Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
India meets with Apple to discuss manufacturing. The tech giant has demanded special concessions, including duty exemptions and simplified customs procedures. A breakdown in negotiations could throw a wrench in prime minister Narendra Modi’s plans to make the country a manufacturing hub.
A Mexican delegation sits down with the Trump administration. Two days of talks in DC on trade, immigration, and security will lay the groundwork for a meeting between the US president and his Mexican counterpart Enrique Peña Nieto on Jan. 31. The men had a phone call on Saturday.
The European Space Agency tries to dodge space junk. One of its three Swarm satellites, launched in 2013 to study the Earth’s magnetic field, faces oncoming debris from an old Russian orbiter. A rushed orbit adjustment will try to ensure a miss.
While you were sleeping
Trump greenlit the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines. Native American and environmental groups fiercely oppose the controversial projects, which were blocked by the Obama administration. A different Canadian pipeline in Saskatchewan spilled 200,000 liters (50,000 gallons) of oil in an aboriginal community on Monday.
Japan’s exports rose for the first time in 15 months. In December they were up 5.4% compared to a year ago, easily beating expectations of 1.1%. While the export-reliant nation faces a more protectionist US under Trump, last month’s exports to China jumped 12.5% to hit a record high.
Cisco announced a $3.7 billion acquisition of AppDynamics. It’s also a customer of the startup, which was close to going public and makes software to help companies monitor the performance of applications. Cisco, known more for networking gear, is transitioning toward software.
The US Senate cleared Trump’s pick for UN ambassador. South Carolina governor Nikki Haley won significant Democratic support despite having no formal diplomatic experience. She criticized Trump as a candidate and freely aired her disagreements with him during her confirmation hearing. But she also, like Trump, has questioned the effectiveness of the United Nations.
Toyota touted plans to expand a US plant and hire 400 workers. The carmaker is investing $600 million to expand a manufacturing facility in Indiana. While the move seemed to be a response to Trump criticizing the carmaker’s investments in Mexico—and his threat this month to hit it with a ”big border tax”—the plans had already been laid out before his election victory.
Quartz obsession interlude
Steve LeVine on the billionaires determined to stop Trump. “William Doll calls his club Syneidesis, which in ancient Greek means conscience. He started it four years ago, and is now wrestling with what comes next.” Read more here.
Quartz markets haiku
Long exile over,
CEOs are returning
to bask in the sun
Matters of debate
The post-antibiotic era is going to suck. Vanquished diseases could once again become deadly unless drug company incentives are realigned (paywall).
Trump staffers are lying to prove their loyalty. Telling blatant falsehoods binds them to the president—a classic tactic of distrustful dictators.
US silence on abortion equals deaths around the world. A new gag order on family planning will result in botched illicit procedures (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
The Amish are fighting laws requiring horses to wear diapers. The communities that renounce modernity say the measures violate religious freedom (paywall).
American universities are embracing e-sports. The Big Ten conference will field teams for the multiplayer game League of Legends (paywall).
Uber drivers are camping out in parking lots. The trend is most common in cities where fares are high and rents are unaffordable.
Otters were once larger than leopards. In China researchers found the remains of an otter that weighed 50 kg (110 pounds) and tore open mollusk shells with its teeth.
“La La Land” almost never got made. Hollywood studios told director Damien Chazelle to replace his jazz protagonist with a rock musician.
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