Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The leaders of Cyprus huddle in Geneva. A week of intense discussions will mark a new phase in efforts to reach a peace deal between the Turkish and Greek sides of the divided Mediterranean island. These talks have failed for decades, but UN secretary-general António Guterres says this week marks an “historic opportunity” for a breakthrough.
Green groups protest Trump’s cabinet picks. At senators’ offices across the US, environmentalists plan to rally against his nominations for the departments of State and Energy, and the environmental protection agency. This week, the Republican-controlled Senate is scheduled to hold (paywall) at least nine confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet nominees.
Political tension at the Detroit Motor Show. The raft of new car unveilings is likely to be overshadowed by talk of Donald Trump’s pressure on manufacturers to increase car production in the US. Ford, GM, and Toyota have already been singled out for criticism by the president-elect.
Over the weekend
Hollywood kicked off awards season with the Golden Globes. The Oscars “pre-game” was dominated by the musical La La Land, which danced off with seven awards, and British thriller The Night Manager, which scooped most of the TV awards. Meryl Streep, accepting the lifetime achievement award, gave a scathing review of Donald Trump’s “performance.”
Fiat Chrysler joined the stampede to invest in the US. In the wake of Trump’s threats to increase taxes on imported cars, the company said it will put $1 billion into its Midwest plants and create 2,000 new jobs. Ford last week ditched plans for a plant in Mexico to invest in a Michigan factory instead, Volkswagen and Daimler announced multibillion-dollar investments in US production, and Volvo’s going to build its first-ever US plant.
McDonald’s sold off its China operations. The fast-food giant has agreed to sell an 80% stake (paywall) in its China business to state-backed CITIC and private-equity group Carlyle for around $2 billion. About one-third of McDonald’s 2,400 restaurants in mainland China and Hong Kong are franchised; this deal will franchise the rest of them. McDonald’s is hoping to boost faltering sales—it will get about 6% of sales revenue once the deal goes through.
Ted Cruz defied China. The Texas senator met with Taiwan president Tsai Ing-Wen on her stopover in the US on Sunday, despite getting a letter from the Chinese consulate asking him not to meet her and to “uphold the ‘One-China policy.'” Cruz said they talked about increasing trade between the Texan and Taiwanese markets. Beijing won’t be happy—it slammed Trump for taking a call from Tsai last month.
Four were killed in a Jerusalem attack. Three women and one man were killed, and 17 others injured, after a Palestinian man drove a lorry into a group of soldiers, according to police. It is being described as a terror attack.
The Florida airport shooter could face the federal death penalty. Federal prosecutors charged Esteban Santiago with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. The National Guard veteran killed five people and injured six in a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 6.
Quartz obsession interlude
“Moneyball” author Michael Lewis on the doctor who helps ER surgeons avoid deadly mistakes. “Doctors tended to pay attention mainly to what they were asked to pay attention to, and to miss some bigger picture. They sometimes failed to notice what they were not directly assigned to notice. ‘Wherever there is uncertainty there has got to be judgment, and wherever there is judgment there is an opportunity for human fallibility.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Hyperlocal currencies are great in theory but not in practice. Aiming to support local businesses, they often fail because of liquidity and trust barriers.
It pays to be brutally honest in the workplace. Some British companies are encouraging “radical candor” in employee feedback.
South Africa’s beaches are racially political spaces. The sight of black people enjoying them still isn’t typical.
Surprising discoveries
A Taiwan official’s funeral featured 50 pole dancers on Jeeps. According to local custom, the more people attend a funeral, the bigger the honor for the deceased.
London breached its 2017 pollution limit in just five days. According to law, the city can only cross the hourly threshold 18 times in a year.
A Brazilian grandmother for years accidentally prayed to Elrond, an elf from The Lord of the Rings. She thought she was worshipping St Anthony.
A doctor’s poem about smog causing cancer went viral in China. Though it states the obvious, the work has struck a chord and raised awareness.
Anti-refugee fences in Europe are threatening the continent’s wildlife. The barriers cause inbreeding, weaker animals, and falling populations.
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