Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Turkey delivers a verdict on 16 civil society activists. The defendants are accused of sedition for their roles in organizing the anti-government Gezi protests of 2013, and could face up to life imprisonment.
The jury in Harvey Weinstein’s trial begins deliberations in New York. The disgraced movie mogul could face life in prison if he is found guilty of two of the five counts against him of “predatory sexual assault.”
The 40th Brit Awards. Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is expected to take top prizes at the prestigious pop music awards.
HSBC’s earnings, with a side of job cuts. Europe’s largest bank is expected to confirm 10,000 layoffs as part of a major restructuring. Protests and the coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong, HSBC’s biggest market, have weighed on results.
While you were sleeping
A European business group warned of a global antibiotics shortage. The president of the European chamber of commerce in China said the coronavirus outbreak was hampering supplies in China, a top maker of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Boris Johnson’s advisor resigned over remarks on race and eugenics. Andrew Sabisky, who was hired by the UK prime minister’s senior aide Dominic Cummings as part of his recruitment call for “misfits and weirdos,” was criticized for past writings including one that suggested racial differences in intelligence.
The US is considering blocking chip supplies to Huawei. The proposal being considered by the White House would be a huge blow to the Chinese tech giant as well as to Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker.
Jeff Bezos will spend $10 billion to fight climate change. The Bezos Earth Fund, which the Amazon founder announced on Instagram, will award grants starting this summer to “scientists, activists, NGOs—any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world.”
Apple warned of coronavirus impact. The company said it would not meet its quarterly revenue forecast as the epidemic has constrained iPhone supply and weakened Chinese demand.
Quartz membership
B Corps are meant to exemplify one idea: that we need to transform the way capitalism works in order to save the world. A growing number of corporations are signing on, from Patagonia to Danone. Quartz’s Cassie Werber reports on why B Corps are gaining momentum—and on the limitations that make them imperfect vehicles for social change.
Quartz special projects
India’s jobs of the future. With half of its population under 25 and the unemployment rate at a four-decade high, India faces an uncertain future. The question on young people’s minds: What kinds of jobs will we have? Quartz asked leaders across India’s biggest industries about that one job in their company or field that will be the most crucial in the coming decades.
Matters of debate
Does the UK need a new high-speed railway? Residents and commuters in Birmingham are skeptical.
Cruise ships are floating Petri dishes. They have a reputation for being ripe with germs.
African countries’ debts to China are getting too big. Even the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are worried.
Surprising discoveries
The quarantined Australians who ordered a drone delivery of wine to the Diamond Princess? It was a prank—but one that multiple news outlets fell for.
Another batch of abandoned snakes was found in pillowcases. The 16 reptiles were discovered in a trash can outside a fire station in Sunderland, UK.
North Korea spent $75,509 last year on purebred horses from Russia. Since 2010, the country has imported at least 138 horses from its neighbor.
Grasshoppers are being engineered to sniff out bombs. Researchers implanted electrodes into the insects’ antennal lobes to help them detect explosives.
A Hindu god has a reserved seat on an Indian train. Seat 65 in coach B5 is saved for Shiva in a new train connecting holy sites.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, abandoned pythons, and train seats fit for a god 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.