Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The UK’s budget update. Finance minister Philip Hammond is set to deliver his second budget speech as Theresa May’s government struggles with political and fiscal instability. Hammond has little room for error (paywall)—his previous budget unravelled, and he’s been criticized for not supporting Brexit.
Aung San Suu Kyi discusses Rohingya repatriation with Bangladesh. Myanmar’s de facto leader will address the “safe and voluntary return” of her country’s repressed Muslim minority. An alleged ethnic cleansing campaign has driven 600,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh.
Vladimir Putin talks Syria with world leaders. Russia’s president will host a meeting with leaders from Turkey and Iran in the resort town of Sochi to discuss a peace process between the conflict’s warring sides. Putin recently wrapped up a meeting with Assad and held an hour-long phone call with Donald Trump.
While you were sleeping
US regulators announced a plan to repeal net neutrality. Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai wants to eliminate Obama-era safeguards that prevent cable and telecom companies from charging extra fees for specific internet services and websites. Free speech advocates and tech companies like Netflix are expected to challenge the new rules in court.
Meg Whitman is stepping down as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The highly regarded tech executive, who previously ran eBay and unsuccessfully ran for governership of California, said her tenure will end on Feb. 1, 2018. She will be replaced by HPE president Antonio Neri; company shares fell about 7% on the news.
The UN released a video of a North Korean defecting. The footage, shot on Nov. 13, shows a soldier jumping out of a vehicle and running across the border to the south as fellow North Koreans shot at him dozens of times. He is recuperating in a South Korea hospital, where he recently regained consciousness.
Another skeleton was found in Uber’s closet. The company admitted that it had paid $100,000 to a team of hackers who, in October 2016, obtained the personal data of 57 million customers and drivers. “None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, assumed leadership at the company after the incident occurred, told Bloomberg.
Pixar’s animation chief fell prey to sexual misconduct allegations. Media reports surfaced describing John Lasseter, director of Toy Story and other animated classics, making unwanted advances towards several women. Just before, Lasseter sent a memo to staff acknowledging “missteps” and announcing he would take a six-month leave of absence from the company.
Quartz obsession interlude
John Capone on where unsellable wine goes to die. “In the wine industry, when your product outweighs your demand, there are few ways to legally dispose of it. With permission from the state, pouring it down the drain at specially equipped public facilities is one method, but when it’s already bottled and labeled, there are prohibitive labor costs and headaches involved. And somebody might see you do it.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The end of net neutrality could benefit consumers. Competition will motivate media companies to keep prices reasonable.
Libel laws have helped safeguard the Harvey Weinsteins of Britain. Publications must have watertight proof before they can allege sexual misconduct.
The late Charles Manson can fit any narrative. The killer and cult leader has been portrayed as a cultural byproduct, right-wing lunatic, and left-wing fanatic. But he saw himself as “just a mirror.”
Surprising discoveries
AI could help spot art forgeries. Researchers trained an algorithm to detect brush strokes that don’t fit artists’ known patterns.
The world isn’t writing as many sad songs. Since 2010, downbeat lyrics and minor chords are on the decline.
Elon Musk hates turtlenecks. The Tesla chief, who balks at being compared to Apple’s Steve Jobs, said he’d use his dying breath to rip a turtleneck off his own body.
Drinking alcohol alone can strain relations, even if you’re a prairie vole. A new study found that solitary booze consumption adversely affects the monogamous rodents.
Sacha Baron Cohen will pay for Kazakh “mankini” fines. The Borat star, who made the scanty one-piece suit famous, told Czech tourists fined for wearing the garments in Kazakhstan that he’d cover their bills.
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