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%. Canada will also release jobs data (paywall).
India takes stock. Quarterly GDP figures will show how much the government’s shock move to scrap high-denomination banknotes may have harmed the economy. Economists have slashed GDP estimates for October to December by about two percentage points.
Boeing reveals 2016 orders. Analysts expect the US plane maker fell short of its targets, despite last-minute orders from GE Capital Aviation Services and Czech airline Travel Service. On the bright side, the manufacturer is poised to close a $10 billion deal with Indian budget airline SpiceJet, according to Bloomberg.
SpaceX fires up its jets. Elon Musk’s space company will resume launches on Sunday, Jan. 8, after a September launchpad 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
What recall? Samsung saw it strongest quarterly profit in three years. Just three months after Samsung was forced to globally recall and scrap its exploding Galaxy Note 7, the world’s biggest smartphone maker said it’s expecting to post a $7.2 billion operating profit for the fourth quarter of 2016—twice the profit it made in Q4 the year before. Recovery was powered by sales of chips and its other smartphones.
Joe Biden told Donald Trump to “grow up.” In a PBS interview, the US vice president criticized the president-elect’s recent attacks on the intelligence community, saying it was “worrisome” that Trump had no faith in the agencies. Biden expressed his concern about Trump’s foreign policies, urging him to “be an adult,” and adding, “You’re president…Show us what you have.”
Britain’s high-street retailers had a lame Christmas. Sales declined for the fourth December in a row as consumers opted to rather shop online. While sales at over 70 high-street retailers dipped 0.1% in the final month of 2016, online retailers celebrated a 19% leap in sales for the month.
Protests in Mexico turned deadly. Four people were reportedly killed in a week of riots, looting and blockades over the government’s 20% hike in gas prices. The price increase is part of the government’s efforts to deregulate the energy sector. President Enrique Peña Nieto said he would press on with abolishing fuel subsidies and allow gas prices to be dictated by international prices.
LG booked its first quarterly loss in six years. In the quarter ending December, the South Korean electronics giant said it was looking at a loss of 35 billion won ($30 million), caused by its struggling smartphone arm, weakness in its appliance business, and marketing expenses ahead of the holiday season.
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.
Matters of debate
Ford scrapping a plant in Mexico doesn’t help US workers. Robots are the main beneficiaries.
Intelligence services shouldn’t be immune from a shakeup. The inability of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to coordinate information across the CIA, FBI, and NSA, proves that layers of bureaucracy (paywall) hamper accountability.
Making fun weekend plans can ruin your weekend. Strict scheduling is at odds with how people think about leisure and relaxation.
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 using wild dogs as a countermeasure.
The media’s favorite millennial is 55 years old. Comedian Dan Nainan has been bamboozling news outlets 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, walking strategies, 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.