Chennai flooding, Mark Zuckerberg’s daughter, caffeinated bacteria
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Flooding continues in Chennai. Army troops are on their way to the capital of India’s Tamil Nadu province, which is suffering from power outages and a death toll approaching 200. More than 400 people were stranded at the Chennai airport because of high water on the runways on Tuesday, under the downpours of a hundred-year storm that isn’t expected to let up for several days.
Volkswagen’s owners speak to employees. Wolfgang Porsche and three other board members from the family that controls the troubled automaker will address thousands of workers for the first time since its devastating emissions scandal. Employees have been forced to take a two-week unpaid leave due to falling sales; US sales dropped by 25% in November.
FIFA executives talk about reforms. A two-day meeting of the football group’s executive committee will discuss potential reforms, including age and term limits on senior officials. Sponsors Adidas, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Visa, and AB InBev are demanding independent oversight of soccer’s scandal-ridden governing body.
The UK votes on ISIL airstrikes in Syria. Parliament will decide whether to back prime minister David Cameron’s proposal to authorize airstrikes, with his Conservative Party mostly united behind him. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is vehemently against the motion, but his efforts to convince fellow party members to vote with him have not been entirely succesful.
Yellen speaks. As the December meeting of the US Federal Reserve’s policy committee inches closer, the public continues to eye every indicator on whether the Fed will raise interest rates. Chairwoman Janet Yellen’s speech today at the Economic Club of Washington, and her remarks to the US Senate on Thursday, will be a ground-laying of sorts for the impending decision.
While you were sleeping
Mark Zuckerberg is a dad—and he’s giving away 99% of his kid’s inheritance. The Facebook founder and his wife, Priscilla, said they will donate 99% of their Facebook shares to “advancing human potential and promoting equality.” The announcement came as the couple celebrated the birth of their daughter, Max.
Chicago fired its police chief. Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked for the resignation of superintendent Garry McCarthy, one week after dash-cam footage was released showing a police officer killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Emanuel called McCarthy an “issue” and “distraction,” and said he needed to build public trust in the police force.
NATO stood by Turkey… After Russian president Vladimir Putin announced sanctions against Turkey for shooting down a Russian war plane—and demanded an apology, which Turkey refuses to give—Western leaders urged both sides to cool it (paywall) and discussed measures for defending Turkish airspace.
…As an explosion injured five in Istanbul. The blast near a metro station in the suburban Bayrampasa neighborhood was caused by a pipe bomb, according to the district mayor, though police say they are still investigating. The country is on heightened alert due to suicide bombs by ISIL and a renewed conflict with Kurdish separatists.
Puerto Rico barely avoided a default. The commonwealth made a last-minute bond payment of $354 million using revenue meant for government agencies, after Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed an executive order approving the “clawback” measure. Garcia told the US Senate that the island has no more money ahead of a Jan. 1 payment, and will focus on providing essential services to its citizens.
Quartz markets haiku
Self-selling cars, am I right?
Quartz obsession interlude
Dan Frommer on why the Apple Watch has stalled. “After months of use, it’s increasingly clear that this is what needs to change the most. The watch needs to be untethered from the iPhone for speed, independence, and direct access to the power of the cloud. Or it will never be more than a cute sidekick.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Energy drinks exploit teenage boys’ insecurities. The more manly the consumer wants to be, the less he’ll sleep.
“Mother Nature” does a disservice to nature and women alike. It suggests subjugation, rather than empowerment.
India and China don’t deserve the blame for climate change. The West has been destroying the environment for 300 years.
Surprising discoveries
Scientists created a new form of carbon. It’s magnetic and harder than a diamond, all at room temperature.
From 1979 to 1984, chicken heads rained down on Europe. Laced with a vaccine, they were meant for rabid foxes.
Your coffee maker is a cesspool. Researchers found dangerous bacteria despite caffeine’s antibiotic properties.
More than 11,000 hunters applied to kill 16 Norwegian wolves. The country’s entire wolf population is only 30.
The world’s oldest peach pits were found in China. They date back 2.5 million years.
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