Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
A Belt and Road rival at APEC. US vice president Mike Pence will announce a US-driven “private-sector” model on Saturday at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Papua New Guinea, aimed at combating Beijing’s international investments. US-China relations have been fraught throughout the summit (paywall), with Pence continually condemning China’s business moves.
Cambodia issues verdicts against Khmer Rouge leaders. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, two of the last living leaders of the genocidal army, will see their controversially expensive trial end on Friday. During the Cambodian Civil War, the guerrilla force murdered more than 1.7 million Cambodians. Both men are already serving life sentences.
Viacom’s fourth-quarter report. The US conglomerate is expected to show earnings of 95 cents per share and $3.34 billion in revenue. Mission Impossible: Fallout should boost the company’s finances, though investors will be curious to see how domestic content and cable TV profits weigh against international expansion.
While you were sleeping
Saudi Arabia called for the death of suspects in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. Public prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb said through a spokesperson that 11 Saudi agents had been indicted (paywall), and urged the death penalty for five of them. The US responded by putting sanctions on 17 Saudis, and neither country held crown prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible.
Sri Lanka’s president called for a no-confidence vote on the prime minister. Maithripala Sirisena controversially appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister just last month, but met with parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya to silence cries of unconstitutionality and attempt to put an end to political deadlock.
The Central American migrant caravan reached the US border. The first of the travelers made their way into Tijuana, Mexico, after a journey that spanned 4,900 km (3,044 miles) and several weeks. Thousands of migrants are now expected to seek asylum in the US, which has been strengthening border security as the caravan approached.
Walmart earnings beat expectations. Booming e-commerce sales fueled by an increasing number of brands taken under Walmart’s umbrella helped the retail giant raise its sales forecast for the full year. Revenue fell short, however, and shares dropped slightly on the news.
SpaceX will launch 12,000 satellites to provide wireless internet for the planet. Elon Musk’s company received approval (paywall) for the plan from the US Federal Communications Commission. The move is expected to provide connectivity, and thereby an economic boost, to areas currently out of Wi-Fi range.
Obsession interlude
Chocolate chip cookies taste like they’re timeless, but they were actually invented just prior to WWII by a brilliant restaurateur. A simple comfort food that could be shipped to troops overseas, it quickly became the classic cookie. But some say its inventor, Ruth Wakefield, had even better recipes. Something’s fresh at the Quartz Obsession.
Conversation starters
“The discovery problem is a big one and using AI is essential for a platform like Pinterest, who are on the receiving end of millions of searches each month. Effective search is paramount and a content-based business cannot survive nowadays unless it is delivering fresh and relevant content to the right audience at the right time – before the introduction of AI, this was a tricky equation to solve.”
—Dawn Airey, CEO at Getty Images, commenting on: How Pinterest uses AI to capture our imaginations
“Nebula is both a great use of blockchain technology and a step forward for patient control of their biometric data. By contrast to 23andMe, Nebula lets you get sequenced, and then have granular control of who can BUY your data FROM YOU! This is how it should be: patients in charge of their own information, and empowered to share in the financial value that their information produces. I’m delighted to be an advisor of theirs!”
—D.A. Wallach, recording artist and investor, commenting on: Nebula Genomics, with free DNA sequencing, opens for business
“This trend may be a result of many new diets taking place not only with millennials, but also baby boomers. From low carb to keto to intermittent fasting, to pre-packaged and prepared meals, to low calorie alternatives, there is a breadth of options to be considered. Consumers that are overweight and obese (now accounting over 30% of Americans) are seeking alternatives to be healthier, and perhaps smaller turkeys are a start in that direction.”
—David Yakobovitch, AI trainer at Galvanize, commenting on: Millennials are disrupting Thanksgiving with their tiny turkeys
Surprising discoveries
A 19-carat pink diamond just became the most expensive of its kind. Jeweler Harry Winston bought it for 50.4 million Swiss francs ($50.2 million) at auction, reflecting the increasing scarcity of high-quality colored diamonds.
Iceland’s president regrets saying he wishes he could ban pineapple pizza. Gudni Johannesson instead pushed his desire to see a world where “everyone put[s] seafood on their pizzas.”
NRA employees no longer get free coffee. The National Rifle Association also spent far less on US midterm election advertising than in previous cycles as it faces budgetary problems.
The colors you see depend on the language you speak. Is that blue or green? Your culture and language help shape how you perceive sensory inputs.
New York’s iconic Grand Central Terminal is set to sell for about $35 million. That’s less than plenty of other New York City properties—including several private residences (paywall).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, pink diamonds, and free coffee 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 Holly Ojalvo, McKinley Noble, and Susan Howson.