Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Venezuela opens sales of its state-backed cryptocurrency. President Nicolas Maduro’s government says it will launch pre-sales of the “petro,” a digital currency backed by oil reserves. The US has warned potential investors that buying it could violate sanctions.
Big-box retailers open their books. Walmart and Home Depot will report fourth-quarter earnings, with analysts looking to the bellwether companies as gauges of the US economy’s health. Walmart’s fight against the inexorable spread of Amazon will also be a talking point, while rising interest rates will be top of mind for investors in Home Depot.
Germany’s SPD votes on a deal with Merkel. The center-left Social Democratic party will start a vote among members that lasts until late next week on whether to join another “grand coalition” with chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right CDU. Nearly 500,000 SPD members will vote by mail on the matter—if “yes,” Germany gets a government after six months of limbo; if “no,” then fresh elections may loom.
While you were sleeping
A state of emergency was declared in Christchurch. Air New Zealand also grounded all flights coming in and out of the city as Gita, a tropical cyclone downgraded to a storm, hit the country. The storm had earlier pummelled Tonga, Samoa, and American Samoa.
Alberto Fujimori could stand trial again. A Peru court ordered that the former president must face trial for his role in the killing of six farmers in 1992. Fujimori was pardoned by a court in December and released from prison, where he was serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human-rights abuses.
Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney. The US president tweeted his support for Romney, who last week announced plans to run for the Senate seat in Utah—despite the fact that the former Massachusetts governor has been among the staunchest Trump critics.
Canada won gold in ice dancing. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir—who quickly became two of the most popular skaters of the Winter Olympics—also broke the world record in total points. French pair Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron took silver, and American sibling pair Maia and Alex Shibutani won bronze.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on China and Europe’s rocket envy. “When SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket debuted this month, China’s aerospace community was mostly envious, noting that their equivalent rocket, the Long March 9, would not be ready for another decade. One story in state media observed that ‘to put it more bluntly, this time the Americans showed us Chinese with pure power why they are still the strongest country in the world.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Sweden’s cashless society has gone too far. Shops, restaurants, and even banks are lauded for going digital-only, but this risks excluding vulnerable groups who still rely heavily on cash.
Law & Order: SVU is the most important show on TV. It has more to say about rape culture than any other show on television.
Our treatment of animals is stalling human progress. Making ethical personal choices is harder than fighting for institutional change—and our values could stagnate accordingly.
Surprising Discoveries
Measles is back in Europe. Despite setting a record low in 2016, reported cases of the disease jumped by 400% last year, hitting Romania, Italy, and Ukraine hardest.
The “Garlic Girls” are a huge hit in South Korea. It’s the nickname given to the female Olympic curling team, who all attended the same high school in a town known for its garlic.
Not all elevators are free. Some apartment blocks in Beijing are charging residents for using the elevators in order to help with the cost of installing them in old buildings.
Germany’s Winter Olympians rely on non-alcoholic beer. It’s popularly consumed (paywall) as an energy drink in the country.
One Ethiopian priest climbs an 800-foot cliff each day to reach his church. The frescoes of the country’s medieval, rock-hewn churches are believed to keep caretakers from falling.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, non-alcoholic beer, and measles vaccines to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Isabella Steger and edited by Steve Mollman.