Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US and China kick off trade talks. A team led by US deputy trade representative Jeffrey Gerrish will meet Chinese counterparts in Beijing for two days of negotiations, with both countries worried about the trade war’s effects on economic growth and market confidence.
The UK parliament returns from break. With less than 12 weeks until Britain leaves the EU, British lawmakers have neither approved an exit deal nor put in place legislation to ensure a smooth departure. More than 200 MPs have now urged prime minister Theresa May in a letter to rule out leaving without some sort of agreement in place. The vote on May’s preferred withdrawal agreement is set to take place on Jan. 15, and the odds of it passing aren’t great.
Tesla breaks ground on its first overseas factory. As trade tariffs hit Tesla’s sales in China, CEO Elon Musk speeded up plans to produce cars in the country for local consumers. Musk will kick off construction this afternoon for his $2 billion Shanghai Gigafactory, which will begin manufacturing the Model 3 by the end of the year.
Kevin Spacey is due in court. The 59-year-old actor will appear before a Massachusetts court over sexual assault charges against an 18-year-old man in 2016. The Oscar-winning actor has also been accused by more than 30 others for assault or harassment. Netflix dropped Spacey from the award-winning House of Cards after allegations surfaced.
Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas. Some 260 million Orthodox Christians in Russia, the Ukraine, Ethiopia, and elsewhere mark the birth of Christ according to the Julian calendar—the other Christmas is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar.
Over the weekend
Trump budged on the border wall. The US president said the US-Mexico border wall could be made of steel instead of concrete, a potential compromise to end the partial government shutdown now entering its third week. But Democrats, who retook the House on Thursday, have refused to grant $5.6 million for the wall. House speaker Nancy Pelosi called it an “immorality,” and said Democrats will look to reopen the government through piecemeal spending bills.
France’s first Yellow Vest protests of the year reached a new level of violence. Protesters attacked the offices of a government ministry and a minister had to be escorted out (subscription) through a back entrance. The street demonstrations started in November over a plan to increase fuel taxes, and have since become a broader expression of anger over president Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies.
Tsai Ing-wen called on the world to support Taiwan. Days after Chinese leader Xi Jinping said unification with China was inevitable, Taiwan’s president countered it was “impossible” for her to accept the remarks, an unusually firm position (subscription). In the US, calls to defend self-governing Taiwan’s democracy are rising among lawmakers.
Malaysia’s king abdicated. After serving two years, King Muhammad V resigned from the largely ceremonial role, the first time a monarch has stepped down before completing the five-year term. No reason was given. Nine royal households typically take turns assuming the throne.
Bohemian Rhapsody won the Golden Globe for best drama. The Freddie Mercury biopic won the prize for best picture (drama), while its star, Rami Malek, won best actor (subscription); Glenn Close won best actress for The Wife; and awards host Sandra Oh also picked up a trophy for best actress in a TV drama for Killing Eve. This year’s awards ceremony featured lots of bling, after actors last year wore black in support of #MeToo.
A bluefin tuna sold for a record amount in Tokyo. In the year’s first auction, sushi chain owner Kiyoshi Kimura bought the immense fish, which weighed 278 kg (612 lbs), for more than $3 million. Japan consumes 80% of the world’s Pacific bluefin tuna, which will soon become an endangered species.
Quartz obsession interlude
How did a group of crows become a murder? Or a group of starlings a murmuration? The truth is lost to history, but one theory is that many of the English language’s elaborate nouns of assemblage were concocted by a prioress for a 1486 gentleman’s guide called the Book of St. Albans, and mostly meant to show the user’s erudition and wit. Which is still what they do. Gather together at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Virtual reality will be much bigger than augmented reality. The latter works best in very interesting places, which isn’t where most people live.
Intellectual humility must be rewarded, not punished. Not only should people know that they might be wrong, but they should feel free to admit it when they are.
Blockchain will become mundane in 2019. The technology won’t make much noise, but it become more useful.
Surprising discoveries
Saudi women can no longer be divorced without their knowledge. A new rule says they must now be notified via text message.
Baby sharks can be vicious prenatal cannibals. The first embryonic shark to hatch instinctively devours all of the other fertilized eggs on its side of the uterine wall.
A new AI can decipher the ultrasonic squeaks of mice and rats. Called DeepSqueak, the program is designed to help researchers figure out what rodents are saying.
Startup founders say age bias is rampant in tech by age 36. Nearly 40% believe that age is the strongest investor bias against founders.
That tweet about chicken nuggets has been dethroned. The Japanese entrepreneur who’s going to the moon with Elon Musk now holds the record for most retweeted tweet.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, rodent recordings, and divorce alerts 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 Jason Karaian.