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What to watch for today and over the weekend
North Korea’s top negotiator meets Mike Pompeo. Kim Yong Chol, carrying a letter for Donald Trump from Kim Jong Un, is in Washington to hash out the details of a possible second summit between the two leaders. Diplomats say Trump could announce the summit (paywall) as soon as today.
Canada’s ambassador to China briefs parliament on two detained citizens. In a closed-door meeting today, John McCallum will appear before a House of Commons committee to answer questions about efforts to secure the release of two nationals who’ve been detained in China, in what’s widely seen as retaliation by Beijing after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei’s chief financial officer last month.
Paweł Adamowicz is laid to rest. The funeral of the late mayor of Gdansk, Poland, who died after being stabbed on stage at a charity event this week, will be held today, with a mass scheduled for tomorrow. The killing fueled fresh concerns about the country’s divisions and toxic political debates.
Sweden elects a prime minister. Acting prime minister Stefan Lofven, who was ousted in September after losing a confidence vote, will be running today now that his Social Democratic party has come to a policy agreement with the Centre and Liberal parties.
A “super blood wolf moon” eclipse in the sky. North and South America will get the best view of Sunday night’s lunar event, but Europe and Africa might be able to catch a glimpse depending on the weather. The next total lunar eclipse won’t occur until 2021.
While you were sleeping
Trump grounded Nancy Pelosi and a US delegation to Davos. Citing the government shutdown, Trump canceled a US delegation’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, shortly after he postponed the House speaker’s overseas trip to visit troops in Afghanistan. A day prior, Pelosi had urged Trump to reschedule his State of the Union address or deliver it in writing because of security risks during the shutdown.
Investors breathed a sigh of relief on news the US considered easing China tariffs. US and Asian shares rose after the Wall Street Journal reported that Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin had proposed rolling back trade penalties (paywall) to help foster negotiations with China and calm nervous markets. Pressure is mounting ahead of a March 1 deadline, though the White House says a deal is “nowhere near completion.”
The death toll in a Bogota bombing rose to 21. A truck exploded at a high-security police academy in Colombia’s capital, injuring at least 68 people (paywall). No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the vehicle was registered in a stronghold of a leftist guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, that has targeted police since peace talks with conservatives stalled.
Nearly 1,000 Central American migrants entered Mexico. A caravan with 969 people from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua registered with authorities after crossing the country’s southern border, with about 700 people still waiting to enter. Those who meet the requirements will be issued humanitarian visas that will allow them to work in Mexico or continue their journey to the US border.
Four Audi officials were indicted in an emissions-cheating scandal. The employees of the Volkswagen subsidiary were charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, commit wire fraud, and violate the Clean Air Act. Each charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Quartz obsession interlude
Air traffic controllers are hired for their ability to work under pressure. But with the US government shutdown dragging on, an already super stressful job has gotten more so. Take a closer look at the hidden heroes who make air travel possible in the Quartz Obsession.
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Duncan Clark, earlier an investment banker with Morgan Stanley, advised Alibaba in its early days. It’s now a $400 billion company, with an empire that spans far beyond e-commerce. Clark himself has a ringside view of how Alibaba is battling its competitors, and talks to Quartz’s Tripti Lahiri in an exclusive interview for members. Sign up now for a free 30-day trial.
Matters of debate
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A deadly ISIS attack shows the US has no strategy in Syria. Though the group no longer controls major cities, its fighters are still engaging in an effective insurgency.
Jack Dorsey has no clue what he wants. The Twitter CEO doesn’t seem to have a grasp of the platform’s problems and how to fix them.
It’s easy for open secrets to flourish at companies. As knowledge of problems spread, employees become bystanders who hope their colleagues will speak up instead.
Surprising discoveries
Saturn’s rings haven’t always been there. Scientists now believe the rings of the 4.5 billion-year-old planet formed less than 100 million years ago.
Netflix is more terrified of Fortnite than HBO. In a letter to shareholders, it cited the game as a bigger risk than obvious rivals like Hulu.
Lego is a better investment than gold. The toys’ small size and high resale value give collectors an impressive return on investment (paywall).
North Korea is opening an enormous beach resort. The Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone, slated to open in October, will have a marina, cinema, sports complex, waterslides, and hotels.
A Japanese robot hotel fired its robots. Outdated tech and glitches made the robots extremely annoying (paywall) to human guests.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, robot resumes, and company secrets 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 Tripti Lahiri.