Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Theresa May faces a no-confidence vote. In a move that risks making Brexit even more chaotic, conservative lawmakers will decide whether to replace the embattled prime minister, who has struggled to sell the UK parliament on her proposed Brexit deal. News of the vote, which will take place between 6 and 8pm GMT, pushed the pound (paywall) to a 20-month low.
The daughter of Asia’s richest man gets married. Isha Ambani, daughter of mega-billionaire Mukesh Ambani, will wed Anand Piramal, a scion of another prominent Indian business family, at her family’s 27-story Mumbai home. Hillary Clinton is among the foreign A-listers attending festivities that have included a private concert by Beyoncé (paywall) and has its own app.
The US indicts Chinese hackers. The Justice Department could announce as soon as today that it is charging hackers working for Chinese intelligence (paywall) with a number of intrusions into US networks dating back to 2014. The indictments aren’t expected to involve the recently revealed hacking of Marriott’s Starwood hotel chain, which investigators believe is also linked to China (paywall).
Tencent Music begins trading after a turbulent IPO. Ahead of its debut on the New York Stock Exchange, the company’s US shares priced at the low end of the target range, due to market headwinds and a lawsuit from a prominent investor (paywall). That values China’s answer to Spotify—and an investor in the Swedish streaming firm—at about $21 billion.
Michael Cohen is sentenced. Special counsel Robert Mueller has recommended “substantial” jail time for the lawyer who admitted to paying hush money to women on behalf of Donald Trump. In November, Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying about his former boss’s business plans in Russia, information material to the investigation into interference in the 2016 presidential election.
While you were sleeping
Trump may intervene in the Huawei arrest. In an interview with Reuters, the US president said he may get involved in the case against CFO Meng Wanzhou if it served “national security interests” or helped secure a trade deal. Meng, who was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1, was released on bail of $7.5 million yesterday after convincing a judge she wasn’t a flight risk. In what may be an act of retaliation, a former Canadian diplomat has been detained in China.
France detained five over a shooting in Strasbourg. At least three people were killed and 13 wounded after a gunman opened fire at a Christmas market in the northeastern city last night. A senior French official said police were hunting for the suspect, who may have fled to nearby Germany. The incident is being treated as a terrorist attack.
Leaked documents revealed details of Google’s ‘two-tier’ workforce. Internal documents published by the Guardian detail how staff are instructed to treat the “TVCs”—temps, vendors, and contractors—that make up almost half of Google’s workforce. In some cases, TVCs were barred from getting professional development training, attending certain meetings, and getting Google swag.
Amazon launched a compact Amazon Go. The smaller version of its cashier-less food stores, opened inside one of its Seattle offices, could be aimed at spaces like office lobbies and hospitals. The store can be delivered in pieces and assembled on site.
Jack Dorsey responded to vacation criticism. The Twitter CEO, who was harshly criticized for tweeting about his meditation retreat in Myanmar without acknowledging its refugee crisis, said today he was “aware of the human rights atrocities” in the Southeast Asian country, and “could have acknowledged that I don’t know enough and need to learn more.” More than 730,000 Rohingya have fled a military campaign targeting the Muslim minority since late 2017.
Obsession interlude
Tetris: When it all falls into place. Sure, the old-school video game is addictive, but it comes with a big benefit—it trains us to stop using the parts of the brain that are inefficient. Read how it all stacks up in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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The internet has hit a tipping point, thanks to Africa. More than half of humans now have internet access, with African households driving adoption.
Robots could kill the coffee industry, but boost CBD. Battery-powered workers don’t need caffeine to stay productive, while everyone else may need to take the edge off.
Will 2019 be the new 1929? Rising student debt, consumer spending in China, and interest rates paint a not-so-rosy economic picture for the coming year.
Quartz membership
Why one expert changed his mind about China’s electric cars. “The Chinese have long-term plans that I think are both aggressive and sustainable… Look back at the creation of the Japanese automobile industry in the 1950s onwards, and you’ll see a parallel. The Japanese put up very high barriers around their domestic market through tariffs and restrictions on foreign companies entering the market. At the same time, they began to attempt to export vehicles abroad.” Read more of Quartz’s interview with Levi Tillemann, author of The Great Race: The Global Quest for the Car of the Future.
Surprising discoveries
Films with heroines make more money. So do movies where women talk to each other about something other than men (paywall).
A futuristic bodysuit failed to disrupt online fashion. Zozo’s polka dot-covered spandex bodysuit was designed to provide the perfect fit.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” contributed to Islamic fundamentalism. The “seductive” tune confirmed religious scholar’s Sayyid Qutb’s worst suspicions about Western culture.
NASA responded to Iron Man rescue pleas. At the request of fans, the space agency sent tips for Tony Stark, who is depicted as stranded in space in a trailer for the new Avengers film.
Southern Californians don’t understand snow. A recent blizzard inspired car-top snowmen that were whimsical—and extremely dangerous.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dangerous snowmen, and female-centric screenplays 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 Adam Rasmi and edited by Jackie Bischof.