Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A verdict in the murder trial of inventor Peter Madsen. Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the alleged killing and sexual assault of journalist Kim Wall, who died on Madsen’s homemade submarine in 2017.
Are Facebook advertisers revolting? The company’s quarterly earnings will be a chance to see if ad inventory and prices have taken a hit from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In the previous quarter, ad impressions grew at 4% and prices went up 43%.
Japanese pharmaceutical firm Takeda prepares a $60 billion bid for Shire. The acquisition would put Takeda in the top ranks of global pharmaceutical companies. Under UK rules, it must bid for the British biopharma company or abandon the deal by Wednesday afternoon.
While you were sleeping
Authorities charged Alek Minassian with 10 counts of murder for the Toronto van attack. Toronto’s police chief said the rampage “definitely appeared deliberate,” but cited no motive. Just before the attack, Minassian reportedly praised a California man who killed six people in 2014 in the name of “incels,” or young men who blame women for their involuntary celibacy.
French tycoon Vincent Bolloré was detained in a corruption probe. Police questioned the billionaire as part of an investigation into Bolloré Group’s contracts to operate ports in Togo and Guinea, Agence France-Presse reported. The company’s shares fell 8% on the news.
Trump’s veteran affairs nomination fell apart. Ronny Jackson, the president’s personal physician and nominee to run the massive department overseeing veterans’ benefits, is under scrutiny from lawmakers over alleged improper conduct. Trump suggested that Jackson should drop out (paywall) of the “ugly” and “disgusting” confirmation process.
Streaming music overtook physical formats for the first time. Global music trade group IFPI said newly released 2017 revenue figures showed their third consecutive annual increase as companies like Spotify and Apple became the dominant way that consumers listen to music. Paid subscribers rose 63% to 176 million.
Stocks plunged as the US treasury yield climbed. The US 10-year bond yield crossed the 3% threshold for the first time time in four years, signalling that higher inflation is coming. Tech stocks and high-dividend companies fell, while bank stocks—which tend to make more money when rates are high—rallied. Overall, the S&P Index fell 1.4%.
Quartz obsession interlude
Katherine Foley on the bizarre holes NASA found in Arctic sea ice: “Harp and ring seals have been known to make these kinds of holes in thinner Arctic sea ice, and then use those holes repeatedly to come up for air. For that theory to hold, there needs to be a good explanation for why the sea ice in this particular spot is thin enough for the seals to break through.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
A respectful office is better than a nice one. Shared information bias shuts down critical thinking.
Lack of competition is killing our privacy. Facebook users have nowhere to go if they’re fed up with data intrusions.
India is more divided than ever. Socially, economically, culturally, and geographically, the nation’s inequalities are getting worse.
Surprising discoveries
Global wine production has gone sour. Italy, France, and Spain suffered double-digit declines due to a frigid winter linked to climate change.
Police crashed a funeral home to unlock a locked smartphone. Experts say the decision to use a dead man’s finger was legal.
Taylor Swift won in court… A judge dismissed a lawsuit that accused the singer of ripping off a hit song, but told Swift to “Shake It Off” when she requested money for legal fees.
…and Madonna lost. An assortment of personal items—including a breakup letter from the late rapper Tupac Shakur—were cleared for an auction, to the pop star’s chagrin.
Robots to prevent car wrecks are becoming wrecks themselves. Kinshasa’s giant traffic robocops (paywall) are the latest victims of its epic traffic.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, musical lawsuits, and traffic robots 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.