Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Nissan holds a critical meeting. In their first meeting since ousting Carlos Ghosn as chairman for alleged financial misconduct last month, board members are unlikely to announce a successor. French partner Renault wants the Japanese carmaker to call a meeting of shareholders to discuss the alliance’s future (paywall).
Tumblr’s ban on adult content goes into effect. The social-media platform has been more lax on content moderation than its peers, but ramped up content policing after the sale of parent company Yahoo to Verizon last year.
The US and the Taliban meet in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan helped arrange the meeting after Donald Trump reportedly asked prime minister Imran Khan to help bring the Taliban to the table for Afghanistan peace negotiations.
Turkey begins issuing foreign-currency bonds to individual investors. It’s facing a currency crisis with the lira down sharply this year. The euro- and US dollar-denominated bonds will allow the government to broaden the investor base.
Over the weekend
A climate rulebook was finalized. At the COP24 meeting in Poland on Saturday, nearly 200 countries agreed to rules for adhering to the Paris climate agreement. The regulations define how nations will record their emissions and progress toward climate goals.
The scale of Russia’s disinformation campaign was revealed. The Washington Post published a sweeping draft report (paywall), produced for the US Senate Intelligence Committee, which found that Russia used every major social media platform to help elect Trump in the 2016 US elections, and to support him in office.
Malaysia filed criminal charges against Goldman Sachs. The charges target the US multinational bank (paywall) and two Asian subsidiaries, and relate to the alleged theft of $2.7 billion from Malaysia’s state investment fund 1MDB. Goldman had organized $6.5 billion in bonds for 1MDB in 2012 and 2013, and netted $600 million in profit. The US bank called the charges “misdirected.”
Around 10,000 Hungarians protested a “slave law” in Budapest… Sunday’s demonstrations were the fourth in a week by opposition groups protesting a new labor law that allows employers to ask for 400 hours of overtime a year. The ruling party claims the protests were organized by criminals associated with Hungarian-born, liberal billionaire George Soros.
…While protests in Brussels against a UN migration pact turned violent. Flemish right-wing parties organized a march on Sunday with about 5,500 people protesting an agreement to foster cooperation on migration. They clashed with about 1,000 counter-protestors, leading police to deploy tear gas and water cannons.
The co-founder of HQ Trivia and Vine was found dead. Police are investigating whether thirty four-year-old Colin Kroll’s death was the result of a drug overdose (paywall), after his body was discovered in his New York City apartment early Sunday. Blockbuster app HQ Trivia, which launched in the US last year, hit 2 million simultaneous players last March.
A Brazilian faith healer accused of sexually abusing hundreds turned himself in. Joao Teixeira de Faria, also known as “John of God”, spent a day on the run before surrendering to police on Sunday. More than 300 women, including his daughter, have come forward against the 76-year-old, who gained international fame when Oprah Winfrey interviewed him in 2012.
Obsession interlude
Fanny packs are one of humankind’s oldest accessories. Belt bags, which accounted for nearly a quarter of the US accessory industry’s growth in the first 10 months of 2018, are hip. But don’t call it a comeback.
Matters of debate
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Using Alexa can hinder a child’s development. Smart devices offer the illusion of companionship without the eye contact, empathy, and relationship demands that kids need.
The economics profession is vulnerable to groupthink. It suffers from a stark lack of diversity that results in crucial information being missed.
There’s no skills gap in tech. Job seekers actually have too many skills, but aren’t deepening the ones employers need.
Quartz membership
Cannabis is about to become big business. Legalization in the US, Canada, and other places will turn weed from an illegal recreation to a multibillion-dollar industry—one that will likely rival tobacco, alcohol, and even beverage companies. To learn more about how cannabis is maturing into legitimacy, check out this week’s field guide.
Surprising discoveries
Russia’s rap scene is at risk of a Kremlin takeover. As Vladimir Putin put it, “If it’s impossible to stop something, you’ve got to take charge of it.”
A royal Egyptian priest was a total mama’s boy. In a newly discovered 4,400-year-old tomb (paywall), he “mentions the name of his mother almost everywhere,” according to excavators.
It rained money in Hong Kong over the weekend. Police are trying to find a crypto entrepreneur known as “Coin Young Master” for causing the resulting public disturbance.
A US federal court cited Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax in an environmental ruling. It quoted the forest-saving creature in throwing out a permit to build a pipeline across two national forests.
SpongeBob SquarePants is hot in fashion now. Moschino, Kith, Vans, and other labels are keen to incorporate the character into their products.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Russian rap, and SpongeBob hot pants 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.