Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Will Singapore splash the cash? Finance minister Heng Swee Keat will unveil the government’s priorities for the year ahead, with many expecting a boost to infrastructure spending, health-care support, and business tax credits in the run-up to elections in the city-state.
China-US talks continue in DC. Key issues still need to be settled ahead of a March 2 deadline when the US has said it will raise tariffs on Chinese goods. Chinese president Xi Jinping heralded the “important progress” made in China last week, while Trump signaled that the deadline could be extended.
Theresa May talks—what else?—Brexit. The UK prime minister will reach out to her counterparts in the EU to rally support for changes to the deal to smooth Britain’s departure from the bloc at the end of March. Few of the other 27 EU members seem willing to budge on an agreement ratified last year, but voted down by Britain’s parliament last month.
US financial markets are closed for Presidents’ Day. Markets in Canada are also closed, for Family Day.
Over the weekend
Nigeria postponed its presidential elections. Hours before voting was due to begin, the country’s electoral commission announced a week-long delay, a move the opposition pegged to voter disenfranchisement on the part of president Muhammadu Buhari. For citizens, the decision is disruptive and, in some cases, very costly.
The Vatican defrocked a cardinal for sexual abuse. Pope Francis expelled former cardinal and archbishop of Washington Thomas McCarrick. It’s the first time an American cardinal has been removed from priesthood and a critical moment in the church’s decades-long sex abuse scandal.
Saudi Arabia is putting $20 billion into Pakistan. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman kicked off his high-profile visit, seen by many as an attempt to rebuild his reputation in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, by signing a surprising number of investment agreements he called “phase 1.”
Apple hired a new head for its smart home division. Sam Jadallah previously headed the startup Otto, which was billed as the “Apple of smart locks,” and also spent time at Microsoft. Apple is on a hiring spree in an effort to catch up to Google and Amazon in the smart home department.
Two days in the Trump administration. On Saturday, Trump’s choice for ambassador to the UN withdrew after hiring a nanny who wasn’t legally working in the US; the acting defense secretary said he could refuse to redirect Pentagon funds for a border wall; and Trump roiled European allies by threatening to release ISIL fighters captured in Syria. On Sunday, California’s attorney general said a lawsuit over Trump’s declaration of a state of emergency is “imminent”; and a Japanese newspaper reported that Shinzo Abe nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize at the White House’s request. Trump played golf both days.
Quartz obsession interlude
Welcome (back) to the era of the mixtape. They mostly come in digital forms now, but the 40-year-old concept—a carefully curated, finite playlist—remains powerful in an age of endless options. Hip-hop artists pioneered the medium and continue to reap the rewards. Lend us your ear at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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WeWork’s creepy new strategy might end the workplace as we know it. The shared-office operator acquired a software company that tracks how people move around physical spaces.
The Fortnite lawsuits will never go away. When it comes to copyright of choreography, what’s legally sound is different from what’s ethically sound.
We get the journalism we deserve. Are levels of media literacy too low to sustain high-quality media?
Surprising discoveries
China has plans to put a solar power station in space. The energy it generates would be beamed back to Earth via a microwave or laser. (What could go wrong?)
A stuffed whale penis sold at auction for $6,000. The 19th-century specimen may have been used by sailors to store tobacco on long voyages.
Space harpoon? Space harpoon! A British satellite tested the spiky contraption to pierce and reel in space junk. The same group previously used a net.
Counting push-ups can help predict your risk of heart disease. A simple test devised by Harvard researchers showed promising results.
The US stock market is off to its best start of the year in decades. What crisis?
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, trademarked dance moves, and space lasers 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 Jessanne Collins, Jason Karaian, April Siese, and Heather Timmons.