Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance meets in Amsterdam. Leaders from the three carmakers will gather for the first time since the arrest of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn. Nissan wants more power in the partnership.
NASA announces tie-ups with US companies for trips to the moon. The space agency’s administrator, Jim Bridenstine, tweeted this week that the US is returning to the moon “sooner than you think.” Teaming up with private companies is seen as key to that effort.
Buenos Aires shuts down. Security has been tightened, public transport closed, and residents asked to leave the capital if they can ahead of tomorrow’s G20 summit.
While you were sleeping
Unilever CEO Paul Polman retired after 10 years at the helm. The head of the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant is stepping down after a recent fight with shareholders forced him to cancel plans to move the company’s HQ from the UK to the Netherlands. Polman fended off a $143 billion takeover approach by Kraft-Heinz last year. He will be replaced by Alan Jope, the head of Unilever’s beauty unit.
Global banks could shift $900 billion to Germany before Brexit. London-based banks concerned about losing their pan-EU banking licenses are preparing to move billions in assets to Frankfurt (paywall) ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc in March. Thirty financial institutions have chosen Frankfurt as their replacement European hub.
UN-led peace talks on Yemen begin in Sweden next week. The British envoy to Yemen said today that he hopes to find a political solution to the civil war. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 63-37 to advance a motion to withdraw US support for the Saudi-led military campaign in the war-torn country—many lawmakers are angry that Trump has refused to punish Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Ukraine asked NATO to protect it against Russia. President Petro Poroshenko asked members of the alliance to send ships to the Sea of Azov, after Russia seized three Ukrainian vessels and their crews on Sunday off the coast of Crimea. On Wednesday, president Vladimir Putin accused Poroshenko of creating the showdown to boost his ratings ahead of 2019 elections.
The US inked an open skies treaty with the UK. The new agreement means flights between the countries will continue to function post-Brexit as they do under the current US-EU arrangement. Flights between Britain and the US accounted for 29% of all flight traffic between the US and Europe in 2017.
Obsession interlude
The world has a new kilogram. For almost 130 years, it was defined by an actual physical cylinder made of platinum and iridium, stored in Paris. But then its weight started to fluctuate. A shifting standard is no good for precision tech, so scientists have spent years trying to tie the kilogram to a universal constant. Finally they’re done, with the help of an elaborate scale and the world’s roundest object. Today’s Quartz Obsession weighs in.
Conversation starter
“GM is already close to the 200,000 car production cap that is covered by current subsidies but has been lobbying for extension. The steel tariff cost GM $7 billion and thus the decision to close plants that were older to reduce costs. GM had already made decisions to eliminate the models produced at those plants.”
—Michael Andrews, founder and CEO at MPA Global, on “Trump Threatens to End GM Electric-Car Subsidies, Without Saying How”
Quartz Membership
Sports sneakers have evolved into the luxury fashion object that defines our time. Remake Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars in suede with slight tweaks to the silhouette and you get Ann Demeulemeester’s scamosciato sneakers. Do it in roughed-up leather and you have Yves Saint Laurent’s version. Or exaggerate the proportions, particularly on the toe cap, and the result is a pair of Rick Owens Ramones. Read more here.
Surprising discoveries
Icelandic horses updated their wardrobes. Ellert is the only horse in the world to sport the new coat color pattern called ‘ýruskjóttur.’
A library on the US-Canada border helps reunite families. Iranians divided between the two countries have been meeting at a library straddling Vermont and Quebec.
A riddle-writing extortionist is terrorizing an animal sanctuary. A New Hampshire ranch receives rhyming letters (paywall) demanding cash to stop the attacks, including the killing of animals.
A smart dress shows just how often women get groped. Sensors tracked how often and with what degree of intensity the wearer was touched at a club—and it was a lot.
Before we know it, “All I Want for Christmas is You” will be the song of summer. Mariah Carey’s hit keeps charting earlier and earlier every year.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Mariah songs, and smart dresses to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Jill Petzinger and edited by Jackie Bischof.