Here’s what you need to know
Donald Trump was acquitted. The seven Republicans who joined 50 Democrats to vote against him are facing heat from their own party, as it gears up to stymie president Joe Biden’s agenda.
Guinea declared another Ebola outbreak. Three deaths in the nation’s southeast region mark the disease’s first resurgence since the deadly wave that ended in 2016.
Myanmar’s coup protesters risk a crackdown. The military junta suspended laws limiting force and sent tanks out in several cities amid calls for a nationwide strike against the Feb. 1 takeover.
AstraZeneca began vaccine trials for children. Up to 80% of the 300 enrolled volunteers will receive the vaccine, while a control group will receive a meningitis vaccine.
India detained a young climate activist for sedition. Disha Ravi is being investigated for editing and sharing a Google doc that explains how to support protesting farmers.
China was accused of withholding Covid data. A World Health Organization monitor says officials provided case summaries instead of raw patient data for the early outbreak, which appears to have been wider than thought.
Japan was rocked by an earthquake. A 7.2 magnitude quake on Saturday night was an aftershock of a 9.0 magnitude quake from 2011.
What to watch for
How much will Google and Facebook have to pay for news? Tomorrow, Australia’s parliament will consider legislation set to have global ripples on that question. Google, which has negotiated deals to pay some publishers for its use of their work, has said that if the bill becomes law, it will be so cost-prohibitive for the company that it will have to yank its search capability from Australian internet.
Just before US president Joe Biden was inaugurated, trade representatives urged Australian lawmakers to take the bill—which has wide bipartisan support—back to the drafting table. But Australia has done its homework, spending years on a study on how the country’s journalism industry, and its output, has suffered thanks to the shift to digital media. It’s a trend that’s certainly not limited to Down Under, and the world will be keeping an eye on the news—digitally, one imagines—as it unfolds.
Charting global brokerage app downloads
Retail trading was already booming in the US and gaining traction in other parts of the world, and then GameStop came along. Trend: turbocharged.
Freetrade, the UK-based brokerage app Jeram uses, says daily signups surged from 3,000 before GameStop to as many as 30,000 when news was at a fever pitch. BUX, a Dutch brokerage, said it was onboarding three times as many new customers during the GameStop controversy. Downloads also jumped in Brazil, Japan, and Germany, a country that has been culturally wary of the stock market, according to Apptopia.
Over the last quarter-century, online dating went from a stigmatized activity to the most common way couples meet in the US. It has completely, unequivocally revolutionized how we fall in love—and turned into a multi-billion-dollar global industry in the process. It’s only gotten bigger during the pandemic as singles swipe and chat in a socially distant effort to find someone special.
Read our latest field guide on the dating biz.
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Surprising discoveries
Lemurs are helping us understand the chemistry of love. Monogamy, rare in mammals, relies on different parts of the brain to make the love last.
AI is learning to predict human mistakes by studying chess errors. The program could be used to catch misreadings of medical images, among other applications.
Stonehenge was likely first erected 120 miles away from its current location. New research suggests the ancient monument stood for 400 years in Wales before migrants moved the stones.
Companies are racing to age whiskey overnight. If the new technology is successful—that is, if the stuff is drinkable—distillers could shave years and millions of dollars off the production process.
More diverse police departments are less dangerous to citizens. An analysis of 1.6 million enforcement actions in Chicago found that Black and Hispanic officers made fewer stops and used force less often than white officers.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, digital roses, and quick-aged whiskey 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 Tripti Lahiri, Itika Sharma, Tim McDonnell, Jordan Lebeau, Susan Howson, and Alex Ossola.