Three princes, Oscar nominations, clowning around

Queen Elizabeth holds an emergency family meeting. Prince Harry, his brother William, and their father Charles are discussing the royal crisis, while Meghan dials in from Canada. The two younger princes have admitted a rift, and although Harry may think he has no future or family tree, he won’t be told to just go ahead now. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Queen Elizabeth holds an emergency family meeting. Prince Harry, his brother William, and their father Charles are [discussing the royal crisis]( while Meghan dials in from Canada. The two younger princes have admitted a rift, and although Harry may think he has no future or family tree, he won’t be told to just go ahead now. Boeing’s new CEO has a large in-tray on his first day. David Calhoun takes over from Dennis Muilenburg, who [leaves the company]( with $80.7 million in pay and benefits, despite two fatal crashes that left 346 people dead. The Academy announces Oscar nominations. Will they recognize [movies by, and about, women]( Another #OscarsSoWhite? Do the Brits clean up as usual? Sponsor content by EY Company culture is a boardroom priority. It’s up to leaders at all levels to define and implement culture, but boards must hold them accountable. [Here are five ways]( boards can influence and shape corporate culture. Over the weekend Iran denied shooting at protesters. Thousands of people have [voiced their anger]( after Iran eventually admitted to downing the Ukrainian plane with a missile in Tehran last week. US defence secretary Mark Esper undermined president Trump. He said there is no “[hard evidence]( that Iran was planning an attack on four US embassies, which was used as justification for killing Qassem Soleimani. Taiwanese voters showed what they think of China. President Tsai Ing-wen, who supports Hong Kong’s protesters, beat Han Kuo-yu, who was Beijing’s candidate, by 2.6 million votes in [the biggest-ever election victory]( in Taiwan. Eruptions and earthquakes rocked the globe. Ash from a [volcano in the Philippines]( shut down Manila’s airport and forced thousands to evacuate, while a dramatic but less disruptive explosion [struck Mexico](. Meanwhile, the [latest in a string of earthquakes hit Puerto Rico]( on Saturday. Walmart India sacked dozens of senior staff. Fifty six executives, including eight from senior management, [were let go]( as the India division of the world’s largest retailer braces for more layoffs. The subsidiary has [grappled with]( mounting losses. Quartz membership Accounting is at a crossroads. The Big Four accounting firms are under more scrutiny than at any time since the Enron scandal. This week’s [state of play]( explains what’s wrong with how public companies are audited, and how the industry is trying to improve. Quartz obsession Clowns are people, too. Whether you love them, hate them, or love to hate them, clowns are sprinkled throughout culture like the confetti they love to fling. Are we scared of what’s behind the greasepaint, or are we really just afraid of what they say about what entertains us? [Clown around with the Quartz Obsession.]( Matters of debate Data visualizations should make information the priority. Don’t worry about entertaining people if you’re [making them smarter](. School textbooks can be partisan. A [New York Times investigation]( found two states with two different narratives of US history, despite having the same publisher. A “microbiata vault” could preserve humanity’s health. Much of our ancestral microbiome [is becoming extinct](. Message from our Partner Own your data. Hub Culture is the one global community actively committed to ensuring individual data ownership as it works to build frameworks for digital self-reliance, governance, and collaboration. You can get involved [here](. Surprising discoveries A text a day could keep the truancy officer away. Head Start, a US government program, [cut school absenteeism]( by up to 20%. A researcher discovered a 14th-century drawing of Venice. It’s the [oldest illustration of the city]( to be found. Scientists find the source of global humming. First reported in the 1970s, these low-frequency sounds are [apparently the result]( of magma rising to form an undersea volcano. Thailand’s king has a solution for congestion (that he’s caused) in Bangkok. Police must [stop shutting down roads]( for royal motorcades. South Koreans are learning to outsmart recruitment bots. Career consultants are teaching job-seekers to do things like “[smile with your eyes]( Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, truancy texts, and AI-approved smiles to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by[downloading our app on iOS or Android]( and[becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Adam Rasmi and Hasit Shah. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to advertise in the Quartz Daily Brief? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.