Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
A deluge of data sheds light on US agriculture imports. The reports from the US department of agriculture, delayed by last month’s government shutdown, will be examined for clues about Chinese soybean purchases. They plunged to zero in November due to the US-China trade war.
Theresa May visits Dublin to break the Brexit deadlock. The UK prime minister will meet with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar after the EU agreed to resume negotiations (paywall).
The Grammy and BAFTA awards. On Sunday, the US music awards will feature a live Lady Gaga performance of “Shallow”, nominated for song and record of the year, while her costar Bradley Cooper will attend the UK movie awards, where A Star Is Born is nominated for Best Film and (unlike at the Oscars) Best Director.
While you were sleeping
Gucci apologized for an inexplicable line of blackface knitwear. The turtleneck ($850) and related face masks were rimmed with bright red faux lips, bringing to mind exaggerated racist caricatures, at a time when political figures are under fire for wearing blackface in the past.
BB&T is buying SunTrust for $28 billion. The combined bank, with locations mostly in the southeast US, will become the sixth-largest bank in the country (paywall). The biggest US bank merger in a decade could be followed by more deals as lenders take advantage of looser regulations and bulging cash reserves.
Donald Trump said he won’t meet Xi Jinping before the trade truce expires. Stocks fell after the US president indicated he doesn’t anticipate a face-to-face (paywall) with his Chinese counterpart ahead of a self-imposed March 1 deadline. Trump plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam at the end of February.
The Maduro government shut down a bridge bringing aid into Venezuela. Self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó organized a convoy of badly needed food and medical supplies, pledged by the United States and Canada, from neighboring Colombia, but the Venezuelan military denied access.
Congressional Democrats proposed a “Green New Deal.” The plan set out an economic framework to turn the US into a carbon-neutral economy by 2030 through a massive mobilization of renewable energy and energy-saving projects.
Quartz obsession interlude
The Nobel prize, riots, and a legal fight: it’s the Brown Dog Affair. Once upon a time vivisection—dissecting and experimenting on live animals—wasn’t a big deal. That’s until 1903, when British doctors killed a brown terrier during a lecture two Swedish feminists and anti-vivisectionists were attending undercover. It led to a huge libel case, a Mark Twain short story, and a fight between cops and 1,000 medical students wielding dog effigies. Read a tail too strange to tell: today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Esports players live fast and retire young. There’s a misconception that professional gaming can be easily compared to recreational gaming, but it’s anything but leisurely. With 12-to-14-hour practice sessions commonplace among many esports players, it’s simply too difficult to keep up with that hard of a grind for more than a short few years. Today’s membership exclusive digs into how a sedentary industry causes such intense burnout.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Sheryl Sandberg is still inspiring women. Despite the Facebook COO’s wavering reputation regarding ethics concerns, her achievements are revered by females in tech.
“Synergies” is a scary word in a merger. What it really means is that the two companies will make more money by eliminating redundancies and cutting jobs.
Brexit isn’t a joke to Northern Ireland. Being the stage for the “backstop” just reopens old wounds and deepens past divisions.
Surprising discoveries
Smoking pot could increase sperm count. A study tested 600 men at a fertility clinic, but cautioned that other causations could be at play (paywall).
New York’s “Hot Duck” is about to get ugly. The beloved, technicolor Mandarin duck will shed its dreamcoat for drab gray under-plumage.
Florida’s face-licking politician has resigned. Commissioner Nancy Oakley has a penchant for licking men’s faces, several of whom have come forward with ethics complaints.
Haagen-Dazs has combined ice cream and booze. The “Spirits” line will hit US grocery shelves in April, with flavors like Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle and Stout Chocolate Pretzel Crunch.
Non-endangered fish and chips, please. UK chip shops have been found to be selling protected species, including hammerhead sharks and spiny dogfish.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, pretty ducks, and boozy treats 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 and Susan Howson.