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Here’s what you need to know
Democrat Raphael Warnock became Georgia’s first Black senator. He unseated Republican Kelly Loeffler in one of two crucial elections in the US state—the other is too close to call. (Scroll down for more.)
China denied entry to WHO coronavirus investigators. WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is “very disappointed” the team can’t get to Wuhan, but a Chinese official said “there might be some misunderstanding.”
Julian Assange finds out if he’ll walk free from jail. The Wikileaks founder, who escaped extradition from the UK to the US on mental health grounds, has a bail hearing in London today.
Dr Dre suffered a brain aneurysm. The rap legend and music mogul said he’s “doing great” in an LA hospital. Meanwhile, Neil Young sold half his song rights for $150 million.
More than 50 activists were arrested in Hong Kong. It’s the largest mass detention of dissidents so far under China’s new national security law.
Saudi Arabia is cutting oil output by 1 million barrels a day. The announcement followed an earlier OPEC+ agreement to keep production levels flat, and sent crude futures above $50 a barrel.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership will accept new members. The UK, China, and South Korea could join, and US president-elect Joe Biden may also be interested.
What to watch for
Binge-watching US election coverage is back. Polls closed for Georgia’s two senate run-offs last night, races that will determine if Democrats can wrest control of the US Senate. The Associated Press and US TV networks called one of the two seats for Democrat Raphael Warnock, but at time of writing, the other is undecided.
While the state’s election officials are reporting smooth sailing as far as ballot counting goes, outgoing president Donald Trump is stirring up doubt on Twitter, and it’s unclear yet when the nation will know the official results.
The world is watching Georgia to see if there is truth to the predictions that Trump’s effort to undermine the results of the 2020 general election have torn a hole in the democratic fabric of the US. The Electoral College’s votes are officially counted in a joint session of Congress today, and the GOP is filing key objections in an attempt to turn the constitutional formality into a last-ditch effort to overturn the results.
Charting India vs. the world
India’s was one of the worst-performing economies even in the second quarter of the current financial year.
Pandemic-fueled pessimism and vaccine-fueled optimism turned 2020 into a rollercoaster for Indian stock markets. Investors may feel bullish at the moment, but high valuations coupled with a slow economic recovery could provide a reality check. Prathamesh Mulye breaks down why 2021 will be just as bumpy.
A new era of internet piracy
Despite premiering on WarnerMedia’s HBO Max streaming service at the same time it opened in theaters, Wonder Woman 1984 had one of the most financially successful debuts of 2020. The film was also one of the most pirated, notes Adam Epstein. That’s a troubling trend for Hollywood studios.
Without the buttress of a widespread, exclusive theatrical release to accumulate profits before pirates can get their hands on a digital copy of a film, studios become a lot more vulnerable to the financial effects of digital theft. Even a conservative estimate of a few million illegal opening-weekend downloads of WW84 would constitute at least $20 million in lost revenue.
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Surprising discoveries
India’s blackouts cost its economy $3 billion. Internet outages left businesses disconnected for hundreds of hours.
Is China’s vaccine halal? Indonesia is waiting for confirmation, despite Sinovac’s claim that the vaccine was free of “porcine materials.”
Flipper is a Tamogotchi-esque toy that hacks. The left-leaning genderfluid techno enthusiast electronic dolphin interacts with its user, and evolves by hacking objects in its environment.
The numbers aren’t great. Out of all the startups that have filed for IPO since 1817, only 20 have been helmed by women.
Don’t just throw “world’s largest asshole” around without fact-checking. A meme about unlikeable politicians led an intrepid few to set the record straight on bluefin whale anus size.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, precise memes, and Tamagotchi stories to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Tripti Lahiri, Mary Hui, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.