Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
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 more US government agencies suspend operations. As a result of the partial government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission will cease to operate as of today, which will affect services such as consumer complaint hotlines, licensing, and new device approvals.
Michael Schumacher’s family marks his 50th birthday. They will release an app today to honor the German Formula One driver, who hasn’t appeared in public since a skiing accident in 2013 and is receiving treatment in Switzerland. His family, who have revealed little about his condition, said the app will be a “virtual museum” of Schumacher’s achievements.
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. Tourist destinations such as Koh Samui will be affected.
While you were sleeping
China’s Chang’e-4 spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon. The lunar lander and rover took off on Dec. 8 and spent 26 days in space before landing this morning in the Von Kármán crater, a 186-km-wide (110 miles) region. Chang’e-4’s landing is the second significant space advance in 2019 after NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft sent back pictures of Ultima Thule, the farthest object ever explored, some 4 billion miles from the Sun.
Apple slashed its revenue outlook due to poor iPhone sales… 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.
…And rattled markets in Asia. The Japanese yen, a haven currency, rallied while the Australian dollar fell to a 10-year low over worries that Apple’s revenue outlook portended more gloomy news for the Chinese economy. Shares of suppliers to Apple in Taiwan and South Korea also fell (subscription).
Brazil’s new president went after minority groups. On his first day in office, Jair Bolsonaro issued executive orders that removed LGBT concerns from the human-rights ministry, and took away land concessions for indigenous groups. Stock markets, however, soared on Bolsonaro’s intentions to privatize state-owned companies.
A North Korean diplomat sought asylum in Europe. South Korean media reported that Jo Song Gil, the acting North Korean ambassador to Italy, applied for asylum in an unidentified country. The last senior diplomat to defect was Thae Yong Ho in 2016, who worked at the embassy in London.
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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Learning to read doesn’t happen naturally. New science shows that decoding language, not using visuals or guesstimating, is what young readers need.
Women’s magazines are disappearing, and that’s OK. Many haven’t been able to break free (subscription) from outdated notions of womanhood in an era of radical body acceptance and renewed feminist fervor.
Millennial bosses prefer face-to-face conversations. They value the personal touch.
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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
Cathay Pacific made a very expensive ticketing error. The Hong Kong carrier mistakenly sold business- and first-class flights from Vietnam to New York for $675, and said it would honor the fares.
Yosemite is clogged with garbage. The partial US government shutdown means that the skeleton crews working at national parks are unable to maintain them—as visitors flock to the parks because no one is around to collect entrance fees.
Binge-eating shows are a health hazard in South Korea. The government warned (subscription) that just watching people eating excessive amounts of food on the internet is fueling obesity rates
Australian police were called on an arachnophobic screamer. The Perth resident was repeatedly yelling “Why don’t you die?” at a stubborn spider.
The UK embraces Veganuary with a meatless sausage roll. The country’s largest bakery chain, Greggs, is launching a vegan version of its flagship product today for temporarily vegan Britons.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, binge-eating shows, and first-class tickets 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.