Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The first significant US economic data of the year is released. The Federal Reserve publishes its December meeting minutes today, possibly giving clues on its plans for the repurchase agreement market. The latest purchasing managers’ index will also offer a peek into US business confidence.
Australia braces for a dangerous spread of bushfires. The rural fire service has said that large areas in the state of New South Wales, which includes greater Sydney, face potential fire threat tomorrow, and urged people along the south coast to evacuate by tonight. A seven-day state of emergency has already been declared, giving authorities broad powers to compel evacuations. The state of Victoria declared a similar state of disaster for the first time.
Floods continue to rock Indonesia. At least 30 people are dead in Jakarta as the heaviest rain since the country began keeping records pours down in the capital and beyond. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue through the weekend.
China’s top trade negotiator visits the US. Vice premier Liu He will reportedly lead his delegation to Washington, DC tomorrow, where he is expected to sign phase one of a deal that will significantly de-escalate the trade war.
While you were sleeping
The US launched a deadly airstrike at Baghdad airport. Qassem Soleimani, a powerful commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, were both killed in the attack launched by the Pentagon. US secretary of defense Mark Esper said Soleimani was “actively developing plans” to attack US troops and diplomats. Brent crude oil futures jumped nearly $3 after the strike.
Spain is one step closer to breaking its political deadlock. Interim prime minister Pedro Sánchez secured the crucial backing of pro-independence Catalan party Esquerra Republicana, paving the way for him to form a coalition government. The first round of confidence votes will take place on Sunday.
The US banned most flavored vaping products. Manufacturers have 30 days to stop producing and selling flavored pre-filled cartridges for e-cigarettes amid a deadly health crisis related to vaping. The ban, however, does not affect methanol or tobacco flavors.
Boris Johnson’s chief adviser wants to hire “weirdos and misfits.” In a long blog post, Dominic Cummings spelled out a list of “odd skills” and “unusual” qualities he wants to see in applicants to jobs at 10 Downing Street.
Quartz membership
US president Dwight Eisenhower famously said, “I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” In the Quartz at Work guide to structuring your day, Khe Hy explains how to overcome this dilemma—as well as why you need to schedule time in your calendar for “deep work.”
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Feel left out of the conversation? Social media has interrupted our social lives, leaving us increasingly atomized between webs of virtual connections. Good conversation is an art, and it’s getting harder as we lose practice. So what’s the secret to a lively exchange? Have a chat with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Apocalypse is the new normal. Wildfires, flooding, and heatwaves are just a taste of the horrors of the unfolding climate crisis.
Forget resolutions. Focus on learning when to quit instead.
The internet is no longer disruptive. The dominant players—Google, Facebook, Netflix, Uber, etc.—are now the new establishment.
Surprising discoveries
A knitting group in New Zealand has gone viral, thanks to Prince Harry. The community enterprise received thousands of orders after the British royal and his son Archie donned its beanies.
Reading comic books can improve brain function. While traditional text presents information sequentially, graphic storytelling compels us to interpret lots of visual information at once.
A virtual rendering of a Leonardo da Vinci painting helps explain a mysterious glass orb. Using computer graphics, researchers shed light on the curious optical properties of a glass sphere depicted in Salvator Mundi.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff gifted Steve Jobs AppStore.com. The enterprise software giant had been sitting on the domain name for years after a pivotal meeting with Jobs.
$100,000 in suspicious iPhones were seized on their way to Moscow. It’s part of a large black market for the coveted devices.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, New Year’s quitting goals, and hats knit for a prince 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 written by Mary Hui and edited by Amanat Khullar.