France votes, Musk melds brains and computers, chinchillas rap

[Quartz - qz.com]() Quartz Daily Brief sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today and over the weekend Round one of the French presidential elections. Eleven candidates [are on the ballot]( on Sunday. Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen are virtually tied in the polls, with conservative François Fillon and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon not far behind. Thursday’s [terror attack on the Champs-Élysées]( has ramped up tensions in the capital. Mike Pence goes 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 strained]( since Trump’s tense February phone call with Turnbull about Australia’s refugee resettlement agreement with the US. Samsung launches the Galaxy S8. The S8’s curved screen, expandable memory, and long-lasting battery may help consumers [forget about its exploding predecessor]( the Note 7. General Electric releases its figures. Wall Street will be keen to hear about GE’s plans to [slash costs by $2 billion at its industrial operations]( (paywall) when the company reports quarterly earnings. Sponsor content by Thailand Board of investment Thailand is known for its internationally rated cuisine. But did you know that it is also a farming powerhouse? Now the country has its sights set on strengthening the future of food security and sustainability with Thailand 4.0, an initiative designed to attract and support businesses with [future-focused, global-minded big ideas.]( While you were sleeping Elon Musk revealed his plans for a human-computer brain. Not busy enough with Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has founded a new company called Neuralink, which aims to turn cloud-based AI into an extension of the human brain. It’s all about achieving “consensual telepathy,” [he explained]( through brain implants that allow humans to effectively bypass language as we know it. The German soccer-bus attacker had a financial motive. Police said the 28-year-old charged with bombing the Dortmund Borussia team bus last week wasn’t a religious extremist, but a market speculator who was [betting on a drop in the club’s share price]( after the attack. The US stepped up efforts to arrest Julian Assange. The Justice Department has prepared charges to seek the [arrest of the Wikileaks founder]( general Jeff Sessions called it a “priority.” Assange’s lawyer said he wasn’t aware of any imminent prosecution. The US investigation into the Australian has been ongoing since 2010, with Assange holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012. The euro zone economy gathered speed. [Investors may be jittery]( about the outcome of the French elections, but the [country is spearheading]( (paywall) the bloc’s economic momentum, which just hit its [fastest pace in six years]( thanks to robust jobs growth and strong demand for goods and services. The Market PMI for April, released today, rose to 56.7, from 56.4 in March. Quartz obsession interlude Ananya Bhattacharya on the worldwide crackdown on Indian engineers: “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](. Matters of debate Mission-driven leaders are losing their mystique. Scandals at companies like Theranos, Zenefits, and Uber are [undermining the narrative]( that surrounds them. 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. Every school of psychology needs a theory of the unconscious. Focusing on the unconscious can [expand our ability]( to perform certain tasks without thinking. Quartz announcement For Africans, innovation isn't a trend or a fad. It's a necessity. Stay up to date on the most important and interesting news from around the continent with the [Quartz Africa Weekly Brief](. Surprising discoveries Balenciaga is selling a version of Ikea’s iconic carry bags. The original costs $0.99, [the knock-off a bargain at $2,000](. Walmart is bailing out Silicon Valley VCs. The retail giant is acquiring [a string of failed e-commerce startups](. 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. Animated star Ivo is fond of lines like [“They’re awesome, those taxes!”]( Scientists have created a Tarzan robot that can swing from vines. Though a [tree sloth]( was their true inspiration. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, cheap-chic handbags, and animated chinchillas to hi@qz.com. 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