Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Poland reshuffles its cabinet. The new Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, will make the new appointments before he embarks on a trip to Brussels later today. The reshuffle will be closely watched by the European Union, which has been critical of recent moves by Warsaw that Brussels says are damaging the country’s democracy.
CES begins in Las Vegas. The world’s largest consumer electronics trade show officially gets underway. Some 200,000 people will attend to view the new gadgets that will set the tone for the year ahead.
Chinese ships continue to battle a blaze on an Iranian oil tanker. The Chinese transport ministry said that the ship, which collided with a Chinese freight ship off the eastern coast of China on Saturday, is still on fire and at risk of exploding. One body has been recovered and 31 people are still missing.
While you were sleeping
North and South Korea held high-level talks. Delegates from the two countries met for the first time since December 2015 in the truce village of Panmunjom on the border. After the meeting, North Korea said it would send a delegation of senior officials and athletes to the games, while South Korea proposed a reunion next month for families divided by the Korean War.
SpaceX may have botched the launch of a US spy satellite. The secret payload, code-named Zuma, was launched from Florida on board a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday. The Wall Street Journal reported (paywall) that some industry and government officials believe the satellite to be lost.
The US ended protected status for 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants. The Trump administration voided legal rights and work permits first granted in 2001 to the immigrants after twin earthquakes leveled El Salvador. The people affected, many of whom have young children who are American citizens, face an uncertain future if they return to a country plagued by gang violence.
Huawei failed to enter the US market. AT&T backed out of a deal to sell Huawei phones in the US that was expected to be announced at CES in Las Vegas today, according to media reports (paywall). Huawei is the world’s third-largest smartphone brand, but has been shut out of the US market due to security concerns over the company’s links to the Chinese government.
James Damore filed a lawsuit against Google. The engineer who was fired after criticizing the company’s diversity policies says Google discriminates against white men and those with conservative views.
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 are good for the tech sector. They will accelerate the shift to cloud computing and spur more secure operating systems and other infrastructure.
Language classes in the US are finally useful. American classrooms are increasingly admitting the political and cultural importance of Asia and the Middle East.
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
Trypophobia may not be a real phobia. New research shows that self-described trypophobes are actually disgusted by clusters of small holes, not afraid.
Weight Watchers’ stock price jumped more than 13% after Oprah’s Golden Globes speech. Since she revealed her stake in the company in October 2015, its stock has increased nearly 700%.
Bats fell out of trees in New South Wales during a heatwave. It was so hot in Australia on the weekend that baby bats quite literally were boiled alive.
US hotels are phasing out the “do not disturb” sign. Staff at Disney Resorts and other properties are checking on guests at least once every 24 hours, due in part to security concerns.
Thailand’s prime minister left a cardboard cutout of himself to deal with journalists. “If anyone wants to ask any questions on politics or conflicts, ask this guy,” Prayuth Chan-ocha said.
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