Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Uber faces Europe’s top court. The ride-hailing giant will argue that it is a digital service and not a transport company—a crucial distinction that will determine how Uber is regulated. The company has been struggling to find its footing in the EU, amid opposition from local taxi operators.
Brazil’s senate votes on a constitutional amendment that would cap government spending. The bill is a cornerstone of president Michel Temer’s effort to boost confidence in Latin America’s largest economy. It would limit spending in inflation-adjusted terms for as long as 20 years.
An update on the US economy. The commerce department will release revised third-quarter GDP data (pdf). The economy is expected to have increased at a 3% annual rate after expanding at a 2.9% pace in the second quarter.
While you were sleeping
Samsung Electronics said it’s considering splitting in two. Activist investor Elliott Management called for the move in October, arguing that dividing into a holding firm and an operational company would improve corporate governance and unlock shareholder value. The holding firm would become the main ownership vehicle (paywall) for the family of Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee.
Ohio State University students were warned to “run, hide, fight” during a rampage. A suspect identified as student Abdul Razak Ali Artan sent 11 people to the hospital after driving his car into a crowd and stabbing people with a butcher knife. He was then killed by a police officer. The “run, hide, fight” protocol is now in place at many US schools.
Time Inc. spurned a billionaire’s takeover bid. Investor Edgar Bronfman Jr., a former chief executive of Warner Music Group, led a $1.78 billion offer for the magazine publisher, according to the New York Post. Time Inc’s shares surged 18% on the news.
A new contestant entered Trump’s secretary of state pageant. The president-elect met with David Petraeus, a former CIA director who was forced to resign after sharing classified documents during an extramarital affair. Mitt Romney, another contender, has been the target of a fierce lobbying campaign by Trump staffers opposed to his selection.
Quartz obsession interlude
Adam Epstein on why TV shows like “Westworld” cannot outsmart the internet. “In the age of social media, TV writers have to cater to the casual, socially unengaged viewer while simultaneously servicing the diehards who share theories and devour every scrap of content related to the show. From inside that kind of internet bubble, a show can look entirely predictable—even if it still offers the average viewer plenty of surprises.” Read more here. (Spoiler alert!)
Quartz haiku interlude
Investors calm down
and get ready to worry
about Italy.
Matters of debate
Humans should colonize Saturn’s largest moon. Titan has a protective atmosphere like Earth, though colonists would still require oxygen and a very warm jacket.
Students are more than just test scores. Successful Singaporeans are sharing their terrible results to help stressed-out kids.
Donald Trump has the best argument for a recount. He says the democracy that elected him is a sham.
Surprising discoveries
Bitcoin is a lifeline in Venezuela’s faltering economy. Locals are mining the crypto-currency with the help of state-subsidized electricity.
A Japanese skating rink froze thousands of fish under the ice. Space World in Kitakyushu shuttered the rink after a huge backlash.
A Russian TV show aired a “Holocaust on ice” routine. The reality show Ice Age featured an inflammatory performance by the wife of a senior aide to Vladimir Putin.
Fake news almost took down Abraham Lincoln. Misleading reports in 1864 said the president wanted to intermarry blacks and white to yield an American super-race.
Belgium and the Netherlands peacefully traded plots of land. It was easier than ironing out the jurisdictional difficulties.
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