Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Hong Kong Airlines gets (or doesn’t get) a fuel injection… The region’s Air Transport Licensing Authority will decide on Saturday whether the struggling airline—like all carriers in the protest-hit region—will retain its license.
…And protesters test the results of the latest elections. Hong Kong police have given the thumbs up to a major demonstration on Sunday afternoon, during which protesters will attempt to feel out the newly elected pro-democracy representatives.
The US and Canada drop labor reports. The US jobs report for November could show an uptick from disappointing October numbers, but may not indicate significant improvement. Likewise, analysts predict Canada’s own November employment report will contain good news.
While you were sleeping
Saudi Aramco is poised to become the world’s biggest IPO. Saudi Arabia sold three billion shares of its state-owned company ahead of a public offering—valuing Aramco at $1.7 trillion, which could beat Alibaba’s standing record.
France was stopped short by strikes. Around 250,000 workers in education and transportation protested against president Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform in more than 40 cities across the country, affecting oil production, public transport, and schools.
United CEO Oscar Munoz announced plans to step down. The airline’s president Scott Kirby—known for helping to turn the company back into a leader in the US—will assume the chief role in May.
US lawmakers ramped up their impeachment inquiry. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will begin to draft articles of impeachment against president Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the judiciary committee announced they will hear presentations on evidence next week.
A rape victim en route to court was set on fire in India. Police say a 23-year-old woman is currently in critical condition after being attacked and set on fire by a group of men, including the alleged rapist. The attack is the latest in a string of violent events as the country confronts how it handles rape.
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How to talk to loved ones with age-related dementia. No matter how much the science evolves, there’s a whole set of problems it won’t ever be able to solve. Read about dementia’s most heartbreaking problem in our latest field guide.
Quartz obsession
Greetings from Krampus. At this time of year, in parts of Europe, a goat demon named Krampus treads through the snow, ready to lug misbehaving children directly to hell. How did this pagan figure get assimilated into Christmas traditions? The Quartz Obsession will tell you—if you stay on your best behavior.
Matters of debate
Don’t assume driverless cars will help old people. The autonomous technology hasn’t had much input from the actual aging population.
Learning a new language can be like a love affair. There’s the same heady mix of curiosity and wonder.
Colonizing Mars says a lot about how we address climate change. Is repeating our mistakes on another planet the answer to our existential crisis?
Surprising discoveries
Only one airline is willing to deport high-risk immigrants for the US. And it’s price-gouging ICE, with some flights as high as $33,500 per hour.
The climate crisis is causing birds to shrink. That’s according to a study of 70,716 specimens from 52 North American migratory bird species.
A people smuggler built a fake border crossing. A man tricked four migrants into thinking they had crossed into Finland from Russia.
Ford’s making cars out of coffee. The automaker will be taking coffee bean waste from McDonald’s and turning it into bioplastics.
Celebrities are making AIs of themselves. The virtual version of author Deepak Chopra could be the future of immortalizing ourselves after death.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, AI versions of yourselves, and coffee cars 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 Patrick deHahn and Susan Howson.