Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The US jobs report. The economy is expected to have added 170,000 jobs in January, though unemployment should stay at 4.7%. A big question is whether hourly wages will keep rising, after starting to spike nicely at the end of 2016.
Trump meets an unhappy group of CEOs. Having flexed his muscles by putting together a “Strategic and Policy Forum” with corporate leaders, the US president now has to meet with high-profile critics of his immigration policy. Tesla’s Elon Musk has promised to hold Trump’s feet to the fire; Uber’s Travis Kalanick has reportedly resigned from the panel.
China’s markets react to Beijing abducting a billionaire from Hong Kong. Trading will resume Friday after a week-long New Year break, and we’ll will see how much damage Xiao Jianhua’s disappearance has done. The territory’s autonomy is in doubt, and rumors are swirling that a string of Xiao’s companies may be nationalized.
The US levies new sanctions against Iran. The Trump administration is reportedly planning to punish eight Iranian “entities,” Reuters reports, but will apparently not tear up the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
While you were sleeping
Amazon had a disappointing holiday season. The e-commerce giant still did a ton of business—boosting revenues by 35.7% to $43.7 billion, and increasing profit by 55% to $749 million—but crucially it was less than analysts were expecting. Shares fell by 3% in after-hours trading.
The UK government published its Brexit plans. A white paper set out 12 “principles” for leaving the EU, including more authority for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and an exit from the European Court of Justice. It also erroneously claimed that Brits have a delightful 14 weeks of annual leave.
Conservatives demanded their candidate quit France’s presidential race. Investigators widened a probe into Francois Fillon, who reportedly paid his wife and children for no-show government jobs. Fillon has insisted he will fight on, as his centrist and far-right rivals surge in the polls.
Brussels bigwigs made unprecedented calls to block Trump’s EU ambassador pick. Pro-Brexit businessman Ted Malloch recently said he helped “take down the Soviet Union” as a diplomat, adding: “Maybe there’s another union that needs a little taming.” He also suggested the EU Commission president should go back to being “mayor of some city in Luxembourg.”
The US eased sanctions on Russia’s spy agency. Restrictions put in place at the end of Barack Obama’s presidency were inadvertently blocking US tech exports. The FSB intelligence service has to sign off on any technology involving encryption, so tech companies are now allowed an exemption to pay inspection fees.
Quartz obsession interlude
Michael Coren explains how the US is about to exclude the next generation of immigrant entrepreneurs: “People born outside the country have founded more than half of America’s private start-ups valued at $1 billion dollars or more … Once companies with immigrants in key management or product roles are included, the share grows to 70% of so-called unicorns.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Being a Trump “advisor” is a fool’s game. The only people the US president trusts are his daughter and son-in-law.
Diet and exercise aren’t enough to ensure good health. Our bodies require a constant struggle against the environment we inhabit.
Nintendo’s new app is a dangerous gateway to gambling. Japanese “gacha” games tap into the same neural pathways that casinos exploit.
Surprising discoveries
Pieces of a lost continent lie hidden beneath the Indian Ocean. Three billion-year-old geological fragments were found under the island of Mauritius.
Michael Jackson is worth more than ever. The pop icon’s trust is valued at more than $1 billion, and the IRS wants a cut.
Scientists have used CRISPR to create disease-resistant cattle. The genetic editing technique was used to make the cows impervious to tuberculosis.
A Swiss man’s tattoo is destined for an art collection. Tim Steiner’s body art was purchased in 2008 and will be framed and displayed after its human canvas dies.
The CIA was obsessed with India. Newly declassified documents described Himalayan UFO sightings and accurately predicted political assassinations.
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