Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Chinese stock markets reopen after the Lunar New Year holiday. The mainland markets will be riding a bull market wave, after Taiwan and Hong Kong indices both rose on Wednesday.
Malcolm Turnbull meets Donald Trump. The Australian and US leaders had a dicey relationship at first, with a contentious phone call after Trump took office, but will attempt to find common ground in dealing with China and other global trade issues.
The FCC unveils rules ending net neutrality. The new regulations from the Federal Communications Commission are expected to trigger a slew of lawsuits from states and interest groups. They want to stop internet service providers from charging for preferential access to the internet.
While you were sleeping
“Pastor to presidents” Billy Graham died at age 99. Graham was instrumental in promoting evangelism and turning it into a political force in the US. In his later years, he withdrew from the religious discussion of hot-button political issues like abortion, calling them too divisive.
Fed minutes showed confidence in the economy. Central bank officials at January’s meeting were optimistic about achieving inflation targets, raising the likelihood of more interest rate hikes. Stocks surged then plunged suddenly as traders digested the news, with the S&P ending down 0.6%.
Newsweek went rogue with an exposé of its corporate owners. The magazine reported on its parent company’s ties to Olivet University, a controversial Christian college. In one instance the magazine gave out free advertising worth $150,000 to help Olivet make a property deal. Two editors and a reporter have been fired during the course of the investigation.
Ford’s North American head resigned after a misconduct investigation. The US automaker said an internal probe found executive vice president Raj Nair acted in a way that was “inconsistent with the company’s code of conduct.” He previously served as Ford’s CTO and in other high-profile roles.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jenny Anderson on how the fight against inequality starts with moms. “Like a house, children’s brains need strong foundations… Stress during a child’s early years, whether from poverty, malnutrition, neglect, or abuse, can negatively affect their nervous system in ways that can create lifelong problems with learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
NBC’s mispronunciation of PyeongChang sends an ugly message. The network knew that “chang” rhymed with “bong,” but ignored its own guidelines.
There aren’t enough names left to trademark. Altering US law could help make it easier to find an effective name in an overly crowded market.
Brainstorm for questions, not answers. Seeking out queries (paywall) evades cognitive biases and encourages creative thinking.
Surprising discoveries
Eyebrows wax and wane with the stock market. Japanese analysts take browscaping trends seriously as a way to predict market fluctuations.
Japan will build the world’s tallest wooden skyscraper. The 70-story building, expected to be finished in 2041, will feature tree-lined balconies on every level.
A savvy arbitrageur scammed Spotify to generate huge royalty payments. Creating hundreds of accounts to listen to bogus playlists technically doesn’t break any law.
Every single European city faces heat waves, droughts, or floods. Extreme weather is a given if carbon emissions aren’t dramatically reduced.
A California teen tried to smuggle an endangered tiger into the US. He wanted the cub as a pet, but evidence suggests he was running a smuggling operation.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, eyebrow indicators, and playlist arbitrage 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 and edited by Susan Howson and Adam Pasick.