Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The IMF’s first post-Trump forecast. The International Monetary Fund will update its global growth forecast for the first time since US president Donald Trump moved into the White House. Last week, the fund warned that growing protectionism will pose a challenge for emerging economies.
Mike Pence visits Japan. The US vice president will discuss North Korea and trade with prime minister Shinzo Abe and other leaders in Tokyo. The visit follows Pence’s stop in South Korea, where he criticized a free-trade pact.
Goldman Sachs releases earnings. Following strong results from JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup last week, Goldman Sachs is poised to beat expectations on the strength of its fixed income, currency, and commodity trading businesses.
Orbital ATK launches a cargo vessel to the International Space Station. Also aboard the company’s unmanned Cygnus spacecraft: a fire experiment. After the resupply, materials will be set alight, with sensors recording how the fire spreads. The test will suggest which flame-resistant materials work best in space. Meanwhile NASA will provide a 360-degree video of the rocket launch.
While you were sleeping
The maker of Fruity Pebbles will swallow up Weetabix. Post Holdings will buy the UK breakfast brand for $1.76 billion, according to the Financial Times (paywall), in a deal that could be announced today. The US cereal maker has been on an acquisition spree to offset slow growth in packaged foods. Meanwhile foreign takeovers of UK companies are rising due to a Brexit-induced drop in valuations.
New York City might require an option to tip Uber drivers. Its taxi commission announced a proposal requiring car services that accept only credit cards to let passengers tip drivers using their cards. Other cities could follow suit, leading to a change in how the company operates in the US market. The lack of such an option has long been a sort point for drivers.
Donald Trump congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The US president’s Turkish counterpart is celebrating after voters narrowly passed a contested referendum that will grant him sweeping new powers. Trump’s call contrasted with the US State Department, which urged Erdoğan to respect his citizens’ fundamental rights and noted ”irregularities on voting day.”
Netflix’s first quarter disappointed. The streaming giant’s earnings were better than anticipated but it fell short on subscriber growth and expected profits, causing its stock to fall about 4% in after-hours trading.
Quartz obsession interlude
Peter D’Auria on the South American protesters who took Europe’s space program hostage: “For more than three weeks, French Guiana has been effectively shut down by protests and a general strike… Despite its crumbling infrastructure, the territory is home to some of the world’s most advanced technology. Last year, the Guiana Space Center was the second-busiest spaceport in the world.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
United’s earnings / are up. Hard to change much if / you’re making money.
Matters of debate
North Korea is like “a Cuban missile crisis in slow motion.” But the Trump administration’s aggressive policies may be speeding things up (paywall).
Philosophers are the original tech bros. From antiquity to the modern day, they are the archetypal “brilliant jerks.”
Losers are the new winners in China. More than 500 million people self-identify as diaosi (屌丝), which was originally used as an online insult.
Surprising discoveries
Plants use good vibrations to find water. They listen for acoustic signatures that signal moisture, even if there is no trace of water in the soil.
A top Indian engineering school will teach an 8,000-year-old architectural science. Students at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur will be taught vastu shashtra, somewhat similar to feng shui.
CRISPR could fight bacteria, too. Researchers are using the versatile gene-editing technique as an antibiotic.
A London bar’s latest cocktail comes with a VR headset. Patrons can experience the Scottish Highlands as they sip 12-year-old whisky.
A Canadian river vanished in four days as a glacier receded. It’s the first known case of “river piracy” due to global warming.
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