Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
A tense G20 begins in Argentina… The future of global trade will hinge on a high-stakes dinner between Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping tomorrow. Trump announced on his way to Buenos Aires that he won’t meet with Vladimir Putin; Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is expected to meet separately with all three world leaders (paywall).
…While the US, Canada, and Mexico sign their new trade pact. Leaders of the three countries are expected to ink the deal on the sidelines of the G20 summit today, though their legislatures will each need to ratify it afterward.
SpaceX launches 64 satellites at once. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry cargo for 34 customers from 17 countries on Sunday. It’s the biggest payload for a single mission (paywall) from the US and includes an art project by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Robert Mueller shows some of his cards. The special counsel will detail how former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who won’t be in court today, violated his plea deal by lying to investigators.
While you were sleeping
Ukraine banned all Russian men. After Russia seized Ukranian army ships in the Kerch Strait on Sunday, Ukraine declared martial law in border regions with its powerful neighbor. Now, citing fears of invasion, Ukraine will ban all Russian men ages 16-60 from entering the country. The BBC notes that the ban could trigger reciprocal measures from Russia.
Investigators are looking into whether Angela Merkel’s plane was tampered with. The German chancellor’s Airbus A340 had to turn around over the Netherlands and make an emergency landing (paywall) in Bonn after its communications system failed. Meanwhile, Merkel will miss the start of the G20 summit and is reportedly taking a commercial flight from Madrid to Buenos Aires.
The Deutsche Bank raid entered its second day. Authorities continued to pore over materials in the Frankfurt base of Germany’s largest lender. They’re investigating money-laundering allegations linked to the Panama Papers. The beleaguered bank’s shares, already at a record low in November, took another hit on news of the raid.
Sheryl Sandberg directed Facebook staff to research George Soros. The company’s second-in-command made the request in an email to a senior executive in January, according to the New York Times (paywall). The email, which asked for information on Soros’s financial interests, was sent days after the investor attacked Facebook in a speech at Davos.
Trump’s company planned to give Putin a $50 million Moscow penthouse. BuzzFeed reported that the idea arose as the Trump Organization negotiated a real-estate deal for a 100-story building during the 2016 campaign. The president’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified in court that he lied to Congress about the plan, which ultimately fizzled, to protect Trump.
Obsession interlude
Loneliness is spreading like a virus. Social isolation is bad for our physical health, so much so that governments around the world have launched initiatives to combat it. But how we truly treat this modern plague is a matter of debate. Read all about it in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Conversation starter
“In a way, it makes sense that spider’s milk would have 4x the protein of cow’s milk. Spiders eat other insects, which are almost all protein.”
—Katherine Ellen Foley, health and science reporter at Quartz, on “Some spiders produce milk – and it’s more nutritious than cow’s milk“
Quartz Membership
Get a front-row seat to the fashion industry. Two almost-simultaneous trends—the rise of millennials and the rise of Asia—have given new direction to the fashion world. We’ve distilled that world down to this master list of experts you can consult when wanting to stay on top of the latest developments. From Instagram influencers to Wall Street analysts, our tool kit will make sure you remain current on what’s au courant. Read the list here.
Surprising discoveries
Chinese traffic cameras caught cheating marathoners. Nearly 250 runners took a sneaky shortcut at the Shenzhen Half Marathon.
Another 51 pilot whales beached and died in New Zealand. More than 200 whales have died in the Chatham Islands region in the past week, and it’s not clear why.
Photosynthesis makes a sound. When algae convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy and oxygen, the bubbles that are created go “ping.”
Google’s AI assistant appreciates good manners. It won’t scold you for failing to say “please” and “thank you,” but it will be nicer if you do.
Reggae is now protected by UNESCO. The music genre is described as “being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual, and spiritual.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Bob Marley songs, and cures for loneliness to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written, for the last time, by Jill Petzinger and edited by her grateful colleagues, who wish her well in her next adventure.