Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Bank of England likely announces it’s keeping interest rates steady because of Brexit. Rates are expected to stay at 0.75% due to economic turmoil.
Theresa May visits Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. The European Commission president awaits an update on how the UK plans to handle Brexit, just after European Council president Donald Tusk openly expressed frustration (paywall) with the ongoing problems stemming from the lack of plans.
Twitter announces fourth-quarter earnings. Analysts are looking for revenue and user growth and for security spending. The social media company’s stock has been up 19% year-to-date and nearly 37% over the past year.
While you were sleeping
Spotify bought two podcast firms as it transitions from “music” to “audio.” The music streaming company acquired Gimlet, the maker of shows like “Homecoming,” “Reply All,” and “Uncivil,” and Anchor, which offers editing, hosting, distribution, and monetization tools for podcasters. It’s part of a broader push to expand offerings, as Spotify has between $400 million and $500 million saved for acquisitions this year.
The US House Intelligence Committee will probe whether Donald Trump is compromised by his financial interests. The investigation, announced by committee chair Adam Schiff, will go “beyond Russia,” he said.
Facebook’s VP of communications announced she’s leaving. Caryn Marooney spent eight years at the company, eventually rising to PR lead. Its longest-serving PR executive, Debbie Frost, who started at the company over a decade ago, is also moving on.
Virginia attorney general Mark Herring admitted he wore blackface at a 1980 college party where he and his friends “dressed like rappers.” The Democrat, who’s third in line for the governor’s office, released a statement that notably didn’t include an apology. Herring’s admission follows the discovery of a yearbook photo on governor Ralph Northam’s page of one person in blackface and the other in a Ku Klux Klan outfit; Northam denies he’s in the image and refuses to step down.
The US released its annual federal climate report. 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record (paywall), with last year’s surface temperature averaging 1º C (1.8º F) above those registered before the Industrial Revolution, when emissions produced by humans started changing Earth’s climate. Experts believe 2019 will be warmer than average too.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dollar stores have remade the American retail landscape—at a steep cost. In many small towns and struggling urban areas, they’ve even replaced grocery stores, creating food deserts where residents must rely on unhealthy options that, when you look closer, aren’t even a good deal. Read more in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Is esports the next NBA? Michael Prindiville definitely believes it. As chief of the esports organization Dignitas (which is owned by the same group that owns the Philadelphia 76ers), you might expect that, but Prindiville isn’t saying the road to world domination will be easy. Read more about his forecast for esports in this week’s member exclusive.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Online shopping isn’t worth the environmental cost. Customers have come to rely on fast shipping and free returns, driving up harmful emissions from shipping companies.
Pointing out the obvious can help drive change. Insights that confirm prior beliefs serve as positive reinforcement, allowing people to let their guard down.
The US no longer needs the presidential State of the Union address. Reaching the American public is easier than ever thanks to the internet—and doesn’t require a lengthy, politicized spectacle.
Surprising discoveries
Smartphones are getting a menstruation emoji. The “drop of blood” image joins a fleet of new inclusive glyphs released by Unicode, which includes an additional 17 skin tone and gender options, hearing aids, people in wheelchairs, and more.
A new island has NASA puzzled. The land mass off the coast of Tonga has lightly-colored, sticky mud unlike anything scientists have previously encountered.
A paleontologist found a punk rock dinosaur in Argentina. Bajadasaurus bones show a fearsome predator with mohawk-like spikes protruding from its back.
12% of Americans don’t know who their VP is. A recent CNN poll suggests more than 30 million people have never heard of Mike Pence.
Older women’s brains look similar to younger men’s. Women’s brains tend to convert sugar to energy at higher rates than men of the same age, making those brains look “metabolically younger,” according to a new study.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, inclusive emojis, and mysterious mud 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 April Siese and edited by Holly Ojalvo.