Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Donald Trump declares a state of emergency at the US-Mexican border. The long-threatened maneuver, which undercuts congressional control of federal spending, is expected to take place after Trump signs bipartisan legislation to avert another government shutdown today.
Nigerians head to the polls. Despite the more than 70 candidates, Saturday’s vote will really be a two-horse race between incumbent Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party. Fears of violence are rising after five members of the ruling party were shot and killed in the country’s southeast.
Refreshing results from PepsiCo. Analysts expect a rise in fourth-quarter profits from the world’s second-largest food and beverage maker, buoyed by strong demand for its line of snacks. The results come a day after Coca-Cola’s stock tumbled on weak earnings and a flat outlook for 2019.
While you were sleeping
The US had “productive” trade talks with China… Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin made the comments after he and trade representative Robert Lighthizer met with China’s Vice Premier Liu He, though no tangible actions were announced. The pair will also meet president Xi Jinping later today.
… while Congress passed a border security bill to avert another government shutdown. The bill, which denies Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion to build a border wall, won the backing of the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-led House.
European car sales decelerated for a fifth straight month. The slowdown in sales was reflected across the region’s biggest markets (paywall), as Europe experiences persistent anxiety over Brexit, political uncertainty, and battered growth rates.
Spain called for an April snap-election. The country’s socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez, who has only been in office for eight months, called for the vote today (paywall) after his minority government’s budget was soundly defeated this week. The issue of Catalan secession is expected to feature prominently.
Theresa May scrambled to rework her Brexit strategy. After lawmakers voted down the prime minister’s latest plan, Bloomberg reported (paywall) that UK officials will tell the EU it’s not looking to completely renegotiate the deal’s most controversial elements. Two notes from Wall Street today illustrated how divided analysts are in their forecasts: Goldman Sachs expects May to win support for some deal, while JPMorgan anticipates Brexit will be delayed.
Narendra Modi warned of a “heavy price” for a Kashmir blast. At least 41 troops were killed by a van packed with explosives in the restive Indian-administered Kashmir yesterday (Feb. 14), with India’s prime minister accusing Pakistan of harboring the militants believed responsible for the attack. Islamabad denied the charge.
Quartz obsession interlude
The Purdie Shuffle. When Steely Dan wanted something a bit different, legendary session drummer Bernard Purdie gave the band a beat that was entirely new: “half-time, funky, laid back.” Now it’s everywhere, from Led Zeppelin to Toto to Death Cab for Cutie. Drumroll please, for today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
Staying on top of crypto: To round out his weeklong package on Cryptocurrencies, Quartz reporter Matt De Silva has put together a truly comprehensive toolkit, bursting at the seams with all the resources you’ll need to stay ahead of this complicated, lucrative, risky world.
Matters of debate
Every company should trial a four-day work week. The trick is to frame it as an exercise in productivity, not employee wellbeing.
We should treat algorithms like prescription drugs. Using math to make high-stakes decisions is dangerous without detailed warning labels.
Urban jobs don’t equal urban growth. Only the super-rich win when a city grows via Amazon-style incentive deals.
Surprising discoveries
Happy? Sad? There’s a Lego face for that. Quartz collected 37,000 data points on 1,600 “minifigure” faces and found that they represent a range of complex emotions.
The future of robots is ants. The AntBot can self-navigate without the use of GPS by scanning UV rays, tracking its pace, and counting steps.
The Dutch have a mascot for Brexit. The government introduced a fluffy, blue monster (paywall) to educate citizens on the UK’s departure from the EU.
German scientists are simulating future climate change to save wine. So far, they’ve noticed that additional CO2 is making grapes bigger and juicier.
Denmark’s newest ski slope is rubbish. The 85-meter (278 ft) peak, covered in a green material called neveplast, is built on a mountain of garbage.
Correction: Yesterday we reported that an African black panther had been caught on camera for the first time in a century. In fact, at least two other panthers have been photographed in the 21st century.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, emotive Legos, and Brexit mascots 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.