Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un get down to business. Day two of the US-North Korea summit in Hanoi will move beyond the formalities with bilateral meetings, a working lunch, a joint-agreement signing ceremony, and a press conference. At a brief photo-op today before talks, Kim unexpectedly took his first question from a foreign journalist (paywall)—and said he was hopeful for “good results.”
The UN votes on Venezuela. The Security Council is expected to vote on rival resolutions from the US and Russia. The American proposal calls for “free, fair and credible presidential elections,” while the Russian draft urges a political solution to the crisis and supports president Nicolás Maduro.
Mike Pompeo visits Manila. The US secretary of state travels to the Philippines on his way back home from the Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam. He will meet with president Rodrigo Duterte, where they may discuss the two countries’ military partnership.
The US releases fourth-quarter GDP data. The report comes a month late as a result of the partial government shutdown. While the economy saw strong growth last year, economists believe the numbers will show a slowdown at the close of 2018.
While you were sleeping
UK business confidence dropped to a seven-year low. The prospect of an imminent no-deal Brexit has sapped optimism amongst firms, according to a Lloyds report. Consumer confidence in the UK economy over the next year is also at its lowest since 2013, according to market research firm GfK.
Michael Cohen ended his congressional testimony in tears. The president’s former lawyer, who is set to serve a three-year prison term, warned US lawmakers that if Trump loses the election in 2020, “there will never be a peaceful transition of power.” Earlier, Cohen testified that Trump was a “racist,” a “con man,” and a “cheat.” Today, he’ll testify at a closed hearing of the House intelligence committee.
The US urged India and Pakistan to avoid further military action. Tensions are running high after the two nuclear-armed states carried out aerial forays across the de facto border in disputed Kashmir, resulting in the capture of an Indian pilot by Pakistan. The escalation followed a suicide attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed more than 40 security personnel. The acting US defense secretary called on both sides to reduce tensions.
A gauge of China’s factory activity fell to its lowest level in three years. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index showed new export orders again declining and that manufacturers cut jobs more aggressively. Japan’s factory production also declined due to weak demand from China.
TikTok was fined for illegally collecting data on children. The popular app, from Chinese tech startup Bytedance, agreed to pay a $5.7 million penalty after failing to obtain parental permission before users under age 13 signed on. It was a record fine by the US Federal Trade Commission for a child-privacy violation.
The US House of Representatives passed a major gun control bill. Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House approved a landmark measure that expanded federal background checks to all firearm buyers, including gun show and online sales. The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled Senate.
Quartz Obsession
Chatbot therapy: The doctor is online. Some 45 million people live with mental illness in the US alone, but only 43% get the treatment they need. Now there’s an app for that—though it’s not yet clear if chatting online delivers the same life-changing benefits as traditional therapy. Talk it over in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Membership
In today’s Tipping Points column, Allison Schrager examines the looming $78 trillion pension crisis: As liabilities grow and populations age, the payments owed to employees threaten to crowd out spending for things like schools and roads, and could make even reasonable debt levels unsustainable. Plus, in an essay on what will cause the next recession, Gwynn Guilford has her eye on risky corporate debt.
Matters of debate
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Free time correlates with happiness. Working people are happiest when they have 2.5 hours of time a day to themselves; non-working people peak at nearly five hours.
Home decorators should ignore Instagram trends. Choosing décor based on likes often leads to dissatisfaction in real life.
Sumo is cracking down on beards. Japanese officials are now banning facial hair, tattoos, and long nails under new personal grooming rules.
Surprising discoveries
We have the genome of a celebrity cat. Researchers sequenced the entire genome of Lil Bub and found that genetic abnormalities explain her unique appearance.
A French sporting goods company canceled plans for a “running hijab.” Decathlon had already introduced the garment in Morocco and was poised to sell it in 49 countries this spring.
Only six countries give women the same rights as men. A World Bank report found just a tiny group of nations that treat men and women the same, legally speaking.
America’s love of soft toilet paper is killing Canada’s forests. A new report takes tissue companies to task for failing to use recycled or alternative materials.
Archaeologists are preserving NSFW graffiti from 1,800 years ago. Roman soldiers’ drawings on Hadrian’s Wall in northern England include a crude phallic scribble.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, sustainable toilet paper, and home décor photos 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 Mary Hui and edited by Tripti Lahiri.