Good morning.
The US and Canada release jobs numbers. The US jobs report for November could show an uptick from a disappointing October—due to the one-off effects of the General Motors strike—but may not indicate a general improvement, Forbes reports. Analysts also expect good news from Canada.
France has a second day of nationwide strikes. More than 800,000 took to the streets yesterday as unions launched an open-ended protest against plans for pension reform, the BBC reports. The strike forced the closure of trains, hospitals, schools, and even the Eiffel Tower.
A judge decides what to allow in the Sprint-T Mobile merger challenge. Several US states are trying to block the merger, saying it will hurt competition. Bloomberg reports that they want access to sensitive emails between the companies and regulators who approved the deal, which will be hashed out in a hearing today before the case goes to court next week.
Changing the game for health
Monopolizing deportation
The sole airline willing to deport high-risk immigrants is price-gouging ICE. There is only one carrier willing to take on US deportation flights and they're charging the US government nearly double the normal price, making flights as expensive as $33,500 per hour in November.
A basic lesson in supply and demand, as seen through the lens of ICE Air ops in an unredacted ICE document we obtained. ICE can only obtain the Boeing 767s required for its so-called SHRC (special high-risk charter) flights from one company in the entire country, because it's the only firm willing to
A basic lesson in supply and demand, as seen through the lens of ICE Air ops in an unredacted ICE document we obtained. ICE can only obtain the Boeing 767s required for its so-called SHRC (special high-risk charter) flights from one company in the entire country, because it's the only firm willing to take the contract for fear of negative press. But last month, those 767s were tied up with other, richer customers (i.e. the Dept. of Defense). So ICE was forced to take whatever the carrier offered—a 777 that was a couple of hundred seats bigger than what ICE needed, and double the price: $33,000/flight hr vs $17,000/flight hr. The company knows it's the only game in town and has no incentive to meet ICE halfway, according to ICE's primary charter broker, explaining why it can't put any pressure on the subcontractor to come down on its rate.
Every now and then, my faith is restored that the markets really know how to do their job. I'll use this as a lesson tonight to teach my kid the basics about supply and demand, and about how actions have consequences.
This is a super illuminating piece that shows the complexity of immigration control, public protest, and the business of deportation. Because ICE has garnered so much criticism few companies want to risk a public backlash and run the agency's charters. In fact, only one does it, which means it can charge
This is a super illuminating piece that shows the complexity of immigration control, public protest, and the business of deportation. Because ICE has garnered so much criticism few companies want to risk a public backlash and run the agency's charters. In fact, only one does it, which means it can charge whatever it wants.
Justin shows here how much this lack of competition is costing US taxpayers. It doesn't mean we should support all of ICE's activities but it does expose a dark side to an already dark law enforcement project.
The myth of work perfection
Dealing with failure at work. Three elements help teams improvise well: an experimental culture, minimal structures, and transactive memory systems.
The perfect morning routine doesn’t exist. The “optimized” morning peddled by celebrities, tech gurus, and influencers isn’t realistic for everyone, the Atlantic reports. And trying to achieve one could impact your mental health.
The exhaustive analysis we've been doing on the morning routines of famous people has gotten so out of control, we've basically been copying what tech execs are doing with biohacking.
We all have different styles, and Marina nails what we need to do at the end:
"I would be better off embracing my scattered
The exhaustive analysis we've been doing on the morning routines of famous people has gotten so out of control, we've basically been copying what tech execs are doing with biohacking.
We all have different styles, and Marina nails what we need to do at the end:
"I would be better off embracing my scattered mornings and pinpointing the bits and pieces I could simplify, rather than mimicking someone else’s morning routine, no matter how nice it looks from the outside."
A solid "morning routine" for a person is dedicated to create presence, calm, and focus so we can tackle the crazy days ahead of us. We can observe others, but we need to learn and adapt, not straight-up copy.
It's the most wonderful time of the year?
Greetings from Krampus. At this time of year, in parts of Europe, a goat demon named Krampus treads through the snow, ready to lug misbehaving children directly to hell. The Quartz Obsession will tell you how such a fearsome creature became part of tales told to children.
Phones aren't always our friends
The impeachment report report
The way we age now
New planet, same problems
Disrupting dementia
Science can’t fix dementia’s most heartbreaking problem. No matter how far science advances, it will never be able to tell you how to personally deal with a dementia diagnosis. ✦
As a science journalist, I believe there's always an answer for how to do things. That's why reporting this story was so hard: I learned there IS no guidebook for taking care of a person with dementia. It's scary and lonely and heartbreaking.
I cried while interviewing my parents for this story, and
As a science journalist, I believe there's always an answer for how to do things. That's why reporting this story was so hard: I learned there IS no guidebook for taking care of a person with dementia. It's scary and lonely and heartbreaking.
I cried while interviewing my parents for this story, and choked up talking to my friend, and a stranger. It was an eye opening experience, and I'm grateful they shared their stories.
An excellent journalistic piece that integrates the human element successfully with the stakes of the successes of scientific research (here finding cures for the many forms of dementia). Also, an excellent example of why science journalists are essential in bridging the gap between the hard reality
An excellent journalistic piece that integrates the human element successfully with the stakes of the successes of scientific research (here finding cures for the many forms of dementia). Also, an excellent example of why science journalists are essential in bridging the gap between the hard reality of patients and their families, and the surgical/cold eye of scientists and healthcare practitioners on these devastating diseases.
Bitcoin crime doesn't pay
Laundering money through bitcoin is a classically dumb crime. It leaves a permanent trail because transactions involving cryptocurrencies are recorded on a permanent, public, and immutable ledger. Defendants have repeatedly been undone because they’ve relied on bitcoin for some part of their nefarious activities.
The US jobs report is coming
Tomorrow is the big day. At Quartz, we amuse ourselves by predicting what the US labor market data will say. CNN thinks jobs could bounce back—get out your crystal ball and leave your official November jobs report prediction below.
The consensus estimate is 180k jobs added in November. I'm feeling a little pessimistic, mostly because I somehow injured my back and got the flu on the same day this week. I'm taking it as a sign: 140k is my prediction.
Our crystal ball says you'll be back
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Want to pitch your startup to Ratan Tata? He tells you exactly how
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With just two movies a day, MUBI is trying not to overwhelm Indian cinephiles
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TED wants to become the global hub for the climate change crisis
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