Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Donald Trump may approve the release of the Nunes memo. The controversial classified document, drawn up by congressional Republicans (led by representative Devin Nunes), allegedly accuses the FBI of improperly eavesdropping (paywall) on suspects in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign. Democrats and the FBI oppose the memo’s release.
US jobs figures are released. The job market likely got off to a good start in January, with faster wage growth and lower unemployment. A number of states raised their minimum wage at the start of 2018, which could be reflected in the numbers.
The 52nd Super Bowl kicks off. On Sunday evening the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the reigning NFL champs, the New England Patriots, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Some 112 million viewers tuned in to the big game last year; Justin Timberlake will perform at the half-time show this time around.
While you were sleeping
Sony’s CEO passed the reins to the CFO. Chief executive Kazuo Hirai will step aside in April, with Kenichiro Yoshida taking his position. Hirai, who will transition to chairman, is credited with turning the company around, trimming losses and boosting its now-thriving video-game business. Sony reported surging profits today.
Deutsche Bank reported its third consecutive annual loss. “We have made progress, but we are not yet satisfied with our results,” said CEO John Cryan, as the slow pace of restructuring and patchy results at key trading units weighed on the German lender.
China commended Theresa May for not bringing up human rights. As the British prime minister wrapped up her China visit, state media called May “pragmatic” as she “sidestepped” human rights in pursuit of co-operation with Beijing. May was under pressure to raise the issue of democratic rights in Hong Kong, but stuck mostly to trade.
Over 950 trapped South African miners were rescued. After electricity was restored to a gold mine, the workers, who were underground since Wednesday, were brought to the surface. Mine unions and others question why there was no effective backup plan for evacuation following a storm that cut power to the location.
Fidel Castro’s eldest son committed suicide. Fidel Ángel Castro Díaz-Balart, 68, died in Havana after a struggle with depression. A nuclear scientist, he was known as “Fidelito” because of his close resemblance to his late father.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on how the age of private space travel began with the space shuttle Columbia tragedy. “Though Columbia was the final nail in the space shuttle program’s coffin… it didn’t change the shape of the industry. In a sense, the lessons of 1986 and 2003 were the same: NASA simply did not have a cheap, reliable space vehicle.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Ads are the source of the internet’s evil. They transform attention into money, incentivizing companies to capitalize on our basest desires (paywall).
The decline in US IPOs could spell trouble for the country’s economy. It narrows investment opportunities for working Americans and intensifies industry consolidation.
Spanish could disappear as a spoken language in the US. The country’s non-English languages are often lost in the third generation.
Surprising discoveries
An Israeli group is suing over a canceled Lorde concert. It’s the first lawsuit filed under a 2011 boycott law, which takes aim at anyone who calls for avoiding Israel or the land it occupies.
US migration to New Zealand surged in 2017. Both Billy Crystal and Ruth Bader Ginsburg joked about moving there (paywall) if Donald Trump was elected.
“O Canada” is now gender neutral. The words of the Canadian national anthem will now read: “True patriot love in all of us command” instead of “in all thy sons.”
Crock-Pot wants you to know it won’t kill you. After the slow cooker was revealed to be the reason for the death of a character on NBC’s This Is Us, the company is on a social-media offensive to calm any fears.
Google Docs are the latest weapon in workplace activism. Traditional sources for job and salary data like Glassdoor and LinkedIn are failing to deliver the information most critical to job seekers.
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