Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The US government could partially shut down. If the House and Senate can’t agree on a stopgap funding bill that Donald Trump is willing to sign off on by midnight, nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, will close, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be forced to work over the holidays without pay (subscription).
China talks 2019 economic plans… State-run media will likely begin reporting (subscription) on the decisions made in this week’s Central Economic Work Conference, which ends today. The world will be watching to see how the government plans to handle the country’s economic slowdown during a tense trade climate with the US.
…As the US and Canada release GDP figures. Canada is expected to have grown just 0.2% in October, from a 0.1% decline the previous month. The US will release its final estimate for third quarter GDP, which is projected to show annual growth of 3.5%. The US Commerce Department will also publish data on factory goods, personal income, spending, and inflation.
London’s Gatwick tries to resume flights. A limited number of flights at the UK’s second-busiest airport resumed early Friday, but police have not tracked down the drones that grounded more than 100,000 passengers this week.
Spanish workers get a pay bump. The country’s socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez is set to announce a 22% increase in the minimum wage, a sharp departure from austerity-drive wage slashing after the 2008 financial crisis. The move takes Spain from having one of the lowest minimum wages in Europe to one of the highest.
The Democratic Republic of Congo faces potential protests. In the latest of a series of delays, the country postponed Sunday’s long-awaited presidential election by a week, sparking fears of unrest by frustrated voters.
While you were sleeping
Festive cheer evaded the markets. Europe and Asia stocks fell for the second straight day, and are on track to end 2018 down more than 10%. Markets typically close the year strong, but concerns over the global economy, the threat of a US government shutdown (subscription), and the US-China trade war are taking their toll. China’s Shanghai Composite Index was the worst performer, down nearly 25%.
Jim Mattis abruptly resigned after clashing with Trump… In his resignation letter, the US defense secretary criticized Trump for failing to value the US’s closest allies after the president decided this week to pull troops from Syria and Afghanistan. An official said yesterday that Trump also plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan.
…While the US House passed a stopgap funding bill with $5 billion for Trump’s border wall. The Senate, which on Wednesday passed its own bill without funding for the US-Mexico wall, is expected to reject the House’s version, making a government shutdown on Saturday more likely. Trump had said he wouldn’t sign a short-term spending bill that did not include a provision for his wall.
Carlos Ghosn was rearrested. A day after a Japanese court rejected a request to extend Ghosn’s detainment, prosecutors served a new arrest warrant on the former Nissan chairman for allegedly shifting his personal losses of about 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) to the carmaker. It’s still unclear if Nissan board member Greg Kelly will be released on bail.
The US tried to placate Pyongyang. Special envoy Stephen Biegun said the US wants to move to “the next stage of negotiations” over North Korea’s denuclearization. The comment comes a day after North Korea said it wouldn’t give up its nuclear arsenal unless the US ends its security umbrella (subscription) over South Korea and Japan.
Obsession interlude
MSG’s bad rap comes from shoddy science plus more than a dash of racism. The ionic compound occurs naturally in tons of foods, especially those that have been fermented or aged. When it was synthesized a century ago, it started a food revolution—and also a controversy. Read all about it in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Cannabis could change the way we grow everything. The energy-saving challenges weed farmers face by growing light-loving marijuana plants indoors could lead to innovations in agriculture. Cannabis growers have a pricier crop per pound, and are more likely to invest in new technologies that farmers tending cheaper produce could pick up in the future. Read more here.
Matters of debate
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Elon Musk’s new tunnel is idiotic. It’s just a slow and really expensive subway for Teslas.
Oxford University is churning out less-than-stellar politicians. The degree favored by so many prime ministers encourages shallow learning and a focus on networking.
All brands on Instagram look the same. The trend of “blanding”—the design of minimal products with minimal logos—appeals to users’ desire for authenticity.
Surprising discoveries
An Alexa user was able to eavesdrop on another home. A man who requested to listen to his own recordings got 1,700 audio files from another household.
The far right is furious Toblerone is halal. Mondelez, which received the certification in April, says nothing about the candy bar’s recipe or production has changed.
An escaped inmate got picked up by a cop when he tried to hitchhike. The officer was tipped off by the handcuffs hanging from the Kentucky man’s wrists.
A Canadian was charged with fraudulent witchcraft days before the country repealed the archaic law. The 33-year-old woman insists she’s a psychic, not a witch.
Fact-checking politicians actually works. Catching politicians in their lies can reverse the views of even the most die-hard partisans, according to new research.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, bland brands, and politically correct chocolate 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.