Saudi Arabia and Iran near the edge, young overachievers, striped horses
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Markets open for 2016. After weathering a rocky 2015, there are mixed predictions about how stocks will fair this year. US stocks are expected to be relatively steady at the beginning of January at least, with a strong jobs report expected later this week.
Obama moves forward on gun-control laws. The US president will meet with attorney general Loretta Lynch on Monday to discuss details of a set of executive actions on gun control. He’s expected to announce his proposals shortly, after saying that his New Year’s resolution was to tackle the “unfinished business” of gun violence.
Jeremy Corbyn tries to keep control of the UK Labour party. The party holds its weekly meeting Monday amid talk that MPs Hilary Benn and Maria Eagle, who both opposed Corbyn to vote in favor of military intervention in Syria, could lose their cabinet posts. The reshuffle would be an attempt by Corbyn to shore up support his far-left policies, but could potentially lead to further resignations.
Oil prices on the rise. As friction between Saudi Arabia and Iran builds following the execution of a Shia cleric, the price of oil could well rise as traders bet on spikes.
Forbes 30 under 30 list released. The annual list of millennial overachievers will be announced on Monday. Those who made the cut in previous years include YouTube entrepreneur Michelle Phan, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.
Over the weekend
Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran. This came after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was torched by Iranians protesting Riyadh’s execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Iran warned that Saudis face “divine revenge.”
Islamic State terrorists released an execution video. The terrorist group claims the five men killed were British spies. On the film, a man threatens attacks in the UK, and a young boy speaks about killing unbelievers: both have British accents.
The virus that triggered an emergency in Brazil spread to Puerto Rico. Zika, a mosquito-borne virus suspected of causing brain damage in 2,400 newborn babies in Brazil, has arrived in Puerto Rico. Authorities warned tourists to protect against mosquitoes.
Donald Trump footage appeared in a terrorist recruitment video. Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda in Somalia, used clips of Trump calling to ban Muslims from entering the US. Trump responded by saying, “What am I going to do? I have to say what I have to say.”
Armed protesters seized a government building in Oregon. Right-wing activists occupied a wildlife refuge centre to protest a government order that a father and son, convicted of arson in 2012, must return to jail as their original sentences were too short. The pair claimed invasive species were damaging their land, and the case has exacerbated tensions between ranchers and wildlife groups.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dr Jay Parkinson, on why an Uber for doctor’s house calls won’t work: “It boils down to two issues: It’s ridiculously inefficient and very, very few doctors will actually want this kind of life. I do think they should exist as a ridiculously expensive option for people who don’t care about money, because America.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Vigilant citizens should take off their headphones in public. We all need to take some personal responsibility for keeping an eye out for terrorist risks.
If you answer emails after work, you should get unlimited vacation time. The 9-to-5 model no longer works. Employees should work when there’s work that needs doing, and not have their holiday quotas monitored.
Magazines will be the medium that suffers in 2016. Whereas books and newspapers will fare pretty well, this will be the year that magazines start to seriously struggle.
The pressure to achieve is making our children ill. Education expectations are out of control, and the workload is driving many teenagers to depression; children as young as five to migraines and ulcers.
Surprising discoveries
The concept of different “learning styles” is a neuroscience myth. The idea that we all learn differently, depending on a preference for visual, auditory or kinesthetic queues, doesn’t stand up to scientific tests.
Horses once had stripes like zebras. But they lost their wild camouflage once humans domesticated them to be worked and ridden.
A mysterious ancient species of human once lived alongside our ancestors. Bone discoveries suggest homo sapiens bred with and possibly cannibalized this previously unknown human species.
Scientists have created a hologram you can feel. Ultrasonic radiation pressure has led to touchable holograms—kinda.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, touchable holograms, and homework strategies to [email protected]. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.