Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman visits Russian president Vladimir Putin. The fossil-fuel superpowers and longtime antagonists made an unexpected rapprochement in the past year. The Saudis are no longer demanding the removal of the Russia-backed Syrian regime and Russia has toned down criticism of Riyadh’s operations in Yemen.
JK Rowling’s new book leads the literary pack on Super Thursday. The publishing world’s biggest release date also coincides with the announcement of the 2017 Nobel Prize in literature.
Costco releases fourth-quarter results. The country’s second-biggest retailer, which gets most of its earnings from membership fees, is expected to post solid results, driven by higher membership costs and strong demand for food, appliances, and home furnishings.
While you were sleeping
The Las Vegas gunman’s girlfriend said she wasn’t aware of his deadly plan. Marilou Danley said in a statement that Stephen Paddock was a “kind, caring, quiet man.” Danley, who returned to LA on Tuesday for questioning, said Paddock had bought her a ticket to visit her family in the Philippines and wired her money to buy a house there.
Tropical depression Nate formed near Central America. It’s currently more than 1,000 miles from the US, but the National Hurricane Center forecasts Nate will make landfall near Panama City, Florida on Sunday and become a Category 1 hurricane. The NHC said Sept. 2017 was the ”most active month on record” for tropical systems in the Atlantic basin.
US special forces were killed in Niger. Three Green Berets were killed (paywall) and two were wounded in an ambush during a joint training mission with Nigerian troops, according to the US Africa Command. The attack happened near the border with Mali, where Al Qaeda-affiliated militants are active.
Mattel scrapped plans for a kid-focused smarthub. After an outcry about safety and privacy, Mattel decided not to release its AI-enabled Aristotle device (paywall). The toy giant said the product did not ”fully align with Mattel’s new technology strategy.” Aristotle was designed to do things like switch on a night light in kids’ rooms, and evolve its activities as it learns about the child.
South Korea agreed to amend its trade deal with the US. President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw from the deal, known as Korus, if South Korea didn’t agree to terms that would reduce America’s growing trade deficit with the country. Seoul had been reluctant to change the five-year-old pact.
Quartz obsession interlude
Angus Hervey on why there’s no Nobel prize in technology. “In an age when technology is intimately interwoven in almost every aspect of our lives, those who come up with new ways of using technology to make the world a better place deserve just as much recognition as the scientists, doctors, peacemakers, economists, and writers who we’re celebrating this week.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
We need a new word for TV. The lines between streaming video, TV shows, and movies are getting blurry.
Starbucks should give its baristas as much parental leave as its corporate staff. Unequal benefits corrode morale and expose the company to lawsuits and lost productivity.
Right-wing political groups rely on Islamic terror for support. Branding mass shooters as devout Muslims enables these groups to whip up public rage.
Surprising discoveries
Norway wants to bury other countries’ carbon in its backyard. State-owned Gassnova uses carbon capture and storage to bury greenhouse gases beneath the continental shelf.
Hollywood is helping surgeons practice brain surgery. The special effects team behind Watchmen contributed to a more realistic training program at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Santa Claus’s tomb was discovered in Turkey. The suspected 1,674-year-old remains of Saint Nicholas were found beneath the ruins of an ancient church.
People walked differently in medieval times. Before solid shoes hit the scene in the 16th century, people pushed up on the balls of their feet like ballet dancers.
“Love” is not a permitted ingredient in granola. US regulators chastised a Massachusetts bakery for its heartfelt labeling.
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