Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The British parliament begins its last full day of debate on Theresa May’s Brexit plan. Her deal is widely expected to be voted down tomorrow, after which the prime minister will have three days to come up with an alternate plan. In a speech today, May will warn that parliament could try to block Brexit altogether.
Congo’s constitutional court considers a challenge to its election results. The court has seven days to respond to presidential runner-up Martin Fayulu’s accusations that the provisional winner, opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, made a backroom deal (subscription) with outgoing president Joseph Kabila to divide power between them. Congo has not had a peaceful transition of power since winning independence from Belgium in 1960.
US airport-traffic controllers protest their lack of pay. After 14,000 employees missed their first paychecks due to the longest-ever US government shutdown, their union filed a lawsuit and said nationwide protests will begin this week.
Los Angeles teachers go on strike. Educators in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the US, will begin a strike today, after negotiations between their union and the district reached an impasse on Friday. The district says elementary, middle, and high schools will remain open, but preschools will be closed.
The Detroit motor show opens. The media preview of the North American International Auto Show today and tomorrow is expected to draw 5,000 journalists. More than 750 new cars will be at the show, which officially opens to the public on Saturday.
Over the weekend
The Lion Air cockpit-voice recorder was found. A team will be sent to clear the mud around the recorder, which had stopped transmitting a location signal after its battery died, before retrieving it. The data from the recordings could help illuminate what happened during flight JT610’s final moments on Oct. 29 before it crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people on board.
Donald Trump did not directly deny working with Russia. Asked on Sunday about a New York Times report (subscription) that the FBI had opened an inquiry into whether he was working on behalf of Moscow after firing James Comey, the president responded with 351 words—none of which was “no.”
Carlos Ghosn’s wife urged Human Rights Watch to look into the “harsh treatment” of the former Nissan chairman. In a nine-page letter sent today, Carole Ghosn asked the group’s Japan director to “shine a light on the … human rights-related inequities inflicted upon him by the Japanese justice system.” Ghosn was first arrested in late November and indicted in December for financial misconduct.
Winter Storm Gia struck the US Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. More than 1,400 flights were cancelled from Friday to Sunday, exacerbating travel woes amid the government shutdown. The storm stranded hundreds of motorists in Missouri, which reported nearly 500 crashes with at least 12 people killed in weather-related crashes. Gia also knocked out power for more than 180,000 households.
An 18-year-old Saudi woman arrived in Canada after being granted asylum. On Saturday, Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland welcomed Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who drew attention on social media for barricading herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room after she was denied entry to Thailand. In her messages, she accused her family of abuse and said her life would be in danger if she were forced to return to Saudi Arabia.
Quartz obsession interlude
The vampire squid has a bad rap for being a mascot for rapacious capitalism. In fact, it’s not a vampire, not a squid, and not a very good metaphor. This humble cephalopod from the ocean’s deepest depths is actually a bottom feeder that squirts a bioluminescent substance in place of ink. Read more in the Quartz Obsession.
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Everything you need to know to keep knowing about Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs isn’t just a name, it’s a shorthand—a quick way of describing the pinnacle of Wall Street. The firm is probably the most-written-about bank on all of Wall Street (and the world). If you want to know more about Goldman’s history, this list—available exclusively with a Quartz membership—will make you an expert. Sign up here for a 30-day free trial.
Matters of debate
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We’ve entered the post-smartphone era. Now that just about every phone—even the cheap ones—is really good, it’s difficult for manufacturers to differentiate their offerings.
Who needs venture capital anyway? Startups, increasingly seeing VC money as a “dangerous” path to an accelerated demise, are seeking alternate methods of funding.
America’s electric grid has a vulnerability Russian hackers are exploiting. Instead of attacking utility companies head on, hackers are hitting less-protected contractors and subcontractors.
Surprising discoveries
El Chapo’s traffickers brought drugs into the US through legal ports of entry. Cartel associates testified they used fishing boats, trains, tractors, and cars after the US cracked down on their tunnels.
Hipsters are the new hunters. The sport is seeking new recruits in American hipsters (subscription), who see it as a way to acquire local, sustainable, and (probably) organic meat.
You can build your own Bandersnatch-style web game. Inspired by Netflix’s choose-your-own-adventure film, a developer created a way to make your own version starting with a Reddit thread.
Washington figured out a way to keep people from stealing its 69-mile-marker highway sign. The state’s transportation department has installed a new sign denoting the 68.9-mile mark.
A German submarine from WWI is emerging on a French beach. The vessel, which was stranded near Calais in 1917, is resurfacing for the first time after in decades after being buried in sand.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, stolen street signs, and hunting outfits 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 Alice Truong and edited by Isabella Steger.