Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Bank of England votes. A policy meeting is expected to bring about a raise in interest rates for only the second time in the past decade. Sterling has settled at a one-week low in advance of the policymakers’ decision.
ASEAN meetings begin. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ annual regional forum will take place in Singapore through Saturday, and the agenda may include concern over China’s military developments in the South China Sea. Delegates from other nations will also descend on the region, including Canadian foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who could meet with North Korea’s foreign minister.
Mexico and the US negotiate. Trade officials from the two NAFTA nations will meet in Washington to work towards a bilateral trade agreement, leaving Canada temporarily out of the loop. Mexican president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he was confident about reaching an agreement on NAFTA negotiations in the coming days.
While you were sleeping
Tesla reported its earnings. The automaker’s quarterly earnings per share fell short of analysts’ predictions, but its revenue beat expectations, driving stock prices upward. Still, investors remain concerned over quality issues that accompany a quicker Model 3 production process, the company’s rapid cash burn rate, and CEO Elon Musk’s erratic behavior.
The US sanctioned Turkey. Following the country’s refusal to release detained American pastor Andrew Brunson, the Department of the Treasury blocked the property and interests of two Turkish ministers within US jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Congress moved to stop the transfer of two F-35 fighter jets to the NATO ally.
Google is working for China. The search engine will launch a censorable, version of itself that plays well with China’s Great Firewall. Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with a top Chinese official last year, and Google’s app could launch in China within the next six to nine months, pending government approval.
Robert Mueller spun off three more investigations. The US special counsel handed multiple criminal investigations targeting a few of Washington’s most influential lobbyists and lawyers to federal prosecutors. The suspects come from both political parties, but all reportedly worked for pro-Russian Ukrainian groups.
Zimbabwe’s elections sparked protests. The ruling Zanu PF party won a majority of the country’s parliamentary seats, making it likely that incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa will defeat challenger Nelson Chamisa. The election commission says it will finally post official results today; meanwhile, citizen protests against unfair voting practices have left at least three dead.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Sara Wilson on how wellness became our new religion: “At some point in recent history, we decided to use ‘because it makes me feel good’ as a key metric by which we determine truth. Truth has become, in essence, anything that makes us feel good about ourselves. That shift created the perfect conditions for the wellness industrial complex to flourish.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Meaningless jobs are draining economic productivity. A large portion of mostly corporate positions could be eliminated without affecting society (paywall).
Puns are the most elevated display of wit. The practice requires that you harbor two states of mind at once.
Jeff Bezos’ fortune is a policy fail. Economic and regulatory systems increase inequality by mainly benefiting those at the top.
Surprising discoveries
The Swedish crown jewels were stolen. In a cinematic heist, thieves sped away on a motorboat with two funeral crowns and a royal orb.
A Chinese author was inspired by his real-life murders. Popular crime writer Liu Yongbiao and an accomplice were sentenced to death 23 years after they killed four people.
The scutoid is geometry’s newest shape. Previously found in nature but not in math, the scutoid looks similar to a bent prism.
An app lets you pay celebrities to say stuff. From supermodels to NFL legend Terrell Owens, personalized celeb-videos could be yours (paywall) for a range of prices.
A snake took up residence in a pub’s beer chiller. The 5-foot-long corn snake was mistaken for algae by a barkeep in Birmingham, England.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, recovered jewels, and scutoids 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 Aisha Hassan and David Wexner, and edited by Susan Howson.