Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Carrie Lam has a big meeting. In her first official sit-down with Chinese vice-premier Han Zheng since the protests began, Hong Kong’s chief executive will be delaying her return from Beijing to discuss national security matters and next steps for policy directives, most likely.
SoftBank delivers news. The Japan-based conglomerate absorbed big losses after backing startups like WeWork and Uber, with Masayoshi Son’s personal worth dropping by a cool $6 billion. Son may indicate that SoftBank’s Vision Fund, the famously risk-loving investment arm, may have its priorities reevaluated when the full damage is reported on today’s earnings call.
Britain’s parliament temporarily dissolves. The move is necessary now that prime minister Boris Johnson has secured a snap election on Dec. 12 in an attempt to break the Brexit deadlock. Johnson’s under fire for choosing not to release a report on Russian interference in UK politics while MPs are still in session.
While you were sleeping
Walgreens Boots is in talks to go private. If the deal goes through, it could be the biggest take-private buyout in history, and would allow the global retail pharmacy giant to adapt to competition from online sellers without quarterly pressure from shareholders.
A US ambassador changed his tune. Gordon Sondland altered his impeachment inquiry testimony to reflect that he told Ukrainian officials that US aid rested on a public commitment to Trump-requested investigations of the Bidens.
China is helping the US with its opioid problem… Beijing announced it would provide details on Thursday of its collaboration with Washington on a fentanyl-smuggling case. Positioning China as a teammate in one of US president Donald Trump’s most popular initiatives could help soften the hearts of voters adversely affected by the US–China trade war.
…but causing problems in the UK. A new report by the British foreign affairs select committee shows “alarming evidence” of Chinese efforts to restrict academic freedom on UK university campuses, even involving China’s London embassy. The committee points fingers at academic organizations for their failure to get involved.
The Paris Climate Agreement could have made an impact. As it stands, the pledges made to reduce carbon emissions—even assuming all countries involved hit their targets, which they won’t—aren’t enough to combat climate change. Scientists say the results will cause, in no uncertain terms, very real human suffering.
Quartz Membership
Can design break our plastic addiction? By continuing to equate civilization with the use of more and more resources and energy, we’ve found ourselves stuck in an unsustainable Plastic Age. It doesn’t have to be this way. Join Quartz’s Zoë Schlanger as she examines how some educators and companies have accepted that good design is the only way out.
Quartz Obsession
Crossword puzzles drive us crazy, but in a good way. The human brain is hard-wired to fill in blanks, and unlike many of the challenges we face in daily life, these are meant to be solved. The Quartz Obsession puzzles through the clues.
Matters of Debate
Technology is dangerous for kids…unless it’s not. Screens seem to make tweens and teens physically safer, but introduce new perils for their mental health.
The 5G revolution will be designed. High-speed connections will only be as transformative as the devices we build for them.
Movie theaters don’t exist to make Marvel money. Martin Scorsese argues that franchise films crowd out standalone movies with more artistic merit.
Surprising discoveries
Scammers sold Prince Charles $136 million of fake art. The bogus Monet, Picasso, and Dali paintings have since been removed from view at Dumfries House.
A “brain-reading” headband is creeping out Chinese parents. The American device claims to detect how closely students are paying attention.
The best entry-level employees are robots. Young humans will need to enter the workforce at higher-level roles to keep up.
Parachutes are the next hurdle for space exploration. Rocket scientists are scrambling to perfect a soft landing for reusable spacecraft.
A pea-brained bird is upending our understanding of social dynamics. Animals don’t necessarily need big brains to form complex societies.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, robot interns, and bird-brained friends to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Susan Howson and Nicolás Rivero.