Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
North and South Korea hold high-level talks. Delegates will meet at the Peace House, in the South Korean border city of Panmunjom, to discuss Pyongyang’s participation in next month’s Winter Olympics.
Emmanuel Macron meets Xi Jinping in China. The French president’s first visit to Beijing (paywall) kicked off with a speech to Chinese leaders on climate change and African development, and will continue with private talks on North Korea and terrorism.
CES begins in Las Vegas. The world’s largest consumer electronics trade show will bring 200,000 people to the desert to view the new gadgets that will set the tone for the year ahead.
While you were sleeping
The US ended protected status for 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants. The Trump Administration voided legal rights and work permits first granted in 2001, after twin earthquakes leveled the country. The people affected, many of whom have young children who are American citizens, face an uncertain future in a country plagued by gang violence.
GoPro’s drone business crashed and burned. The company, known for its pint-sized action cameras, is exiting the hyper-competitive drone space (paywall) that’s increasingly dominated by Chinese firms like DJI. GoPro also announced a new round of layoffs and disappointing financial projections, with shares falling nearly 30% on the news. Bloomberg reports the company has hired JPMorgan to advise on a potential sale.
11 Saudi princes were sent to prison. The royal family members are being held at the maximum-security al-Ha’er facility after the government was ordered to stop paying their utility bills.
James Damore filed a lawsuit against Google. The engineer who was fired after criticizing the company’s diversity policies says Google “ostracized, belittled, and punished” white men and those with conservative views.
Oprah Winfrey is reportedly considering a presidential run. After the media icon delivered a rousing speech at the Golden Globes, many speculated that she may be considering a 2020 White House bid. CNN reported that Winfrey is “actively thinking” about running, according to sources near her; Weight Watchers, which is partially owned by Oprah, saw its shares spike 13% on the rumors.
Quartz obsession interlude
Elijah Wolfson, Akshat Rathi, and Chase Purdy on the science stories to watch this year. “It’s a fool’s errand to try to predict what the future holds for the scientific trends that dominate the headlines today. Instead, Quartz’s science team has compiled a list of science terms and concepts that can help you better understand social and political life in 2018.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The Meltdown and Spectre bugs will be good for the tech sector. They will accelerate the shift to cloud computing and spur more secure operating systems and other infrastructure.
Smartphones are bad for children. Two big Apple investors want the company to address the toxic mix of iPhones and developing young brains.
LEDs are having a big impact on climate change. They reduced carbon emissions by 570 million tons in 2017—equivalent to closing more than 160 coal power plants.
Surprising discoveries
Sexy chatbots stole 1 billion yuan ($154 million) from Chinese app users. The bots solicited gifts and lured gullible men into spending money, police said.
Florida is so cold, iguanas are dropping from the trees. The lizards return to normal once thawed (paywall).
Japan’s aging population is drinking Coke with added laxatives. Coca-Cola Plus is vying for market share (paywall) with the similarly formulated Pepsi Special.
US hotels are phasing out the “do not disturb” sign. Staff at Disney Resorts are checking on guests at least once every 24 hours, due in part to security concerns.
Bitcoin is giving Japan’s real economy a bump. The cryptocurrency’s appreciation may add 0.3% to its GDP.
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