Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
South Korea counters Japan’s radar footage. South Korea will release its own video responding to allegations that one of its warships radar-locked—the last stage before firing weapons—on a Japanese patrol plane. Seoul demanded an apology, and claims it will expose inconsistencies with footage released last week by Japan.
December’s US jobs report. American unemployment is expected to either match or beat 3.7% (subscription), maintaining a historic low. The US labor department should report roughly 177,000 jobs added by employers last month—although analysts predict far more—accompanied by meager wage growth.
Election updates from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The government cut internet connections and SMS services across the country earlier this week as both the opposition and ruling coalitions claimed victory for their respective candidates. Preliminary results on who will replace Joseph Kabila, stepping down after 17 years, are expected over the weekend but won’t be confirmed till Ebola-struck cities vote in March.
While you were sleeping
Global markets had another bad day. The domino effect of Apple scaling back its first-quarter outlook sank stocks worldwide, especially for chipmakers (subscription) and Asian suppliers. Meanwhile, US factories had their biggest activity decline in 10 years, with automakers reporting weak sales during their own disappointing December.
The US issued a travel advisory against China. The state department’s level-two warning outlined “exit bans” and local laws that can be used by Chinese authorities to prevent travelers from leaving the country. China is now on the same advisory level as France, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and the Netherlands.
US Democrats took over the House. Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House by a slim margin, with 15 Democrats opposing her on a 220-430 vote. She’s not only the first woman to hold the House’s top seat, but now the first person in more than 60 years to retake the gavel. The 116th US Congress is now represented by a historic number of women and politicians from minority groups.
Bristol-Myers Squibb made a deal to buy Celgene for $73 billion. The two pharma giants, well-known for their wide range of cancer treatments, are hoping to stave off growing competition and future regulatory moves, but investors aren’t quite jumping for joy (subscription) about the massive merger.
Russia indicted a former US Marine. Paul Whelan could face 20 years on espionage charges, with Moscow alleging that he attempted to recruit a contact in a bid to gain sensitive information on Russian agencies. Whelan, dishonorably discharged in 2008 (subscription), maintained several friendships through Russian social media, and is said to have been visiting Moscow for a friend’s wedding.
Quartz obsession interlude
Moon rocks are famously hard to track. Many of the specimens US president Richard Nixon distributed around the world as goodwill tokens ended up lost, stolen, or listed on the black market. One Texas lawyer has made it his mission to recover them. Read more in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Beardliness is next to godliness. A Victorian lecture on facial hair defining men’s beauty seems no less relevant today.
Gout is again a sign of affluence. As wellness goes mainstream, the upper class has moved back to splurging on rich food in excess.
Companies under-prioritize human lives. Employee health is continually under siege by workplace practices, and it’s only getting worse.
Quartz Membership
We’re going back to the moon, and you need to know why. If a government or entrepreneur wanted to, say, mine for certain lunar minerals, or set up communication or scientific arrays in spots that were extremely limited in number on the lunar surface, it would effectively prevent others from doing the same. We could see something akin to the gold rush, hundreds of thousands of miles in space. Learn more vital facts about our lunar future.
Surprising discoveries
Flat-screen TVs are beaching themselves on Dutch coasts. Close to 300 shipping containers fell off a cargo ship, and treasure hunters are reaping the bounty.
Monk robes as activewear. After Japanese police told a monk his traditional wear was unsafe for driving, examples of monks performing agile feats flooded the internet.
Mario Kart solves problems. One elderly couple has been battling it out every morning for nearly 20 years to decide who has to make tea.
Half of all cars sold in Norway in 2018 were electric. The country is making great time on its journey to end all gas-powered car sales by 2025.
Marc Jacobs picked the wrong band to rip off. The designer used late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s iconic smiley drawing as part of a grunge revival line, and the band is suing.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stranded TVs, and genuine 1990s shirts 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 Susan Howson and McKinley Noble.