Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Tesla unveils its new SUV. The long-anticipated Model Y will make its debut (paywall) as the automaker attempts to reach cost-conscious customers who want a smaller all-electric SUV.
MtGox’s chief learns his fate. Disgraced bitcoin mogul Mark Karpeles will receive a verdict from a Tokyo court, after allegedly embezzling 341 million yen ($3 million) of his clients’ money. Karpeles has denied the charges and has blamed the missing bitcoin on hackers.
The Bank of Japan probably stays the course. The central bank is expected to refrain from making sweeping policy changes until the yen strengthens significantly.
While you were sleeping
Parliament voted to seek a Brexit delay. MPs voted 412–202 in favor of the delay and rejected calls for a second referendum. Now Theresa May will have to request an extension of the March 29 date—probably to June 30—from the European Union.
The US senate passed a resolution to block Trump’s border security national emergency. Democrats were joined by 12 Republicans in delivering a rebuke to the president’s executive action. Trump said he’ll use his veto power for the first time.
Facebook’s head of product announced his exit. Just a year after he took the reins at WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger, Chris Cox made a surprise announcement (paywall) that he’d be leaving the company, where he’s long been Mark Zuckerberg’s close confidant. In his farewell note Cox took issue with Zuckerberg’s recent encryption manifesto.
Volkswagen’s CEO apologized for an abhorrent joke. Herbert Diess made an accountant-themed pun that referenced a slogan emblazoned over the gates of many concentration camps. His statement said he “simply did not think of this possibility.”
The FDA moved to end fruity vaping. The US agency proposed that convenience stores ban the sale of fruit flavors. Mint and menthol can stay on the shelf, as they appeal to adult smokers trying to quit.
Membership
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Matters of debate
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Boeing and the US government are tied together by money. The 737 Max crisis is part of a long and complicated relationship.
Is America ready to decriminalize prostitution? The 2020 presidential candidates are going to have to pick a side.
Trump is prepping his followers for violence. The US president says with “tough people on his side it could get very, very bad.”
Surprising discoveries
The hot new teen messaging app is…Google Docs? Kids are reportedly using it to gossip when they should be doing homework.
The US energy secretary thinks jello is sticky. Rick Perry says he has “thrown a lot of jello at the wall” to find a replacement for coal power plants.
A US court affirmed the right to flip cops the bird. A Michigan woman got a traffic ticket after making a gesture “with four of her five fingers showing.”
A smartphone saved an Australian man from an arrow to the neck. He received only a small laceration—but his phone wasn’t so lucky.
A lot of Tumblr users were only there for porn. The site’s page views plunged by 100 million after it banned “female-presenting nipples” and other adult content.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, sticky jello, and heroic smartphones 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 Susan Howson and Adam Pasick.