Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
US jobs day. Employment data for December will be out at 8.30am ET. The economy is expected to have added 175,000 jobs and the unemployment rate is poised to rise slightly, from 4.6% to 4.7%. Japan and Canada also release wage and job data, respectively.
India’s quarterly GDP figures. The government’s shock move to scrap high-denomination banknotes may have gravely harmed the economy. Economists now expect 5% growth from October to December—two percentage points below pre-demonetization estimates.
SpaceX eyes a comeback. Elon Musk’s space company will resume launches on Sunday, Jan. 8, after a September launch pad explosion destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX traced the problem to a flaw in the special tanks known as composite over-wrapped pressure vessels.
While you were sleeping
US spy chiefs pushed back against Donald Trump. National intelligence director James Clapper testified that Russia carried out a multifaceted campaign of hacking, propaganda, and fake news to influence the US election. Clapper also said the president-elect’s disparaging comments about US intelligence findings were hurting morale and recruitment.
Bitcoin took a huge nosedive. After gaining more than 40% in the last two weeks to hit a three-year high of $1,139.89, the cryptocurrency slumped 20% in three hours. The move mirrored a rise in China’s yuan, but there is no consensus about the relationship between the two currencies.
Dismal holiday sales spurred US retailers to scale back. Sears sold tool business Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker in a $900 million deal to raise cash.The news came a day after Macy’s announced plans to shut 68 stores and cut 10,100 jobs.
Verizon is unsure if its Yahoo deal will happen. A Verizon senior executive said “we still don’t know” if the acquisition of the struggling internet firm will proceed in the wake of two enormous data breaches. It will take “weeks at least” before a decision is made.
Quartz obsession interlude
Steve LeVine on the imminent frustrations of Trump secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson: “A meticulous preparer in the tradition of every Exxon executive before him, Tillerson would likely find the shoot-from-the-hip Trump disrupting the works with very unExxon-like, hunch-based tweets. … One wonders how long Tillerson will be contented working for the notoriously unruly, unread, and uncouth president-elect.” Read more here.
Quartz haiku interlude
Things thrill seekers crave:
Free climbing, BASE jumping and
Bitcoin investing.
Matters of debate
Emirates Airlines may be about to run out of airspace. Its growth is threatened by global protectionism and a slump in emerging markets.
Ford scrapping a plant in Mexico doesn’t help US workers. Robots are the main beneficiaries.
Better women’s health care could have saved the Star Wars universe. A basic prenatal checkup could have prevented Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader.
Surprising discoveries
A feminist music video has gone viral in Saudi Arabia. It shows women playing basketball in burkas and singing “if only God would rid us of men.”
Australia’s feral cat infestation is an environmental nightmare. Conservationists are considering more wild dogs as a countermeasure.
The media’s favorite millennial is 55 years old. Comedian Dan Nainan has been bamboozling news outlets, including the New York Times, with his outlandish tales.
German doctors want people to walk like penguins. Maintaining a low center of gravity prevents accidents on icy streets.
Gun violence spreads just like the flu. A contagion model, including an incubation period, can predict deaths with uncanny accuracy.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ancient millennials, and feral cat countermeasures to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.