several European countries is rising.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, lost first editions, and surplus men to [hi@qz.com]. You can download [our iPhone app] or follow us [on Twitter] for updates throughout the day.
Want to receive the Daily Brief at a different time? [Click here] to change your edition. To unsubscribe entirely, [click here].
Like us on [Facebook] and follow us on [Twitter].
Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States