What to watch for today
Oregon’s militant standoff unfolds. A group of armed gunmen have taken over a federal building in the northwestern US state, and have taken to social media to recruit more members for their siege. They are protesting for land designated for animal protection to be handed from the government to the public.
Global stocks are off to an unpleasant start. US futures aren’t looking good as investors ask when the Chinese stocks rout will end. Earlier, the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets fell by 6.9% and 8.2%, respectively, triggering a protective measure that shut down trading for the rest of the day. That has sent some European indices down by as much as 3.18% in early trading (paywall).
Barack Obama moves forward on gun-control laws. The US president will meet with attorney general Loretta Lynch to discuss a set of executive actions on gun control. He’s expected to announce his proposals to the public shortly.
Jeremy Corbyn tries to keep control of the UK Labour party. The party meets amid talk that MPs Hilary Benn and Maria Eagle, who both opposed Corbyn to vote in favor of military intervention in Syria, could lose their cabinet posts.
Over the weekend
Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran. Iranian diplomats were given 48 hours from Sunday to return home from Riyadh after protestors stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Those protests were in response to Sunni-led Saudi Arabia executing prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr; oil prices have already risen.
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit east India. At least nine people have been killed and another 30 injured in Manipur state after the quake hit early on Monday morning. Tremors were also reported in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
ISIL executed five “spies.” The terrorist group claims the five men killed were British spies. On the film, a man threatens attacks in the UK, and a young boy speaks about killing unbelievers: both have British accents.
Sweden implemented border controls. Travellers crossing the border with Denmark via the Oresund bridge that connects Malmo with Copenhagen will now need to present a valid photo ID or be turned away, in an effort to reduce the number of migrants entering Sweden. Some 20,000 people currently commute to work across the border daily.
China landed a test flight in disputed waters. A civilian aircraft landed on one of the nation’s manmade Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, an area that Vietnam and the Philippines also claim. Beijing dismissed Vietnam’s complaint over the move.
Puerto Rico confirmed the spread of the Zika virus. The mosquito-borne virus suspected of causing brain damage in 2,400 newborn babies in Brazil has arrived in Puerto Rico. Authorities warned tourists to protect against mosquitoes.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dr. Jay Parkinson, on why an Uber for doctor’s house calls won’t work: “It boils down to two issues: It’s ridiculously inefficient and very, very few doctors will actually want this kind of life. I do think they should exist as a ridiculously expensive option for people who don’t care about money, because America.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
If you answer emails after work, you should get unlimited vacation time. Employees should work when there’s work that needs doing.
China’s tech startups will face a funding squeeze in 2016. A round of buyouts may follow a current drop in confidence in companies’ wild valuations (paywall).
Vigilant citizens should take off their headphones in public. We all need to keep an eye (and ear) out for terrorism.
Surprising discoveries
The concept of different “learning styles” is a neuroscience myth. The idea that we all learn differently doesn’t stand up to scientific tests.
Australia has a George Costanza-themed bar. The Seinfeld character is surprisingly popular down under.
Horses once had stripes like zebras. They lost their wild camouflage once humans domesticated them.
Scientists have created a hologram you can feel. Ultrasonic radiation pressure allows you to “feel” the objects you’re looking at.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, touchable holograms, and other Seinfeld-themed bars to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.