Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Foreign ministers hold a North Korea summit in Vancouver. Officials from the US, France, Japan, and other nations (not including China) will discuss ways to pressure Pyongyang into abandoning its nukes. They’ll consider intercepting ships bound for North Korea, which warned last month a naval blockade would be considered an “act of war.”
The White House cellphone ban takes effect. It bans “all portable electronic devices” not authorized by the White House from the West Wing from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m on weekdays. The ban was announced earlier this month, after the publication of “Fire and Fury,” but the White House denied it was being implemented to stop leaks.
Citigroup reports its fourth-quarter earnings. The investment bank is expected to take a $20 billion hit (paywall) stemming from the US tax overhaul, which in the long run should help it and other banks by slashing the corporate tax rate. Last week, JPMorgan Chase reported a similar hit, albeit a smaller one, of $2.4 billion.
While you were sleeping
A watchdog group warned about Trump’s “unprecedented conflicts of interest.” The nonpartisan Public Citizen released a report noting Trump has not divested from properties he owns or that carry his name. In his first year in office, 64 trade groups, foreign governments, Republican candidates, and others stayed at or held events at properties linked to him.
Japan made emergency evac plans for its citizens from South Korea. With the North Korea threat looming, authorities have set out plans to use Japanese and US military vessels departing from the southern city of Busan in the event of a crisis that closes airports in South Korea, reported the Yomiuri daily. There are roughly 60,000 Japanese in South Korea.
Twitter denied that its engineers spy on users’ messages. This week, Project Veritas posted footage that appeared to show Twitter employees claiming that teams monitor personal data like direct messages. In a statement to Buzzfeed News, Twitter said: “We do not proactively review DMs. Period. A limited number of employees have access to such information, for legitimate work purposes.”
US officials warned Jared Kushner about Wendi Deng Murdoch. Counterintelligence officials told Trump’s son-in-law in early 2017 that the Chinese-American businesswoman could use her friendship (paywall) with him to further Chinese-government interests in the US. There were concerns she was lobbying for a $100 million building project funded by Beijing in Washington, DC—something her spokesman has denied.
Panama’s attorney general revealed a sweeping corruption probe. Kenia Porcell said prosecutors are investigating a network of more than 30 people, among them high-level ex-officials, lawyers, and businesspeople. She said those involved sought bribes related to public infrastructure projects during the administration of former president Ricardo Martinelli.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ananya Bhattacharya on the unnerving uncertainty around H-1B visas. “India’s largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services is more worried about the lack of clarity over the policy than the possibility of tougher norms itself… TCS’s confidence to weather the change whenever it comes stems from the fact that India’s $160 billion IT industry has been preparing for a stricter US visa regime for nearly a decade now.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Traditional carmakers must adapt or die. Electric and self-driving cars will disrupt an industry wallowing in stagnation.
Unisex fashion doesn’t promote gender equality. Fashion is an exploiter of social movements.
Exhibitors at CES suck at advertising. The world’s largest consumer electronics show is a showcase of amazingly terrible slogans.
Surprising discoveries
The hunt is on for deadly blowfish sold accidentally in Japan. Gamagori city sent out emergency alerts, and have found half of the five packets of fugu sold by a supermarket.
Cheese is driving a wedge between Mexico and Spain. The countries are battling over the true definition of manchego.
The UAE has built the world’s largest desalinated water reserve—under a desert. It took 26 months to fill up.
Fans of South Korean president Moon Jae-in bought ads to celebrate his birthday. The video segments have been popping up in Seoul’s subway stations.
China discovered a dinosaur with rainbow feathers. The crow-sized creature dates back 161 million years to the Jurassic period.
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