Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Twitter reports earnings. Typically a loss-making blue bird, Twitter is expected to have added users and boosted ad revenue with live-streaming, courtesy of the November US elections.
Donald Trump meets with US airlines. The US president plans to discuss domestic jobs with the CEOs of Delta and United. The companies have been battling state-owned airlines like Emirates and Qatar Airways over alleged subsidies.
Workers strike at the world’s two largest copper mines. A work stoppage is expected at BHP Billiton’s site in Escondida, Chile, and Freeport-McMoRan said it would cut back output at its Grasberg mine in Indonesia, due in part to an ongoing strike. More than 5,000 tonnes (5,500 tons) of daily copper production could be lost.
While you were sleeping
Alibaba’s finance arm is raising billions for global expansion. Ant Financial, which recently bought MoneyGram International, is reportedly in talks with bankers to raise more than $3 billion (paywall) to invest in India and the United States. The fundraising, which could involve bank loans or issuing new bonds, would be in addition to a planned IPO, The Information reports.
Trump bullied Nordstrom for dumping his daughter’s brand. The president tweeted from both his personal and @POTUS accounts that Ivanka Trump had “been treated so unfairly.” White House press secretary Sean Spicer claimed the company’s business decision was a “direct attack” on the president’s policies.
Yemen withdrew permission for the US to conduct anti-terror raids. A disastrous Jan. 29 operation that allegedly killed eight civilians prompted officials to ban US troops from on-the-ground activity. The decision may have also been influenced by an executive order restricting Yemeni citizens from traveling to the US.
Russia’s opposition leader was convicted of embezzlement. Anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s main antagonist, is now legally barred from running in next year’s presidential election. He called the conviction politically motivated, and vowed to run for president regardless.
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo was elected president of Somalia. The former prime minister, who is a dual US citizen, defeated incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud after two rounds of parliamentary voting. The election, which aimed to create the first functioning central government in 25 years, was held under tight security at a former air force base.
Quartz obsession interlude
Lily Kuo on a pop-up hair salon in Uganda that treats black hair as a science and an art. “The issue of black hair is especially fraught in parts of the continent. In South Africa, several high schools ban girls from wearing their hair naturally … In Uganda, many schools demand that black female students shave their hair if it can’t be kept ‘neat.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Marine Le Pen is campaigning on economic doom as the economy improves. At a recent rally she called the EU a “failure” and urged France to go it alone.
The US-India alliance is looking dicey under Trump. Immigration restrictions could put the relationship in peril.
A carbon tax would get more support as “environmental insurance.” A group of US Republicans are promoting a hedge against the risks associated with climate change.
Surprising discoveries
Oprah made almost $90 million by flipping a painting. She bought a piece by Gustav Klimt for $87.9 million and sold it for $150 million to a Chinese buyer.
Mercedes-Benz is using “pink noise” to save your ears in a crash. A microburst of static braces the eardrum when the car senses an imminent collision.
DC lobbyists are selling insurance policies for mean Trump tweets. Companies are advised to treat them like a natural disaster.
Endangered bumblebees are too fat to mate. Scientists are investigating a parasite that bloats the male bees until they become impotent.
Apple spent years obsessing over the door handles at its new headquarters. The astonishing attention to detail is a tribute to Steve Jobs.
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