Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
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 over the Irish border.
A deluge of data sheds light on US agriculture imports. The reports, 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.
The Grammy and BAFTA awards. On Sunday, the US music awards will feature a live Lady Gaga performance of “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, which is nominated for song and record of the year. Her co-star Bradley Cooper will attend the UK awards, where the movie, snubbed at the Oscars, is nominated for best film and best director.
Donald Trump undergoes his second physical in office. But Ronny Jackson, the navy doctor who said that the president had “incredibly good genes,” won’t be present (paywall). After his last physical, Trump, a lover of fast food, has been eating healthier, but hasn’t stepped up his fitness routine.
While you were sleeping
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accused the National Enquirer’s publisher of extortion. In an explosive blog post, Bezos alleged that American Media Inc. threatened to release comprising photos of him unless he ended his criticism of the publication. The world’s richest man, and owner of the Washington Post, refused, saying: “I’ve decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten.”
Thailand’s princess joined the race to be prime minister. Ubolratana Mahidol, the eldest sister of King Vajiralongkorn, will stand for Thai Raksa Chart, a party loyal to former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra—defying the royal family’s traditions of staying out of politics. Ubolratana will be competing against junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in the March elections.
Sony announced its first-ever share buyback. The company’s shares surged more than 5% following news of its plan to repurchase up to $910 million of its own stock through March 22. The announcement comes days after SoftBank unveiled its own record buyback.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias faced more accusations of sexual misconduct. Five women said the former Costa Rican president harassed and assaulted them. Antinuclear activist Alexandra Arce von Herold filed a criminal complaint earlier this week (paywall) asking prosecutors to charge Arias with sexual assault.
The US Supreme Court blocked Louisiana’s abortion restrictions. In a 5-4 ruling, chief justice John Roberts voted with the court’s liberal members to deny the state from enforcing a law that opponents said would leave only one doctor authorized to perform abortions state-wide. It was the court’s first significant decision on abortion rights since justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed.
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
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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
The British Council apologized to George Orwell—70 years later. The writer, who died in 1950, submitted an essay titled “British Cookery” to the body in 1946, but was rejected.
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.
Tiny bugs in Greenland reveal the Vikings’ less harsh truths. Between 985 and 1450, their settlement areas had temperatures around 50°F (10°C)—warmer than depicted in popular cultures.
UK chip shops are selling endangered species. Your fish and chips could consist of hammerhead sharks or spiny dogfish.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ethical fish and chips, 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 Yenni Kwok and Isabella Steger.