What to watch for today
Reaction as the outsiders win in New Hampshire. Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump raked in the votes from the US’s first presidential primary, with Ohio governor John Kasich in second place. Bernie Sanders trounced Hillary Clinton with 60% of the votes to her 40%.
How will US stocks do today? European stocks rebounded, with Germany’s Dax and France’s CAC indexes up more than 2%. Italian stocks were up 5.5% in early trading. But Japanese stocks slumped again, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 dropping by 3.9%. Stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China are still closed.
Janet Yellen in the spotlight. The Federal Reserve chair will take two days of questions from US lawmakers; investors hope she can help calm the volatile global economy and shed some light on further US interest-rate hikes this year.
Twitter’s moment of truth. The company’s quarterly results may be the most important in its history, following a period of turmoil and stock declines. Growth numbers have been anemic and users have complained about impending changes to the Twitter timeline.
While you were sleeping
The US Supreme Court halted Barack Obama’s climate plan. It ruled that the US president’s scheme to cut emissions by 32% by 2030 should not pass until all legal challenges were heard. The plan was a major part of the US pledge at the Paris climate talks.
Hong Kong said it will investigate police officers’ riot response. Authorities will assess whether it was appropriate for two officers to fire two warning shots during a protest on Monday night. The violence suggests a level of distrust of the government felt even by the city’s top business leaders.
European brewers toasted their fizzy results. Dutch firm Heineken raised its dividend by 18% to €1.30 per share on a rise in full-year net profit (paywall), while Danish brewer Carlsberg’s fourth-quarter operating profit came in at 1.4 billion kroner ($210 million).
Nissan’s income beat estimates. The Japanese auto maker reported a fiscal third quarter operating profit of 192.6 billion yen ($1.7 billion), far ahead of expectations of a 177.7 billion yen profit. The result was boosted by strong US sales.
China reported its first case of the Zika virus. A 34-year-old man contracted the disease in South America and returned home via Hong Kong and Shenzhen after displaying symptoms. Authorities are playing down concerns of contagion because of the cold weather there.
Quartz obsession interlude
Mike Murphy on Google’s plans for self-driving delivery trucks.“Google’s patent outlines what it calls an ‘autonomous delivery platform’… The trucks would be fitted with a series of lockers that could potentially be unlocked with a PIN code sent to the person waiting for the delivery before the truck arrives at their location.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
History is the most important lesson in economics. Without it, economists are unable to take a wider perspective.
Nairobi’s cultural openness is making it a global cuisine hub. The Kenyan city is on track to be the best in Africa for foodies.
The sell-off of banking shares has been overdone. So says Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Beyoncé is a boon to Red Lobster. Sales jumped 30% after her risqué reference to the seafood restaurant.
Actually, an Indian man wasn’t killed by a meteorite. NASA believes the evidence points to a land-based explosion instead (paywall).
Horses can recognize human emotion. They can tell the difference between a happy and angry person.
A Florida man tossed an alligator through a drive-thru window. He was charged with “assault with a deadly weapon.”
Sighing is not just a sign of despair. The crucial reflex actually preserves lung function and keeps you alive.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, other false asteroid death stories, and alligator repellant to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.