Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US secretary of state visits London. Mike Pompeo will meet with UK prime minister Boris Johnson and foreign secretary Dominic Raab to shore up the two countries’ relationship. The meeting comes after the UK granted Huawei a limited role in its 5G network, to the chagrin of the US. Meanwhile, the European Parliament is set to approve Britain’s Brexit plan today.
Donald Trump’s impeachment trial enters question time. Senators will have the chance to submit written questions over two days to the House impeachment managers and the US president’s defense lawyers, following the completion of the defense team’s arguments yesterday. After the questions, senators will decide whether to call witnesses.
Argentina’s president begins his first tour of Europe. Alberto Fernández kicks off his trip with a visit to the Vatican, followed by meetings with the leaders of Italy, Germany, France, and Spain—critical allies as he tries to court support for debt renegotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Facebook, Microsoft, and Boeing check in. Facebook is expected to show growth, thanks to Instagram’s stable user base, and Microsoft’s investment in cloud computing is likely to have helped boost its numbers. As Boeing struggles to get the 737 Max back into the sky, investors will want to know new CEO Dave Calhoun’s plan for the future.
While you were sleeping
Countries began evacuating their citizens from Wuhan… The US airlifted 240 American diplomats and citizens out of the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak this morning, and another plane evacuated 206 Japanese nationals to Tokyo. The EU and South Korea are also repatriating their citizens. Meanwhile, Australia will evacuate hundreds of citizens from the city and quarantine them for two weeks on Christmas Island.
…while a team of scientists in Australia recreated the novel coronavirus. In what they called a “significant breakthrough,” the researchers successfully recreated a lab-grown version of the virus from an infected patient. The copy can be used as control material for testing and help with diagnosis, including for those who don’t display symptoms.
A powerful earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea. The 7.7-magnitude quake hit between Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba, triggering brief tsunami warnings and prompting evacuations as far away as Florida. There were no reports of injuries.
The White House backed a Palestinian state and settlement freeze. Trump’s Middle East peace plan reportedly doubles the amount of land under Palestinian control while recognizing Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Moscow today to brief Russian president Vladimir Putin on the plan.
Apple blossomed last quarter. The tech giant soundly beat analysts’ expectations on revenue and earnings, thanks to strong sales of its newest line of iPhones. The company’s China revenues reversed their recent downturn, but face uncertainty during the coronavirus outbreak.
Quartz membership
Will this be the year the next recession hits? We asked the world’s “superforecasters” to weigh in. In our field guide to the global economy in 2020, Quartz’s Walter Frick reports their predictions—and reminds us that even some of the gloomier forecasts in 2008 failed to anticipate the Great Recession.
Quartz Daily Obsession
Treadmills were once prison torture devices. But we’ve come a long way from the days when prisoners walked the “treadwheel” for 10 hours a day as punishment. Now, people pay $30 to run in a group treadmill class, even though they could run outside for free. Run, don’t walk, to read the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
Don’t oversimplify Kobe Bryant’s legacy. People should also remember the accusations of sexual assault made against the late NBA star.
Supermarkets are must-visit tourist destinations. They’re the most natural places to observe how locals live.
Doctors should participate in civil disobedience. A duty of care can compel one to act disobediently in the clear interest of public health.
Surprising discoveries
US colleges are tracking the locations of its students. They’re using apps to figure out whether a student is attending class.
New York is considering mandatory helmets for car drivers. One study found it could save 17 times as many people from death by head injury as a helmet law for cyclists.
A Mercedes-Benz truck broke an altitude record. The Unimog U 5023 drove to a height of 22,000 feet (6,700 meters) above sea level.
The Pacific Ocean is dissolving crab shells. Its waters are becoming too acidic as it absorbs more carbon dioxide.
No one knows how platypuses are faring in Australia’s bushfires. The finicky creatures are hard enough to track when there isn’t a major disaster going on.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, dissolving crabs, and platypuses in safety 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 Isabella Steger.