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What to watch for today
China reports on its slowing economic growth. The world’s second-largest economy is expected to have grown just 6.4% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, the lowest annual level since early 2009 during the global financial crisis. That could put last year’s GDP growth at 6.6%, the lowest since 1990.
Theresa May presents a revised Brexit plan to Parliament. Last week the UK prime minister’s original plan was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs. She may try to secure a bilateral Brexit treaty with Ireland, bypassing the EU. Meanwhile various MPs are working on motions to block a no-deal Brexit.
Summit in the snow. The World Economic Forum’s annual Davos gathering formally kicks off with a concert and awards ceremony. Donald Trump, the UK’s May, and France’s Emmanuel Macron are stuck at home grappling with crises. But dozens and dozens of CEOs and world leaders will be there, from Japan’s Shinzo Abe to newly elected Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. You can sign up for Quartz’s free Davos Daily Brief to follow along with our journalists on the ground.
US stock markets will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Over the weekend
Trump offered a “compromise” to end the government shutdown. While not budging on his $5.7 billion demand for a border wall, he offered to temporarily roll back his own hawkish immigration actions. Democrats immediately rejected the offer.
The death toll rose in Mexico’s pipeline tragedy. Authorities now say at least 73 people died in a blast Friday at the Tula-Tuxpan pipeline, which thieves had illegally tapped, creating a geyser that lured hundreds of people seeking fuel. Investigators said static electricity from clothing may have sparked the blaze.
Facebook’s COO acknowledged the company’s stumbles. Sheryl Sandberg said the social media giant must “stop abuse more quickly and we need to do better to protect people’s data.” She outlined steps being taken toward those goals, including cracking down on fake accounts.
Demonstrators protested Greece’s name deal. In Athens, about 60,000 people marched against an arrangement in which the country’s northern neighbor will change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia in exchange for Greece ending opposition to its bid to join NATO and the EU. Greece has its own region called Macedonia.
The DR Congo’s highest court upheld the election results. Many condemned the decision, as they did the national electoral commission’s declaration of Felix Tshisekedi as winner of the Dec. 30 presidential contest. The dispute has sparked fears of fresh turmoil in the unstable African nation.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jack Bogle’s legacy is, by the numbers, huge. The investment firm he founded, Vanguard, controls over $5 trillion. It’s saved investors $1 trillion. The index-fund concept he pioneered has massively outperformed actively managed funds since the Great Recession, while driving down fees. It’s an idea Bogle had as a mere undergraduate, but it took a catastrophic failure—he lost a billion dollars for his firm, and his job—for him to put it in motion. The tale of the ticker tape is at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Social-media influencers should be regulated. We can’t afford to wait for the influencer-marketing industry to have its Cambridge Analytica moment.
Yelp’s “authenticity” metric has a white-supremacy problem. The difference in the way US reviewers describe Western and non-Western restaurants and food-service workers mimics racist trends on the internet.
Employers should stop pitching jobs as a higher calling. Trying to rally workers through emotional appeals to mission and meaningfulness often backfires, eroding trust and commitment.
Surprising discoveries
A train in Taiwan cut a python in half. The serpent, measuring 4 m (13 ft), was apparently trying to cross the tracks.
The “Fortnite” economy has its own black market. V-bucks, the in-game currency, are reportedly being used to launder money from stolen credit cards.
The “super wolf blood moon” is a media invention. All it means is a total lunar eclipse.
Major automakers skipped the Detroit auto show. Among those who couldn’t be bothered this year: Audi, BMW, Volvo, Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, and Mercedes-Benz.
The average salary at the FBI is $37,000. Some of the agency’s employees are working as Uber drivers to survive the government shutdown.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, V-bucks, and astronomical jargon 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 Steve Mollman and Elijah Wolfson.