Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US and North Korea prep for a second summit. US envoy Stephen Biegun is in Pyongyang for talks ahead of another planned meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. The US president announced in his State of the Union speech he’ll be meeting the North Korean leader in Vietnam Feb. 27-28.
GlaxoSmithKline reveals more of its spin-off plans. When the UK pharmaceuticals giant announces its fourth-quarter numbers, investors will be looking for details on its planned break-up and consumer health joint-venture with Pfizer, announced last month. The UK company has been bolstering its cancer drugs pipeline, but analysts expect more competition from generics, including a competitor to its blockbuster asthma drug.
General Motors reports earnings amid layoffs. The US car giant began laying off some 4,000 employees days ahead of today’s quarterly report. The reductions are part of an overhaul that includes plans to build an electric-vehicle portfolio amid a slowdown in new car sales (paywall) in the US.
Trump taps a World Bank critic as its 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
Trump delivered his second State of the Union address. In a speech delayed due to the government shutdown, the president tried to find common ground with the Democrats while also delivering the red meat his far-right Republican supporters love. He pleaded for cooperation, made a pitch for his border wall, and warned “ridiculous partisan investigations” would hurt the “economic miracle” taking place in the US.
Pope Francis acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by priests. In remarks made on board the papal plane, the pontiff admitted publicly for the first time the church has a problem of priests and bishops sexually abusing nuns in the Catholic church, and vowed to do more to tackle it.
Elizabeth Warren apologized for calling herself Native American.The Democrat senator, who is seeking to settle the controversy around her ancestry claims as she prepares for a presidential run, told the Washington Post (paywall) she regrets identifying herself as Native American for almost two decades. Warren last week also apologized to the Cherokee Nation for taking a DNA test to support her stance.
Streaming helped Walt Disney top estimates. The company’s subscriber growth for its media networks, which include the Disney Channel, ABC, and ESPN, helped boost its quarterly earnings, along with revenue from its theme park business. Disney’s digital strategy should get a boost from its pending $70 billion acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox’s assets.
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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SOTU is unnecessary in the digital age. Trump delivers a State of the Union address every morning before breakfast.
India’s single time zone is exhausting. It causes a two-hour sunset discrepancy that hurts the performance of children in western India.
Chasing kingpins 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 top of 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 the 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.
A vape pen had a deadly explosion. A Texas man died last month after shrapnel from his vape pen 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 Yenni Kwok and Tripti Lahiri.