Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The US and Canada release jobs numbers. The US jobs report for November could show an uptick after the one-off effects of the General Motors strike. Analysts also expect good news from Canada.
A judge decides what to allow in the case against T-Mobile’s takeover of Sprint. Several US states are trying to block the merger, saying it will hurt competition. They want access to sensitive emails between the companies and regulators who approved the deal, which will be hashed out in a pretrial hearing today before the case goes to court next week.
France has a second day of nationwide strikes. More than 800,000 took to the streets yesterday as unions launched a protest against the government’s pension reform plans, forcing the closure of trains, hospitals, schools, and even the Eiffel Tower.
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn go head to head. The UK prime minister and the Labour leader will take part in an hour-long debate tonight hosted by the BBC. With Johnson’s Conservatives ahead in the polls, he will “try his utmost not to slip up.”
While you were sleeping
Uber said there were more than 3,000 reports of sexual assaults on its US rides last year. The figure, in the ride-hailing company’s long-awaited safety report, includes 229 rapes across 1.3 billion rides, with both riders and drivers as victims.
Huge bush fires raged in Australia’s New South Wales. Three fires merged into a “mega blaze” north of Sydney. Bushfires have killed six people and destroyed more than 700 homes across Australia since October.
Greta Thunberg made it to Madrid. The teenage climate activist took an overnight train from Lisbon, and plans to give a speech and join a march on the sidelines of the UN’s climate summit in the Spanish capital.
German factories sputtered. New data show that industrial production fell sharply in October, sparking fears about the health of Europe’s largest economy, which narrowly avoided recession last quarter.
R Kelly was hit with new bribery charges. The R&B singer is accused of paying off an Illinois government official in 1994 to obtain a fake ID for underage singer Aaliyah so he could secretly marry her.
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Next-generation dementia care could learn from cancer care. Palliative care in the form of hospice continues to be employed in the final months of patients’ lives, especially those with cancer. But it can be for anyone who has a long-term, chronic illness, like kidney failure, lung disease—or dementia. Read about dementia care 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 punish misbehaving children. 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
There can be a “market for love” that has nothing to do with money. Finland’s communal grandparents program is proof.
Colonizing Mars isn’t the answer to our existential crisis. What’s the point of repeating our mistakes on another planet?
Driverless cars won’t help old people. The autonomous technology hasn’t had much input from that demographic.
Surprising discoveries
Ford is making cars out of coffee. The automaker will be taking coffee bean waste from McDonald’s and turning it into bioplastics.
Celebrities are making clones of themselves. Author Deepak Chopra designed a virtual version of himself—and it could be the way we immortalize ourselves.
Children believe in Santa for very particular reasons. And they all have to do with their parents’ actions.
Once-a-month birth control pills appear to have worked in pigs. A capsule sits in the stomach and slowly releases hormones into the body.
Only one airline is willing to deport high-risk immigrants from the US. And it’s charging the government as much as $33,500 per hour.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, communal grandparents, and coffee waste 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 Jason Karaian and Rashmee Roshan Lall.