Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Australia’s prime minister talks nukes in India. Malcolm Turnbull’s visit comes a day after his announcement that Australia will begin exporting uranium to India. The countries signed an export deal for nuclear power three years ago and are working on a free-trade agreement.
The US releases economic data. The labor department will share numbers (pdf) on February job openings, while survey results from the Federal Reserve will give clues on the credit environment and business conditions for small-business owners.
The White House hosts a Passover Seder. The tradition set by Barack Obama will continue—except this year, contrary to initial reports, the president won’t attend.
While you were sleeping
North Korea said it’s ready for war. A spokesman declared it’s prepared for “any mode of war desired by the US,” in response to the US sending warships toward the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang has been flaunting its growing versatility with missile technology and might be prepping for a sixth nuclear weapon test, with Saturday marking the birth of late leader Kim Il-sung.
Business conditions in Australia soared. They hit their highest mark since early 2008, according to a monthly gauge from National Australia Bank that includes hiring, sales, and other factors. The improving services and wholesale industries, and the increasing prices of coal and iron ore, were strong factors. One concern: a flagging retail sector.
Janet Yellen signaled a shift from stimulating the US economy to sustaining growth. The Fed chairwoman said the economy is “pretty healthy” now and she expects it to continue growing at a moderate pace. She also argued against eliminating financial regulations, saying the US now has “a much safer system” than before the global financial crisis.
LeEco dropped its bid to buy California-based TV maker Vizio for $2 billion. The Chinese technology company cited “regulatory headwinds,” referring to increased scrutiny from Beijing on overseas corporate investments. Chinese authorities have been implementing capital controls that make it difficult to move $2 billion offshore.
Quartz obsession interlude
Steve Mollman on the next Korean War: “As long as China didn’t get involved to help, [North Korea] would lose in a conventional ground war to the US and its allies within ‘six weeks, a month, two months max.’ [But] one possibility is that the North would unleash its chemical or biological weapons.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
United Airlines’/ “re-accomodation” fail / gives Wall Street chills. Overbooked!
Matters of debate
Technology isn’t the biggest threat to the advertising business. It’s the decline of the packaged foods industry (paywall), under siege from consumers who prefer fresh produce.
The human rights tribunal against the Khmer Rouge hasn’t produced much. Only three men (paywall) will answer for the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians.
Marriage should be temporary. Millennials in particular are signing on to an age-old idea.
Surprising discoveries
Disney invented a soft, huggable robot. It may one day replace the human actors at its theme parks.
An Australian rapper made a cinematic escape to avoid paying the bill. Terry Peck, a.k.a. 2pec, was pursued by police on jet skis after fleeing from a beachside restaurant.
A precious collection of ice samples melted in Edmonton. You had one job, Canadian Ice Core Archive.
Honeybees are incredibly hairy. Three million individual hairs are designed to capture pollen, measure air flow, and detect chemicals.
Despite years of study, scientists still aren’t sure how best to tickle rats. Tickling has been shown to decrease rats’ stress levels, but methods vary.
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