Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Germany increases scrutiny of non-EU investors. In a move aimed at China, Germany’s cabinet is set to revise investment rules to trigger reviews of purchases of more than 10% of strategically important companies by buyers from outside the European Union. That’s down from the existing threshold of 25%.
The Fed’s signals for 2019 interest rates. Investors generally expect the central bank to raise rates for the fourth time this year, despite the US president’s warning not to “make yet another mistake.” They’re now looking for cues from chairman Jerome Powell that this tightening cycle could be coming to an end.
Theresa May talks Brexit with leaders of Scotland and Wales. The British prime minister will argue that her deal with the European Union, which has to be put to a vote before the UK parliament by January 21, “will deliver for the whole of the UK.” Members in both the Scottish and Welsh parliaments are overwhelmingly against it.
A record-setting five rocket launches in a single day. After technical glitches and weather caused several delays, launches are now on tap from ULA, GSLV, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Arianespace.
While you were sleeping
SoftBank’s telecom unit’s stock flopped. After a $24 billion IPO, the world’s second-biggest ever, the group’s mobile-business unit saw its stock plunge more than 10% below the subscription price in morning trading in Tokyo over concerns about competition and a recent outage. Still, the cash raised will help SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son deploy more funds for global tech investments.
China began a big economic policy meeting. With growth slowing and a trade war with the US simmering, president Xi Jinping and Communist Party elite are having a pow-wow till Friday to set the country’s economic goals (subscription) for the coming year—though we may not hear about the results until March.
The White House flinched in its budget standoff with Congress. The Trump administration said it would find another way to pay for its long-promised border wall (subscription), in the face of a Friday deadline to extend US government borrowing. But there’s no still no deal in place, after congressional Democrats rejected a proposal from the Republican-led Senate that would give Trump $1 billion to spend on his immigration policies.
The director of Big and A League of Their Own died. Penny Marshall, 75, directed Tom Hanks in the 1988 hit about a 12-year-old kid who gets his wish to be a grown-up granted. The film helped her become the first woman to make a movie with box-office earnings of more than $100 million.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company unveiled a test tunnel. The transit company showed off its first tunnel outside Los Angeles, with Tesla cars on tracking wheels, as part of its ambitious plans to ease road congestion with a network of autonomous underground transport.
Obsession interlude
Love Actually: Netflix and the Hallmark Channel have made the holiday rom-com bigger than ever. But before there was a flood of formulaic flicks, there was an imperfect, complicated insta-classic. Find out why it’s still worth watching in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
The cannabis industry needs to slow its roll. When companies sing the praises of marijuana or bemoan the injustices of prohibition, they’re not necessarily wrong—but they’re definitely self-interested. Most of them have so far played nice, at least partly because they are obsessed with reducing the stigma around the drug and attracting more users. That could change as their wealth and influence grows. Read more here.
Matters of debate
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Blockchain is changing the art world. It’s good for secure transactions that preserve the anonymity favored by many art buyers and sellers.
It’s hard for pregnant women to admit to depression. The pressure to feel joy keeps many from realizing something’s just not right.
Africa needs clean water more than electricity. Sanitation and clean water could improve many more lives for the same money that’s been spent on rural power.
Surprising discoveries
Carlton called, he wants his dance back. Alfonso Ribeiro is suing the video game Fortnite for appropriating his signature moves from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Plants aren’t touchy-feely. Contact with humans, with or without green thumbs, stresses them out.
It’s the most heart-attack-inducing time of the year. Swedes are 37% more likely to face a cardiac event on Christmas Eve, when big family gatherings are usually held.
Diaper gel plus lasers can miniaturize an object. MIT researchers used the method to shrink a simple structure to 1/1000th of its original size.
Instagrammers are posting fake sponsored content. It convinces followers—and brands who might want to sponsor real posts—that the would-be influencer is legit.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stolen dance moves, and aspirin 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 Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.