Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
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.
A Tokyo court considers Carlos Ghosn’s latest bail request. The ousted Nissan chairman, who has been charged by Japanese prosecutors with misreporting his income, has offered to pay for ankle monitoring and tracking by security guards, and surrender his passport. Ghosn has been in custody since his November arrest. A decision should come evening Tokyo time, according to Bloomberg.
Summit in the snow. The World Economic Forum’s annual Davos gathering formally kicks off with a presser, a concert, and an 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
China’s economy grew at its slowest pace since 1990. Amid a trade fight with the US, the world’s second-largest economy grew 6.6% in 2018, with fourth-quarter growth slowing to 6.4% from a year earlier, matching levels last seen in early 2009 during the global financial crisis. Elsewhere in the region, Japanese manufacturers expressed worry over global demand.
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 next Trump-Kim summit looks set to be in Vietnam. Sources involved in the planning of a February meeting between the US president and Kim Jong Un of North Korea told Bloomberg it’ll most likely be in Hanoi (paywall), but Danang and Ho Chi Minh City are also still in consideration.
The death toll rose in Mexico’s pipeline tragedy. Authorities now say at least 85 people died (paywall) 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. Nearly 60 people remain hospitalized.
Ten UN peacekeepers from Chad were killed by Al Qaeda. A branch of Al Qaeda claimed the attack on a UN base (paywall) in the West African nation of Mali, saying it was in response to Chad’s resumption of diplomatic relations with Israel.
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 controversial 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
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app
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 food and workers at Western and non-Western restaurants 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 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 missing event attendees 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 Tripti Lahiri and Maria Thomas.