Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Jerome Powell discusses poverty. The Federal Reserve chairman delivers a speech on “Economic Development in High Poverty Rural Communities” to a forum in Mississippi which will be live streamed.
Theresa May updates lawmakers on Brexit. The British prime minister will give a statement on her negotiations with Dublin and Brussels over the Irish border, as she tries to gain more support for her Brexit deal ahead of a parliamentary debate on Thursday.
The US Senate pushes back on China. The Senate Small Business Committee, chaired by Sen. Marco Rubio, is expected to release a report alleging “industrial espionage and coercion” by Beijing.
Catalan politicians go on trial for their role in the region’s failed independence bid. The 12 defendants are facing up to 25 years in prison (paywall) for their role in Catalonia’s declaration of independence in 2017. Notably absent in court is former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who is living in exile in Belgium.
Venezuelan students hold anti-government protests on Youth Day. Millions of students are mobilizing to protest president Nicolás Maduro, who has vowed to stay in power despite growing international support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
While you were sleeping
Dueling speeches took place in El Paso. Beto O’Rourke, the popular Democrat politician and El Paso native, slammed Donald Trump’s proposed border wall. The president, meanwhile, doubled down on his commitment to building the wall and maintained that it would keep crime low in the border city. O’Rourke, who narrowly lost to Ted Cruz in recent midterm elections, said he would make a decision on running for president in 2020 by the end of the month.
The Pentagon chief made a surprise trip to Baghdad. Acting US defense secretary Patrick Shanahan landed in Iraq’s capital today to discuss the presence of US troops in the country. President Trump said earlier this month the troops would remain in Iraq to “watch Iran.”
The Ghosn arrest and weak global sales hit Nissan. Despite a 25% increase in third-quarter profit, the Japanese carmaker today cut its annual profit forecast and reported a 45% slide in nine-month net profit. It also said it has booked $84 million in charges related to former chairman Carlos Ghosn’s alleged under-reported compensation.
Samsung put its exploding washing machines behind it. The South Korean multinational agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over nearly three million faulty appliances that were recalled in the US. The consumer goods giant has carved out a large share of the US washing machine market over the last decade.
Turkey ordered more coup-related arrests. Authorities issued warrants for more than 1,000 people across 76 provinces over alleged links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara blames for a failed 2016 coup, a charge he denies. Tens of thousands have been arrested in the aftermath of the coup attempt.
Refugee soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi returned home to Australia from Thailand. Hundreds of supporters welcomed the Bahraini citizen, who had been detained in Thailand since November at the Gulf kingdom’s request. Bahrain also formally ended its attempts to extradite al-Araibi, following a global campaign calling for the athlete’s release.
Quartz obsession interlude
Music that gives you the chills. Scientists think that spine-tingling musical moments are a bit like riding a rollercoaster—a way to experience a threat without risking life and limb. Dynamic changes and memory-tapping motifs work on multiple parts of our brain at once, potentially offering therapies for anxiety, depression, and dementia. Listen up at today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Crypto: Matt De Silva continues his deep dive into the world of bitcoin and other digital currencies with an essential roster of the people who are key decision-makers in the world of cryptocurrency. He also has an exclusive Q&A with ConsenSys CEO Andrew Keys on the future of blockchain-based businesses. Our squad of finance experts also have a killer Private Key article, about Binance’s BNB coin and its extraordinary value.
Matters of debate
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the Democrats’ version of Donald Trump. At least when it comes to her social media prowess.
Fortnite is the future. The game’s communal reality and rabid fan base could put Facebook and Netflix in its crosshairs.
Not every cartoon needs a live-action remake. Disney’s latest reboot of Aladdin is rubbing fans the wrong way.
Surprising discoveries
Nearly a third of Americans think donning blackface is perfectly OK. A poll found widespread acceptance by whites of the racist caricature during Halloween.
Climate change is forcing polar bears to invade Russia. The Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic Ocean has reported a number of attacks on humans.
A Canadian town is dealing with the Chernobyl of fermented fish. More than a hundred vats of Vietnamese fish sauce have been left there to rot for nearly 20 years.
Car thieves are stealing catalytic converters to harvest palladium. The rare metal is now worth more than its own weight in gold (paywall).
Reddit is the least valuable social platform. The company’s average revenue per user is a fraction of other social networks—and its users are overjoyed.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, spare palladium, and Reddit fan mail 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 Adam Rasmi and edited by Jackie Bischof.