Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Theresa May presents a Brexit “Plan B.” MPs rejected the UK prime minister’s original plan to leave the EU last week by a historic margin. 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 with misreporting his income, has offered to surrender his passport and pay for ankle monitoring and tracking by security guards. Ghosn has been in custody since his November arrest.
Japan’s Shinzo Abe lands in Moscow. The Japanese prime minister arrives in the Russian capital for talks with president Vladimir Putin. The two countries are looking to pen a peace treaty and settle a decades-old dispute over the Kuril islands. Hundreds of Russians protested returning the islands back to Japan over the weekend.
Summit in the snow. CEOs and world leaders are in Davos this week for the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering, which kicks off today. Donald Trump, the UK’s May, and France’s Emmanuel Macron will skip the event, giving countries like China and Brazil more space to deliver their message. 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 three years of protection for “Dreamers”—undocumented migrants brought to the US as young children. Democrats immediately rejected the offer. The US president dismissed conservative criticism that his offer amounted to amnesty.
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 the terrorist group 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 would 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.
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 discrimination problem. US reviews of Western and non-Western restaurants mimic 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.
Surprising discoveries
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.
A train in Taiwan cut a python in half. The 4m (13 ft)-long snake was apparently trying to cross the tracks.
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.
Japanese commuters are getting free food for staggered commutes. Soba noodles and tempura are on the menu as part of a plan to ease the Tokyo Metro’s notorious overcrowding.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, authentic Yelp reviews, and free soba noodles 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 Jackie Bischof.