Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
SpaceX launches a top-secret US government satellite. A Falcon 9 rocket will lift off Saturday between 1am and 3am GMT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying Zuma to a low-earth orbit. The launch will also include a landing attempt of the rocket’s first stage; SpaceX has completed the maneuver 20 times to date.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in China. On Friday, Chinese moviegoers will finally be able to see the latest in the series, marking the film’s last major market release. Disney has pulled out all the marketing stops in hopes of raking in more box office revenue. The movie has already grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, placing it 19th in the lineup of biggest moneymakers.
China and South Korea discuss nuclear issues. The countries’ government officials will meet in Seoul on Friday and Saturday to exchange views on the developing situation in North Korea, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The meeting follows Kim Jong-un’s most recent nuclear threats.
While you were sleeping
Jeff Sessions cracked down on legal marijuana. The US attorney general, a longtime critic of legalized weed, reversed an Obama-era stance to keep federal hands off state regulations. Sessions’ new position lets prosecutors decide how aggressively to enforce weed’s longstanding federal prohibition in states where it is legal.
Intel shares fell in response to newly disclosed bugs. On Wednesday, the largest maker of microprocessors confirmed that the vulnerabilities revealed by researchers affect computers, phones and servers, exposing sensitive data to hackers. Shares dropped 2.8% by midday Thursday, following a 3.4% drop the day before.
The Trump administration froze security aid to Pakistan. The move retaliates against the country’s refusal to confront the terrorist networks operating there. The suspended aid includes Coalition Support Funds intended to help fund Pakistan’s counter-terror operations. The US state department did not disclose the total amount of aid affected but said it was significant.
A terrorist attack in Kabul left dozens of casualties. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest close to a group of police and intelligence service personnel, killing or wounding around 80 of them. The officials had been carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Trump threatened legal action against the new book criticizing his presidency. High-profile lawyer Charles Harder sent a letter to the book’s author Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt, demanding they halt its publication. The book, set to publish on Jan. 9, details Wolff’s observations during Trump’s first year in the White House.
Quartz obsession interlude
Lila MacLellan on how millennials are more likely than gen X-ers to be perfectionists, but it’s not their fault: “If younger people are more narcissistic and less empathetic than previous generations were at the same age, as some studies have also suggested, these personality traits ought to be seen as a product of their time, not some innate weakness in newly made humans.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Trump’s “nuclear button” tweet is nothing new. The rhetoric may be childish, but other US presidents have been making the same threats for decades.
Getting climate change support by manipulating feelings won’t work. Don’t provoke fear or try to stay positive—just talk about the subject a lot more.
Ordering delivery in a snowstorm is unethical. It may provide income to employees, but it encourages employers to require staff to come to work to meet demand.
Surprising discoveries
Virginia’s political fate was decided via film canister. The US state’s laws required a tie-breaking game of chance—and the result preserved the Republican-majority status quo.
Employees at socially conscious companies are more likely to lie. People tend to give themselves permission to do something “bad” after they’ve done something “good.”
SpaceX’s new rockets can now self-destruct safely. The technology gives the company more access to routes deemed too dangerous for traditional, remotely destructible rockets.
“Slow smokers” compete by making cigars last. A Polish aficionado set the record by keeping his stogie lit for 3 hours and 26 minutes.
Back away from the romaine lettuce (for now). An E. coli outbreak has affected 17 people in the US and 41 in Canada, and the FDA believes it traces back to the leafy green.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, film canisters, and safe lettuce to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.