Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A flurry of earnings. Facebook and Microsoft are expected to deliver strong results despite lingering economic worries, while Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will likely post (paywall) a rise in revenue. Tesla has been bracing investors for a loss, while robust air travel should boost Boeing’s fourth quarter fortunes. McDonald’s, AT&T, and Visa are among the companies (pdf) also reporting today.
US-China trade talks begin. Donald Trump will meet Chinese vice premier Liu He for a two-day session that likely won’t result in any deals being made, especially with tensions freshly heightened over the US government’s indictment of Huawei.
The Fed’s high-wire act. Chair Jerome Powell will try to navigate the end of the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting without causing another market panic. Meanwhile, the US GDP report, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been delayed until the Bureau of Economic Analysis catches up from the government shutdown.
Theresa May goes back to the EU. The UK prime minister last night won support from parliament to try renegotiate her Brexit deal with the EU, but the bloc has repeatedly said that the most contentious part of the deal—the Irish border backstop—is not up for debate. She has two weeks (paywall) to try change its mind before heading back to parliament.
Venezuela plans more protests. Supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has declared himself interim president, will demonstrate today after the country’s supreme court yesterday froze Guaidó’s bank accounts and banned him from leaving the country. The court’s decision came after the US gave Guaidó control of Venezuela’s assets in the US (paywall).
PG&E is back in court. A day after declaring bankruptcy, the California utility company will argue against a judge’s proposal to impose new regulations on the company that seek to prevent more wildfires. The company faces hundreds of lawsuits from victims in 2017 and 2018 California fires.
While you were sleeping
Apple shares rallied in extended trading. The tech giant’s stock rose after it reported stronger than expected results in business services, although slowing iPhone sales in China hurt revenue and profits. The company predicts the number of subscriptions to its services business will top half a billion by 2020, up from 360 million now.
Carmakers checked in. Nissan said sales slid for the first time in a decade, while Toyota and Volkswagen sales have ticked up slightly. Carmakers are struggling with a slowdown in China, but Nissan faces added uncertainty after the arrest of former chairman Carlos Ghosn for alleged financial misconduct. In his first interview since being arrested, Ghosn today denied the accusations against him, saying they were fueled by Nissan executives who opposed to his plan for closer ties with Renault.
France surprised with upbeat growth numbers. Rising exports helped push GDP up, beating economists’ forecasts of slower growth (paywall) due to a global slowdown, the ongoing “yellow vest” protests, and crippling rail strikes.
The US sent a Honduran asylum seeker to Mexico under its new policy. The Associated Press reported today that Carlos Gomez, 55, was sent back to Tijuana under the Trump administration’s hardened immigration policy. Asylum seekers in San Diego will now have to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in US immigration courts.
A deadly grenade attack hit a mosque in the southern Philippines. At least two people were killed and four others injured in an attack on a mosque in Zamboanga city, days after fatal explosions rocked a Catholic church on nearby Jolo island, following a referendum backing greater autonomy in the Muslim-majority Mindanao region.
Quartz obsession interlude
Puffer jackets are equal parts luxury symbols and life savers. From “fill power” to brand-name recognition, the winter-guarding garment has evolved several times over the last century. Nowadays, you’re just as likely to see it on a fashion runway as you would in a biting snowstorm. Cozy up with our latest Quartz Obsession to see what makes or breaks these jackets on warmth and style.
Quartz Membership
Could McDonald’s be key to helping the environment? Cattle are the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Because of fast food’s reliance on beef, the industry could play a critical role in helping reduce both emissions and use of water worldwide. Today, Quartz looks at the campaign to get six food giants on board as part of a deep dive on the global water crisis.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Iran’s planned crackdown on Instagram would be a blow to feminists. Women in the country use the platform to promote their freedom and stay connected.
Your prosecco habit is harming vineyards. The rise in popularity of the white wine is causing soil erosion.
Our understanding of the fourth industrial era could be all wrong. We’re too close to it to have perspective on how it fits into human history.
Surprising discoveries
Earth is starting to feel more like Mars. Temperatures on the Red Planet vary widely, and due to climate change, those on our home planet now do too.
To work better with your colleagues, get an Xbox. A study found that teams saw a 20% productivity boost after playing a video game together for only 45 minutes.
China’s failure to control methane emissions is not only bad for the climate. It’s also wasting a valuable resource that could be used for heat and electricity.
Japan is planning a massive hack in the name of cybersecurity. It will access connected devices in millions of homes and offices to expose weaknesses in the internet of things.
A rare type of durian went on sale in Indonesia at a hefty price tag. A supermarket in an Indonesian town sold two J-Queen durians at about $1,000 a pop.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ethical prosecco, and work-friendly video games 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 Jenny Anderson and edited by Jackie Bischof.