The Fed’s big day, Trump and Cruz face off, bacon longevity
Good morning, Quartz readers!
As the year comes to an end, we’re taking stock of everything we learned in 2015, from the prosaic to the profound. We’re inviting Quartz readers to answer this question: What do you know now that you didn’t know a year ago?
Let us know at [email protected], and some replies will be edited and published. Thanks!
What to watch for today
The most anticipated decision of the year. US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen will announce whether the central bank will raise its benchmark interest rate, and most analysts expect a hike. Whether you’re a central bank nerd or a total newbie, Quartz has you covered with absolutely everything you need to understand the Fed’s decision.
Republican presidential hopefuls go to Vegas. Candidates gather for last time this year for a CNN-sponsored debate in Las Vegas, just seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses kick off the official nominating process. All eyes are on Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, who are leading the pack.
GE and Valeant predict the future. Both companies present their outlooks for next year. 2015 was a year of tectonic shifts for GE, which shed its financial branch and focused on its core industrial business. Valeant’s future is brightening ever so slightly, with a new distribution deal with Walgreens boosting its battered shares.
China’s heavy-handed internet conference. Beijing will demonstrate its extensive control over the world’s biggest internet market, with speeches by president Xi Jinping and Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev. China is trying to force foreign technology companies to give the government access to their source code and encryption technology.
While you were sleeping
A bomb threat closed every public school in Los Angeles. The city kept 640,000 kids home after receiving a threatening email. New York City received a similar threat but concluded it was a hoax and kept schools open.
The US abandoned regime change in Syria. Secretary of State John Kerry edged closer to an agreement with Russia during a visit to Moscow by abandoning the long-standing US policy goal in an attempt to kickstart Syrian peace talks. Kerry also insisted that the US had no desire to isolate Russia.
Iran broke UN rules with a missile test. A panel found Iran violated a UN security resolution in October when it launched a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, Reuters reported. Western nations may respond with more sanctions on Tehran, but that could jeopardize the future of the Iran nuclear deal.
Qualcomm rejected a plan to split in two. The semiconductor giant decided to keep its chipmaking and patent-licensing units under one roof after a strategic review. It also told shareholders it expects quarterly results to modestly exceed its previous guidance.
The International Space Station got its first Brit. The UK hopes Tim Peake’s mission will inspire future British scientists and engineers. In the meantime, some of his countrymen have confused ISS with ISIS.
Quartz markets haiku
Quartz obsession interlude
Gwynn Guilford on the facts and fiction of vengeful whales: “Creatures that make their homes in the deep sea, sperm whales have lousy vision and use sound to visualize the objects around them. In a moment of panic, a whale might not notice a whaleship, and therefore might simply bang into it accidentally.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Poverty hurts your brain. Fewer resources and higher stress lead to less surface area and decision-making ability.
China has a nasty surprise in store for Latin America. Demand for commodities will plummet in the coming decades.
US drone regulations are insane. Toy helicopters are meticulously logged, but assault rifles are not.
Surprising discoveries
The world’s oldest woman has four slices of bacon a day. Susannah Mushatt Jones, 116, eats it “every morning, with gusto.”
Your cursor knows when you’re angry. Researchers found that frustration produces “sporadic, jagged motions.”
Yahoo allegedly threw a $7 million party. The company took a break from its troubles with a lavish holiday bash.
Australian sheepdogs are protecting small penguins from foxes. The story has been made into a hit movie.
It might not be the worst idea to start eating breakfast cereal again. High levels of fiber lower the risk of cancer and Type 2 diabetes.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, jagged cursor motions, and penguin-protecting sheepdogs to [email protected]. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.