Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Angela Merkel addresses the European Parliament. Her speech about the future of the European Union in Strasbourg will be watched closely for clues on whether the German chancellor intends to push for any big reforms before leaving office in 2021.
El Chapo’s trial begins in Brooklyn. US prosecutors will lay out their case against Mexican drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera, who is charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and homicide.
Congress convenes for the first time since the midterms. Lawmakers have four weeks left in the year to sort out a government funding stalemate—which involves Donald Trump’s proposed US-Mexico border wall—or else risk a partial shutdown.
While you were sleeping
Amazon picked New York City and Crystal City, Virginia for its second and third headquarters. After a year-long search, the e-commerce giant winnowed a list of 238 candidates for its “HQ2” to two cities. Amazon plans to hire as many as 50,000 employees across the new locations. An announcement is expected as early as today.
Krysten Sinema became Arizona’s first Democratic senator since 1994. Her victory also makes her the first women senator from Arizona and the first openly bisexual US senator. Sinema won 49.7% of the vote to rival Martha McSally’s 48%, which means that Democrats will hold at least 47 Senate seats.
The US and China restarted trade discussions. The Wall Street Journal reports that treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke on the phone with vice premier Liu He to start laying the groundwork (paywall) ahead of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s meeting at the G20 in Argentina at the end of the month. Washington wants Beijing to put a formal trade proposal on the table before starting negotiations.
Monsanto gave Bayer a boost. The German chemicals giant is in the crosshairs over its Roundup weedkiller, with 9,300 US plaintiffs now claiming its glyphosate herbicides cause cancer and seeking damages. But it managed to beat expectations in the third quarter with adjusted earnings of €2.2 billion ($2.47 billion) thanks largely to contributions from Monsanto, which it acquired in June for $63 billion.
The northern California wildfire became the deadliest in state history. The death toll for the Camp Fire rose to 42, while the Woolsey fire in southern California has killed at least two others and scorched more than 90,000 acres. About 100 people remain missing across the state.
Obsession interlude
The compound that puts the magic in magic mushrooms. Psilocybin could be the next medicinal marijuana. Peter Thiel has lined up behind one company that’s trying to move it into clinical trials as a treatment for depression and other mental afflictions. If it works, it’ll fulfill a promise from decades ago, before the war on drugs, but there are also concerns about the Big Pharma tactics of Britain’s Compass Pathways. Trip down the rabbit hole with today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Cities shouldn’t compete for corporations like Amazon. Governors and mayors spend billions in public funds trying to poach private companies from one another—and often get very little in return.
Retirement is going extinct. Employers need to adapt to aging populations and shifting employment trends.
Tech giants benefit from an outdated definition of monopoly. Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have bought out more than 500 competitors in the last 10 years.
Surprising discoveries
Toy Story 4 is sparking a philosophical debate about sentience. A new character called Forky has people asking when a spork comes alive, and if the process is reversible.
Irish authorities are investigating a UFO sighting over Ireland. Pilots said they saw a very bright light that disappeared at high speed—thought authorities doubt it’s aliens.
Jony Ive designed a super-bling ring. Apple’s design chief has created a ring made entirely of diamond, refined using a laser-powered water jet.
Angela Merkel was mistaken for Brigitte Macron. A 101-year-old Frenchwoman was convinced the German chancellor was the French president’s wife.
Women are choosing shorter commutes over higher salaries. They’re prioritizing flexibility, including working from home, at the cost of the perfect job.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, commuting tips and diamond rings 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 Jill Petzinger and edited by Sarah Todd.