Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Meng Wanzhou’s bail hearing. Huawei’s chief financial officer, who was arrested last week for allegedly violating US sanctions on Iran, will appear in court today in Vancouver, and is facing extradition to America.
China’s journey to the moon. The Chang’e 4 mission will launch Saturday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, starting a 27-day flight for a first-ever attempt to send a lander and rover to the far side of the moon.
Angela Merkel’s party votes for a new leader. The frontrunners to lead the Christian Democrats in today’s contest are Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a Merkel protege, and Friedrich Merz, a rival who lost to the chancellor in a power struggle in 2002.
Switzerland decides whether to further align with the EU. The Swiss cabinet decides today whether to accept an agreement to more closely follow EU standards, despite not being a member. A rejection could result in the bloc no longer recognizing the country’s main stock exchange, a major loss of business.
France braces for more protests. Though the government said it’ll scrap the unpopular fuel-tax hike that spurred the “yellow jacket” protests, demonstrators have a list of about 40 other demands. Many Paris landmarks and businesses will close this weekend over fears of rioting.
Filings reveal how Trump’s former confidantes cooperated with the FBI. Special counsel Robert Mueller will submit a sentencing memo (paywall) today for Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and another filing in the case of ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort. The filings come after a memo this week revealed former national security adviser Michael Flynn provided “substantial assistance.”
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump was kept in the dark about the arrest of Huawei’s CFO… In an interview with NPR, national security adviser John Bolton said he “knew in advance” that Meng Wanzhou would be arrested in Canada at the request of the US, but Trump did not. The arrest occurred the same day Trump met with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires to reduce trade tensions, and threatens to roil their truce.
…While an HSBC monitor flagged suspicious transactions in Huawei’s accounts. The transactions were noticed during monitoring of the bank’s compliance with money-laundering and sanctions rules, and could widen the case against Huawei to include bank fraud. HSBC is cooperating with investigators and is not a target of their probe.
CNN evacuated its New York City offices due to a bomb threat. The network went to taped programming and took Don Lemon’s CNN Tonight off the air as staffers evacuated. In October, it evacuated an office after an explosive device addressed to former CIA director John Brennan was discovered.
A UN resolution to condemn Hamas didn’t pass. The US-sponsored resolution received a majority of votes, but failed to meet the two-thirds threshold. Shortly before the vote, the 193 members narrowly decided to require a supermajority, leading to the resolution’s failure after the Arab nations all voted against it.
Fiat Chrysler will build Detroit’s first assembly plant in nearly three decades. Riding on strong SUV sales, the automaker also plans to add a three-row Jeep SUV to its lineup, reports the Detroit Free Press. The move could bring 400 auto jobs to the city and cushion the blow to the industry after General Motors said last month a restructuring will result in layoffs for nearly 6,000 people.
Obsession interlude
Vinegar is the original sports drink. Long before fermentation was a food fad, humans were slaking their thirst with vinegar concoctions. It added interest—and also made water safer to drink. Read more in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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More privacy could mean an online economic collapse. Fraud may become more rare, but the frequency of transactions could dwindle to a dangerous low.
Lyft has a first-mover advantage in beating Uber to an IPO. Since Wall Street is unsure how to value ride-hailing companies, Lyft will be given the benefit of the doubt if it goes public first.
Poorer countries should encourage their kids to play. The World Bank believes “play labs” could close the gap between poor kids and their wealthier peers.
Quartz membership
The charts that show how trucking is changing. Hauling freight over roads has long been a part of business, but due to the rapid growth of e-commerce, that practice in the US has dramatically increased in the past 20 years. Plus, trucking is still one of the most deadly occupations in America, and safety numbers have remained stubbornly flat for the last decade. Read more here.
Surprising discoveries
Your vacuum cleaner could be spying on you. The US Drug Enforcement Administration is hiding surveillance cameras in vacuums to assist in certain investigations.
US radio stations are banning “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” In the era of #MeToo, the holiday song’s controversial lyrics have been construed as a date-rape anthem.
India has a video game where menstruating women battle priests. It’s a mirror of a temple that’s seen violent protests since the Supreme Court ruled it couldn’t ban women of menstruating age.
Coyote armor keeps dogs looking fierce. The mohawk of spikes (paywall) could help curb a recent spate of canine casualties caused by coyotes.
Boeing’s share price is a good gauge of the US-China trade war. While it hasn’t been hit too hard by tariffs, the stock has been buffeted when concerns about trade have risen.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, canine protection, and woke holiday songs 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 Alice Truong and edited by Tripti Lahiri.