Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A rapidly built hospital in Wuhan becomes operational. The 1,000-bed facility will treat coronavirus patients in the Chinese city where the global outbreak is centered. Millions have been watching livestreams of its construction, a ballet of bulldozers that began Jan. 24.
Hong Kong medical workers begin a five-day strike. They’ll suspend non-emergency services, following the government refusing to shut borders with mainland China to contain the Wuhan virus. One doctor told Quartz why he’s on board.
The starting gun of the US presidential race is fired. The Iowa caucuses will, as always, play an outsize role in the Democratic party’s nomination process. It will also serve as a first test of the country’s much-maligned efforts to improve its election security.
Over the weekend
Manila recorded the first Wuhan virus death outside China… Health officials said the man had arrived from Wuhan via Hong Kong. The country has now barred arrivals of any foreign travelers from China, following similar moves by other nations.
…As the death toll within China topped 300. On Sunday health officials reported a surge in new cases—over 2,000 in the previous 24 hours—and said the outbreak has now touched all Chinese provinces and territories.
India released its national budget. The government of Narendra Modi said Saturday that it’s increasing spending and cutting income taxes in a bid to resuscitate growth, which has fallen to a 10-year low. Plans to rein in the fiscal deficit will be delayed.
Iraq named a new prime minister. Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi is a former lawmaker and communications minister who has largely escaped accusations of corruption. His appointment though did little to quell the widespread protests that have raged across the country for months.
Ukraine said it’s not satisfied. President Volodymyr Zelensky complained that the amount Iran has offered to compensate the families of victims killed when it accidentally shot down a civilian airliner en route from Tehran to Kiev on Jan. 8 is not enough.
Quartz Membership
Hundreds of startups exist to sell you better sleep. The $70 billion sleep aid industry is thriving, with high-tech mattresses, sleep trackers, and even cuddly robots promising to solve the world’s sleeplessness. Quartz’s latest member presentation takes a look at how sleep startups managed to monetize a basic function of life—and why consumers are buying in.
Quartz daily obsession
Halftime shows had an unexpected beginning. Super Bowl viewers in particular have come to expect a megastar-studded spectacle, but the sporting interlude began as a way to market a new breed of dog. These days many performers would rather appear at the Puppy Bowl than the Super Bowl, maybe because it’s an unpaid gig that comes with more than a few downsides. Don’t change the channel, it’s the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of Debate
Planting trees won’t cancel climate change. They can capture carbon, but whether they’ll survive to trap it long-term is much less certain.
Electric scooters are the key to green transit. Changing road laws to formally legalize them will pave the way for other alternatives to cars.
Venezuela’s socialist revolution is over. Nicolás Maduro has loosened economic controls, allowing a highly unequal dollar-based free market to spring up.
Surprising discoveries
A shoe released in 1983 was a top seller last year. The low-cut version of Nike’s Air Force 1 was the second top-selling sneaker in the US in 2019.
Detectives can now date fingerprints with high accuracy. By examining how hand oils corrode over time, scientists can tell when a print was made, give or take a day.
Mexican cartels targeted avocados ahead of the Super Bowl. As demand for the fruit spiked, so did avocado heists (paywall).
Bitcoin is becoming increasingly centralized. Five Chinese companies control half the network, raising security concerns.
Restaurants are refusing to let gig workers pee. Delivery drivers who work for Uber Eats and others have nowhere else to go.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, vintage sneakers, and safety-first guacamole recipes 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 Steve Mollman, Pete Gelling, and Nicolás Rivero.