Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Hilton hits the road. The hotel chain, expected to go public before the end of the year, could kick off its IPO roadshow this week. Blackstone, the private equity group that bought Hilton for $26.7 billion six years ago, reportedly hopes to raise $2.25 billion in a deal valuing the company at $30 billion.
Krispy Kreme’s sweet earnings. The donut company is set to report its 20th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, and analysts expect third-quarter earnings growth of 25%, to 15 cents per share.
Cyber Monday in the US. The Monday following Thanksgiving, when many Americans return to their offices after the holiday weekend, is typically the biggest day of the year for US online sales. This year $2 billion of purchases are expected, up from $1.5 billion last year.
Europe’s manufacturing growth. Research firm Markit Economics releases PMI data about manufacturing industries in the euro zone and several of its member countries, which will shed light on Europe’s economic recovery. Preliminary data shows Germany’s manufacturing index hitting a 29-month high of 52.5 (numbers above 50 indicate expansion).
Over the weekend
Bangkok rocked by protests against Thailand’s government. Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was forced into hiding after activists threatened to storm her offices, the latest escalation in ongoing anti-government protests that have resulted in four deaths and dozens of injuries. A face-to-face meeting between a protest leader and the prime minister failed to defuse the tension.
Riots in Ukraine, too. More than 100,000 people marched in Kiev, defying a national ban on protests in Independence Square, after the Ukrainian government rejected a deal to establish closer trade and political ties with the EU.
A New York train derailed. Four were killed and more than 60 injured when a Metro-North railroad train ran off the tracks in the Bronx, New York, marking the third time this year its service to Manhattan has been disrupted because of an accident.
China set off for space. China launched its first lunar rover mission, a rocket that is expected to reach the moon in mid-December. The rover is called Jade Rabbit, after an ancient Chinese myth about the lunar goddess’ pet rabbit.
Quartz obsession interlude
Todd Woody on Japan’s plan to supply the world with solar energy from a giant plant on the moon. “Unlike terrestrial solar power plants, orbiting solar panels can generate energy around the clock. The part-time nature of earthbound solar power means it can’t currently supply the minimum or ‘baseload’ demand without backup from fossil-fuel plants. However, the cost of lifting the solar panels into orbit would be far higher than for building a photovoltaic power plant on earth.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Vladimir Putin’s chronic lateness is a deliberate tactic. It’s part of his desire to be seen as a tsar among world leaders.
Good riddance to Movember. The grow-a-mustache-for-charity month is self-indulgent, misguided, and doesn’t even do much to promote men’s health.
It’s not enough just to translate video games. Bringing out an Arabic version of an English-language games means taking account of cultural differences too.
The US should take a lesson from Europe to fix its tax code. Introducing a 12.9% value-added levy would allow the government to cut income and corporate rates without losing tax revenue.
Surprising discoveries
Our brains have not one but two internal clocks. And they compete with each other.
Daughters set you right. Having only daughters, or a first-born girl, makes parents more likely to vote conservative.
On vacation, rich people are pretending to be poor. A luxury resort in South Africa has created a fake shanty town for its wealthy, if tasteless, clientele.
Republicans think racism is over. Or so the Republican party tweeted, but most Americans disagree.
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