Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Mario Draghi addresses the European Parliament. The European Central Bank president will likely face questions (paywall) on his expansive monetary policy. Last week, Donald Trump’s top trade adviser accused Germany of using a “grossly undervalued” euro to gain an unfair trade advantage. Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schaüble said the ECB is to blame for the weak euro.
François Fillon fights back. The next few days will be critical for France’s conservative presidential candidate as the pressure grows on him to quit the race over the revelations he paid his wife and children for jobs they didn’t perform. He has has distributed 3 million “Stop the Manhunt” leaflets.
The White House faces an immigration ban deadline. The Department of Justice has until this afternoon to file more briefs for review, after a federal appeals court refused its request to lift the temporary injunction on Trump’s ban ordered by Judge James Robart in Seattle on Feb. 3.
Over the weekend
US tech firms officially objected to Trump’s immigration ban. Ninety-seven tech companies, including Netflix, Twitter, Apple, and Facebook filed an amicus brief on Sunday night, which argues that the president’s executive order is illegal, discriminatory, and ”inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation, and growth.”
Romanian protestors demanded a new government. The government bowed to weeklong nationwide protests—the largest since the fall of Communism in 1989—and scrapped new legislation that would have freed politicians jailed for corruption and protected many more. Half a million people took to the streets on Sunday demanding the government’s resignation.
France’s far-right presidential candidate kicked off her campaign. National Front leader Marine Le Pen—predicted to win the French election’s first round in April—vowed to take France out of the euro zone, implement a “French first” employment policy, and free the country from Islamic fundamentalism and globalization.
Cheap airfare clipped Ryanair’s wings. Europe’s largest low-cost airline posted an 8% drop in third-quarter profit (paywall) thanks to its 17% year-on-year price drop in the average passenger fare amid increased competition and lower demand thanks in part to Brexit. The no-frills carrier plans to shift more flights away from UK airports to the EU mainland.
The New England Patriots made an improbable comeback to win the Super Bowl. Star quarterback Tom Brady said at the end, “We never felt out of it.” The Patriots trailed the Atlanta Falcons by 25 points before clinching their fifth Super Bowl victory.
Quartz obsession interlude
Leslie Josephs on lessons for cities trying to curb air pollution with vehicle restrictions: “In 2008, Mexico City expanded its Hoy No Circula program in which residents had to keep their cars off the street one weekday each week. That was supposed to reduce air pollution by around 15%, but a new study published on Feb. 2 found ‘little evidence that the program expansion improved air quality.'” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Countries need digital ambassadors to deal with the likes of Facebook and Google. Denmark plans to appoint one.
Africa’s cellular providers should fight government-ordered internet blackouts. They have the clout, if only they would use it.
The hidden parts of the world’s oceans should be protected from corporate interests. No laws govern most of the deep sea.
Surprising discoveries
Beirut has a radical roller derby. The Middle East’s first female roller derby team is revolutionary on and off the court.
UPS drivers don’t turn left. It’s a strategic choice, and it saves 10 million gallons of gas a year.
Bees can disrupt cricket. A swarm of bees delayed a cricket match in Johannesburg between South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Pornhub is teaching sex-ed. The world’s largest porn website launched a section dedicated to health and education.
Japan love vaping. Japan Tobacco has been caught flat-footed by surging demand for its pen-shaped Ploom Tech device.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, bee repellent, and fuel-saving tricks to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.