Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Tens of thousands march in Colombia. The government plans to close its borders as it struggles to control protests and strikes against president Iván Duque. Marchers are upset over the murders of indigenous leaders, government corruption, and the state of a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Tesla unveils its electric pickup truck. The automaker first teased the concept six years ago, but little is known about its “Cybertruck.” On Wednesday, US senator Ed Markey called on Tesla to disable its autopilot feature to fix a flaw after videos surfaced appearing to show drivers asleep at the wheel.
US Democratic presidential candidates debate. Frontrunners Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg face off against six other hopefuls in Atlanta, Georgia. The ongoing impeachment hearings are sure to loom large.
While you were sleeping
Gordon Sondland implicated Donald Trump. In Wednesday’s impeachment hearings, the US ambassador to the EU said he was following the president’s “express direction” when pressuring Ukraine to investigate rival Joe Biden and his son. Democrats said his testimony strengthens the case for impeachment.
Wall Street dipped on trade concerns. Rumors that the US and China wouldn’t reach a trade agreement by the end of 2019 got a quick response from investors, who reversed an earlier optimistic jump that the two countries were on track to make a deal.
China took a dim view of the UK’s attitude towards Hong Kong. Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming told British foreign secretary Dominic Raab to reconsider his censuring of the Chinese response to protesters in Hong Kong. Those protesters, said Liu, have committed “extreme, violent offences.”
Prince Andrew is shedding his royal responsibilities. In light of his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal—and a recent controversial TV interview—the UK’s Duke of York has asked Queen Elizabeth II for permission to withdraw from his official duties.
Israel missed its deadline. The nation faces a third election after Benny Gantz announced he has failed to form a working coalition by his deadline, just as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also was unable to do, sending Israel deeper into political chaos.
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ETFs didn’t democratize finance. Could they? Over a third of Americans spent more on coffee last year than they invested. Getting people without much money to invest small amounts for their own good later is very difficult. If there were any investment product that could solve the problem, it should be the exchange-traded fund. It hasn’t happened yet, but there are a couple of things that could help.
Quartz Obsession
Shipbreaking is the dirty underbelly of global trade. More than 90% of international trade moves by sea and ships can’t last forever, so where do they go? The majority of them head to South Asian shipbreaking yards, which are deadly for yard workers, toxic for the environment, and nearly impossible to regulate. Break it down in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Matters of Debate
Companies should consult workers when automating. Rank-and-file employees deserve a say in how new technology impacts them.
Your “minimum viable product” isn’t going to cut it. Consumers expect something they actually want to use, not just a cobbled-together tool that functions.
We need to regulate the Arctic cruise industry. But the political complexity of the region makes it notoriously hard to govern tourism practices there.
Surprising discoveries
Doctors have put humans in suspended animation for the first time. Rapidly cooling the brains of shooting and stabbing victims buys surgeons time to save them.
Safety deposit boxes are in demand again. The ultra-rich are looking for alternative places to stash their wealth.
A dog rescued koalas in Australia. The obsessive compulsive “Bear,” who was abandoned as a puppy, now helps to find and save animals injured in wildfires.
South Korea regulators monitor porn round the clock. They’re part of a new digital sex crime monitoring unit that searches for and removes sexual videos posted without consent.
Babies cry in different languages. By the third trimester, a fetus can hear the cadence and melody of its mother’s voice, known as “prosody.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, heroic pups, and safety deposit keys to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Susan Howson and Liz Webber.