Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
China votes to change its constitution. On Sunday, the National People’s Congress will decide on the measure (paywall) that could keep Xi Jinping in power indefinitely. A 1982 rule restricted presidential terms to two five-year stints.
North Korea and South Korea march separately at the Paralympics. The two countries haven’t been able to agree on a unified flag at the opening ceremonies on Friday. Japan complained about the flag imagery at the Winter Olympics, which showed disputed islands on a map.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump signed a metals tariff order but spared Canada and Mexico. The NAFTA allies, both major exporters, were exempted at the last minute from a 25% duty on imported steel and a 10% duty on aluminum. Other US allies like Australia could potentially get a pass on national security grounds in the 15 days before the order takes effect.
Cigna agreed to buy Express Scripts for $54 billion. The health insurer is acquiring one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers, which acts as a middleman between pharmaceutical firms and consumers. The purchase will allow Cigna to control drug costs and preempt a possible move by Amazon into the sector.
McDonald’s tribute to women triggered a backlash. Flipping its logo from a “M” to a “W” did little to make many women feel “celebrated” on International Women’s Day (paywall). Critics say the fast food giant continues to advance employment policies that put women at a disadvantage, including its fight against increasing the minimum wage.
Eleven countries signed an Asia-Pacific trade pact. The 11 signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership have a collective population of more than 500 million people, even after the United States pulled out last year. Representatives from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam attended a ceremony in Santiago.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on why spies should stay off LinkedIn. “If your business intelligence work involves meeting former double agents to hoover up info about Russian national security operations, maybe keep a lower profile. Especially if you live in the United Kingdom, which Russia’s intelligence services treat as a kind of a sporting field for targeted murder.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Donald Trump’s trade threats are just bluster. Much like the Muslim ban and the US-Mexico border wall, the US president is writing checks he can’t cash.
“To-do” lists try to do too much. We often over-expand the simple checklist for tasks that we should leave to modern tools (paywall).
Bragging can help women close the gender gap. Being their own cheerleaders help women make sure their achievements are noticed and recognized.
Surprising discoveries
NASA found mega-cyclones on Jupiter. The amazingly large polar storms form steady, synchronized patterns across the planet’s surface.
Pedestrians are attacking self-driving cars. Two autonomous vehicles were hit by humans in San Francisco, adding to the Bay Area’s growing list of human-robot conflicts.
Leopards are solving a stray dog problem in Mumbai. The city’s rampant canine overpopulation attracted the predators, curbing hundreds of potential dog-bite cases.
Two crooks are stealing New York City’s trash bins. The thieves are allegedly getting thousands of dollars by selling them whole to shady out-of-state buyers.
The US is starting to lose tubas. Criminals across the nation are regularly pilfering the massive instruments—worth $2,000 to $20,000 (paywall)—from schools and homes.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, vigilante pedestrians, and found tubas 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, McKinley Noble, and Adam Pasick.