Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Judgment day for Theresa May. Britain’s prime minister won apparent concessions from the EU at the proverbial 11th hour, but it’s unclear they’ll be enough to stop parliament from voting down the revised deal this evening. Separately, the government will release its January estimate for GDP, which contracted 0.4% in December.
The EU discusses its Huawei espionage concerns. A European Parliament resolution will raise lingering worries (paywall) about security threats posed by Chinese telecom companies. Washington has warned Berlin it risks losing access to US intelligence if it uses Huawei to build 5G networks.
The US presses India to stop buying Venezuelan oil. Washington is threatening the possibility of sanctions against New Delhi, Venezuela’s second-largest cash-paying oil customer.
Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi brief the press in Yokohoma. After a board meeting, the members of the world’s largest carmaking alliance will hold their first joint news conference since the ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn. He has been charged with financial misconduct, and was released on bail last week.
While you were sleeping
US aviation regulators said the Boeing 737 Max 8 is safe to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration declined to ground the aircraft model after two major crashes in five months, and said it is working with Boeing on a software update to the plane’s flight system.
The UN is investigating possible violations of North Korea sanctions. About 20 countries are under scrutiny for alleged activities including nuclear procurement in China and arms brokering in Syria.
Elon Musk hit back at the SEC. The Tesla CEO accused the Securities and Exchange Commission of “unprecedented overreach,” and said his recent tweet about production figures did not violate an earlier settlement with the regulator over his market-moving Twitter communications. In a separate securities filing, Tesla said it would raise vehicle prices by 3% to order to keep more retail stores open.
The Taliban wiped out an Afghan army company. In a major blow (paywall) to Afghan forces, Taliban fighters were reported to have killed 16 soldiers and taken 40 prisoners at an army base in northwestern Afghanistan. The assault comes as the insurgent group pursues a peace deal with the US.
Algeria’s president dropped his controversial re-election bid. There’ll be no fifth term for 82-year-old Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who faced intense public pressure to step down. But Bouteflika’s National Liberation Front, in power since Algeria’s independence from France, may yet remain in power.
Membership
Hi, members! Today we have a new state of play on sovereign wealth funds, which have become major players in finance and venture capital, commanding about $8 trillion in combined assets—equal to around 10% of global GDP. With much longer investment horizons and nation-state backing that leaves some ambiguity about their ultimate goals, they are ever more active players in the global economy.
We also have an analysis of calls to break up big tech, and a video about Japan’s shrinking workforce.
Quartz Obsession
The Little Ice Age: The term often refers to a moderately cold period in the 17th and 18th centuries that hit Europe especially hard. But it may have gone as late as the 19th century and began—or was at least triggered—in the 13th century. Either way, the Little Ice Age caused famines, sparked witch hunts, altered wars, toppled dynasties, and may show us what lies ahead with climate change. Read up on the era in our Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Automation isn’t the problem—capitalism is. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says we could be more excited about robotic labor if unemployment wasn’t so financially devastating.
We should switch to quantum computing. It’s a crucial tool to combat the threat of ever-growing energy use by regular computers.
Idealized visions of fatherhood can mask abuse. Deep-seated cultural narratives associate having control over others with being a “good” dad.
Surprising discoveries
New Zealand is using barking drones to herd sheep… But during wet weather, dogs are still the best.
…And the leader of the Iditarod lost a big lead after yelling at his dogs. Frenchman Nicolas Petit’s team refused to keep going in the Alaskan sled-dog race.
A high-school teacher won $10,000 for reading the fine print. A travel insurance company buried the prize to encourage customers to pay attention.
UBS cut bonuses for female staff who took maternity leave. The Swiss banking giant reportedly told one banker that “being a working mother was a ‘lifestyle choice,’” the FT reported (paywall).
Hitchhiking pathogens could carry cholera from India to the US. Plastic litter floating in rivers and seas around the world can act as rafts for harmful bacteria.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dog labor strikes, and fine-print windfalls 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.