Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Shinzo Abe and Donald Trump meet in New York. The Japanese prime minister hopes to ensure US support for his country’s security—if, that is, his people can find out where the meeting’s supposed to happen. Trump horrified Japanese and South Korean officials earlier this year when he threatened to remove US troops from the Asia-Pacific region.
Janet Yellen speaks before Congress. Investors will be looking for signals on an expected December interest-rate hike, as well as the Fed chief’s thoughts on Trump’s fiscal policies.
Shareholders vote on a Musk merger. Investors in Tesla and SolarCity decide whether the carmaker and solar company should join forces. Elon Musk, who is CEO of the first and chairman of the second, supports the deal, but others are worried about SolarCity’s consistent losses (paywall).
JPMorgan Chase agrees to a fine for nepotism. To settle allegations that it violated US anti-bribery laws by hiring children of the Chinese elite to win business, the bank looks likely to pay the US government roughly $200 million.
While you were sleeping
Hillary Clinton spoke about losing. In her first public speech since her election defeat, Clinton said that she was more disappointed than she could ever express about the election result, and had wanted to “never leave the house again” in the days following it. But she urged those present to fight for their values and not to give up on America.
Vietnam said no to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the country won’t ratify the US-led, 12-nation trade agreement, because of uncertainty following the US election. The TPP now hangs in the balance: Donald Trump has called it a “disaster,” Japan wants to stick with it, and Malaysia has turned its focus to tying up a trade pact with China.
Volkswagen announced a hook-up with Didi Chuxing. The German automaker, which counts China as its key market for car sales, intends to partner with Didi, the country’s biggest ride-hailing firm, on a high-end car service. It’s the latest in a spate of tie-ups between tech companies and traditional carmakers: This year, GM invested in Lyft, VW invested in Gett, and Didi bought out Uber in China.
SpaceX sought approval to bring us all internet via satellites. The company filed documents with the US Federal Communications Commission, outlining its plan—first announced nearly two years ago—to create a network of over 4,400 satellites to provide global high-speed internet coverage.
Toyota got serious about electric cars. The world’s biggest car company is setting up a separate in-house division to focus purely on developing an electric-car strategy to meet ever-tightening global emissions regulations. Until now, Toyota has been investing mainly in the development of hydrogen-fuel-cell cars.
Samsung’s third quarter was as dire as you’d expect. The South Korean company clocked its biggest sales decline on record (paywall)—a 14% drop from the same quarter a year ago. Its share of the slowing global smartphone market slid to 19%, from 23% in the same period last year, mostly due to the epic failure of its Galaxy Note 7.
Quartz obsession interlude
Lila MacLellan on a scientifically proven way to converse across party lines. “Conflicts arise when words are perceived as threats, which devolve into power struggles. The goal of Rosenberg’s four-step approach to meaningful conversations is to connect about everyone’s needs, not to ‘win.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Pop culture can explain the US election. Even liberal movies and television shows depict establishment insiders as the problem.
When making risky decisions, trust your gut. Physical pain might be your body’s way of signaling anxiety or doubt.
A Trump presidency means the end of the neoliberal capitalist world order. Progressives must use his victory to promote “humanist internationalism.”
Surprising discoveries
Pigs can be pessimists. A study of 36 domestic pigs found that some are ambitious and optimistic, while others have a glass-half-empty disposition.
Three Dutch ships sunk in 1942 have vanished from the ocean floor. “The desecration of a war grave is a serious offense,” the Dutch government said of the missing wrecks.
Scientists found an enormous ocean on Pluto. It holds more water than all of Earth’s seas combined.
Nigeria wants to make holding US dollars a crime. It’s a last-ditch effort by the country’s central bank to save its own currency, the naira.
We can now fly airplanes with our minds. Neurotechnology researchers invented a system that controls aircraft through electrical activity in the brain.
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