Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump pushes for a border wall in a major speech to Congress. The US president’s state of the union address will call out Democrats for opposing funding for his controversial budget wall, which prompted a record government shutdown.
The US and North Korea lay the groundwork for a second summit. US envoy Stephen Biegun is in Pyongyang for preparatory talks ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un.
Trump taps a World Bank critic as the organization’s new president. Treasury official David Malpass is expected to be nominated by the US, beating out several high-profile female candidates who would be less inclined to disassemble the institution from within.
While you were sleeping
Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi are in talks with Waymo on autonomous cars. Nikkei reports that the automakers’ alliance is discussing a partnership that’s bigger than Waymo’s current deals with Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover. The deal would emphasize so-called “mobility services” over traditional car ownership.
France walloped GE and Apple. Regulators fined GE $57 million (paywall) for failing to create even a fraction of the jobs that it promised when it purchased Alstom SA’s energy business. It also secured $571 million in back taxes from Apple after accusing the tech giant of evading payments for over a decade.
Blackstone is reportedly scrapping its ambitious Africa investment plan. The Wall Street Journal (paywall) reports that the world’s largest private equity company is retreating from plans to invest $10 billion in energy infrastructure projects alongside Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote. Blackstone reportedly had trouble finding attractive investment targets, and faced stiff competition from Chinese firms.
Costa Rican Nobel prize winner Oscar Árias was accused of sexual assault. A nuclear disarmament activist filed a criminal complaint against the former president, accusing him of assaulting her at his home. Árias, who helped to broker the end of numerous civil wars in Central America, has denied the allegation.
Researchers called for retractions on hundreds of Chinese organ transplant studies. An Australian-led study said that many of the organs were obtained unethically from executed Chinese prisoners. In 445 studies involving 85,477 transplants, 99% failed to address issues of consent.
Quartz obsession interlude
Grapefruit: All citrus fruits come from just a handful of original varieties that started out in Asia about 7 million years ago. But the grapefruit—a cross between a sweet orange and a pomelo or shaddock—is a uniquely American specimen. Read the zesty details in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Who runs esports? On the gaming side, there’s Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who represents the insurgent future of the gaming industry, and Dominique “SonicFox” McLean, a self-described black, queer furry. On the financial side, keep an eye on Overwatch League’s Nate Nanzer, Epic Games’s Tim Sweeney, and TSM’s Andy “Reginald” Dinh. Learn more in this week’s membership exclusive.
Matters of debate
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Silicon Valley’s “blitzscaling” is a bust. Slower growth would result in more profitable companies that actually benefit society.
India’s single time zone is exhausting. It causes a two-hour sunset discrepancy that hurts the performance of children in western India.
The kingpin strategy is a recipe for drug war defeat. Taking leaders like El Chapo out of the game merely fragments power and increases violence.
Surprising discoveries
The Swedish crown jewels may have been found on a garbage bin. A security guard located what appears to be the nation’s missing treasure in a Stockholm suburb.
Our blue planet is getting bluer. Global warming is killing off phytoplankton that give water a greenish tinge.
Gwyneth Paltrow is the new Oprah. With a new Netflix series and book club on the way, the actress-turned-lifestyle-guru is picking up where her predecessor left off.
Beware exploding vape pens. A Texas man died last month after shrapnel severed his carotid artery.
Online shopping has AR in the bag. Other industries struggle to harness the power of augmented reality, but virtually trying on eyewear and makeup is a no-brainer.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, vape pen armor, and Swedish crown jewels 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 Adam Pasick.