Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Theresa May visits Brussels to push ahead on Brexit. The British prime minister is meeting European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker to hammer out details of Britain’s ties with Europe after March. Last week’s draft agreement covering how it will exit the union was met with a flurry of angry cabinet resignations, but an effort to quickly bring a no-confidence motion against her failed.
The EU takes a step toward penalties for Italy. Brussels is due to release a report on Italy’s debt levels after the country proposed a draft budget for 2019 (paywall) that violates the group’s fiscal rules. That could pave the way for eventual fines for Italy if it doesn’t take steps to reduce debt. The European Commission will also publish opinions on the draft budgets of other eurozone countries.
Interpol picks a president. The global police agency will decide on a new leader (paywall) to replace Meng Hongwei, who was suddenly detained by Chinese authorities and is being investigated for corruption. Russian law enforcement chief Alexander Prokopchuk is reportedly a favorite, raising concerns that Moscow could exert its influence abroad against those it sees as enemies.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The annual extravaganza in New York City ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will feature balloons in patriotic hues, marching bands, and performances from Rita Ora, John Legend, and others. The very first Macy’s parade actually took place on Christmas.
While you were sleeping
Trump signaled US support for Saudi Arabia. Despite a CIA assessment that crown prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump said in an exclamatory statement, “Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Oil prices tumbled (paywall) on the news.
A US aircraft carrier arrived in Hong Kong. Two months after China denied a similar request from a US warship amid trade tensions, the USS Ronald Reagan made a port call, accompanied by three ships from its strike group. The move by China is aimed at calming troubled diplomatic waters before Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet at the G20 summit.
New details emerged about Carlos Ghosn’s downfall. The Nissan chairman was fighting with the automaker’s board about a possible merger with Renault when he was arrested, the Financial Times reported (paywall), adding that Nissan directors and CEO Hiroto Saikawa were concerned that consolidating the Franco-Japanese auto alliance would cement Nissan’s “second-tier status.”
NASA will review SpaceX after Elon Musk’s public cannabis use. The safety check (paywall) of SpaceX and its rival Boeing will “ensure the companies are meeting NASA’s requirements for workplace safety, including the adherence to a drug-free environment.” Musk’s marijuana use on a live-streamed podcast may ultimately allow Boeing to become the first private company to carry astronauts to the International Space Station.
Major US indices erased their gains for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down more than 2%, shedding more than 550 points, while the S&P 500 ended down 1.8%, as a sell-off that began in tech spread to other sectors. Donald Trump blamed the Federal Reserve for the market’s malaise.
Obsession interlude
Morning routines set the tone for the day. We have an insatiable fascination with the routines of the rich and famous, from Barack Obama’s early workouts to Gwyneth Paltrow’s almond milk smoothies. But just as there is no single path to success, there’s also no one-size-fits all morning routine—except getting out of bed, eventually. Wake and up shine with today’s Quartz Obsession.
Quartz membership
Netflix balance-sheet breakdown: The streaming-video giant expects to close out 2018 with more than 146 million subscribers, but all that growth comes at a cost. The scariest number is Netflix’s negative free cash flow—the company expects to bleed about $3 billion this year. Check out other parts of our deep dive into the future of television here, including the streaming wars state of play, and a QZ&A with Hulu CEO Randy Freer.
Conversation starter
“Three guesses what MBS is thankful for this Thanksgiving—but you’ll only need one. If that.”
—Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, on the Trump administration’s decision not to punish Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi killing.
Surprising discoveries
Everyone is naming their dog “Bella.” Canine naming trends suggest pet owners are treating their animals like human children.
A turkey has met the press more often this month than the White House press secretary. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last held a press briefing in October.
Saudi women are wearing their clothes inside-out. It’s a protest against the garments they’re required to wear outside of the home.
A dead sperm whale was full of plastic. The six kilograms of garbage in the carcass found in Indonesia included flip-flops, bags, and bottles.
Nutella may have a new enemy. Italy’s Barilla is whipping up a chocolate spread without controversial ingredients like palm oil.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, chocolate spreads, and media-savvy turkeys to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app or becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Tripti Lahiri, and edited by Isabella Steger.