Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China’s Chang-e spacecraft lands on the dark side of the moon. Observers expect the lunar lander and rover to set down inside the Von Kármán crater on Thursday, though the exact time has not been set. Direct communication with Earth will be obstructed, so data from the craft’s scientific mission will be transmitted via a relay satellite.
An unprecedented cyclone hits Thailand. Tropical Storm Pabuk—the first cyclone to strike the country in the tourist-heavy dry season in more than 65 years—is expected to bring storm surges and heavy flooding to southern Thailand and Myanmar during the tourism high season, then head north.
Democrats retake control of the US House of Representatives. The handover of power takes place during a partial government shutdown. Lawmakers led by congresswoman Nancy Pelosi are also planning to launch a series of investigations into Donald Trump’s candidacy and administration.
While you were sleeping
Apple slashed its revenue outlook due to poor iPhone sales, especially in China. CEO Tim Cook said lower-than-expected holiday sales would lead to projected fourth-quarter revenues of $84 billion, well below its previous estimate. The company said it “did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China,” as shares fell more than 8% in after-hours trading.
The interim US defense secretary focused on the threat from Beijing. Former Boeing executive Pat Shanahan told Pentagon officials to remember “China, China, China” as they consider America’s adversaries, the AP reports.
Netflix poached its new CFO from a video game giant. Spencer Neumann was formerly CFO of Activision Blizzard and served a prior stint at Disney. Netflix, which is spending vast sums on its own content, was looking for a Hollywood-based executive with experience in production finance.
The US demanded the release of an American jailed for spying in Russia. Ex-Marine Paul Whelan, who faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years for espionage, was visited by the US ambassador in Moscow on Wednesday. According to his family, he was in Russia on a personal trip when he was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service.
Tesla missed expectations. The electric car company’s fell nearly 7% after it announced Model 3 production totals of 61,394 in the fourth quarter, well below analyst estimates. The company also announced a $2,000 price cut on all models to compensate for expiring US tax credits—a speed bump that General Motors is about to hit as well.
The World Trade Organization is cracking down on data raids. A forthcoming initiative—proposed by Japan, Singapore, and Australia, and supported by China and the United States—would bar members states from forcing companies to disclose source code, algorithms, and other sensitive information.
Quartz obsession interlude
Sumo is shrinking. The ancient Japanese sport is facing a dearth of new adherents; last year no one showed up for the national association’s fitness test. It’s been a rough decade for the national sport, plagued by dangerous hazing, match-fixing, and organized-crime ties. For sumo to keep thriving, the future means bringing in more foreigners, and erasing a longtime ban against women. Read more here.
Matters of debate
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The US west coast trumps the east coast in transportation infrastructure. Innovations like electric scooters and self-driving cars are booming in such cities as Los Angeles and Seattle, while commuters in New York and Washington seethe over subpar service.
Learning to read doesn’t happen naturally. New science shows that decoding language, not using visuals or guesstimating, is what young readers need.
Millennial bosses prefer face-to-face conversations. They value the personal touch.
Quartz Membership
Water is driving lunar exploration. The existence of water—a major resource for life support and rocket fuel—has become a major reason to go to the moon. Access to H20 could make what we are already doing in space cheaper and more efficient, and enable far more ambitious future missions. Read more here.
Surprising discoveries
An Alabama sheriff underfed immigrants for profit. A loophole enabled him to seize about $3 million in federal funding, then pocket half of it for himself.
John Stuart Mill predicted the futility of winning an Internet argument. Opinions rooted in emotions are virtually unshakeable, the philosopher wrote 150 years ago.
A Philadelphia hospital tech is beloved for his groin-crushing skills. Pete Schiavo, who applies manual pressure to the femoral artery (subscription) after heart procedures, has treated more than 10,000 patients.
Australian police were called on an arachnophobic screamer. The Perth resident was repeatedly yelling “Why don’t you die?” at a stubborn spider.
An ISS astronaut called US emergency services from space. André Kuipers missed a digit when he tried to call NASA’s Johnson Space Flight Center in Texas.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, groin crushing experts, and interplanetary emergency calls to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Adam Pasick and Holly Ojalvo.