Eskom's threat to South Africa, Shutdown averted, Reddit's Chinese blowout

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [FIRST THING With John Stupart]( Tuesday, 12 February 2019 “That's what the voices in your head are for, to get you through the silent parts.” David Levithan Story of the Day [Eskom — the terrorist attack from within]( By Daily Maverick The battle for Eskom is the battle for South Africa. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [Bipartisan deal reached, shutdown avoided]( Congress has negotiated a deal on border security that allows for the government to continue un-shutdown. And, yes, Donald Trump got money for his wall. That said, however, negotiators revealed a $1.375-billion package for 55 miles of border wall, less than a quarter of the $5.7-billion demanded by Trump. When asked whether the Sentient Naartjie would accept these terms, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby said: "We think so, we hope so." [Reddit draws criticism for Chinese investor]( The $300-million investment round from Reddit would on the face of it be considered a great success. Except one of its investors is Tencent Holdings, a Chinese company and thus, according to critics, one complicit in internet censorship. In true freedom of speech style, Redditors were quick to saturate the link-boards with imagery notoriously censored in China. Not quite the investment celebration Tencent or Reddit were hoping for, no doubt. [UK economy growth at six-year low]( The UK's economic growth has ground to its slowest rate in six years. The UK Office for National Statistics announced a rate of just 1.4% over 2018, a 0.4% decrease from 2017. The construction and industrial sectors' slowdown was largely to blame, with Brexit uncertainty being the fat no-deal elephant in the room. [Amazon expands home-connectivity with acquisition]( Amazon Inc has acquired Eero, a company aimed at developing Wi-Fi networking tools. The purchase price was not disclosed, but indicated Amazon's push towards broadening Wi-Fi coverage in the home via "mesh technology". In English, you can expect more Alexa in your home than you can shake a stick at. [Bellville - Building a leading African City]( [Sponsored Content by The Greater Tygerberg Partnership]( Gridlocked megalopolises—their time has come. The new city breaks distance into increments: work, home and play are nestled in tight proximity. Think of it as “logical density”. Also think of it as spatial justice. And this proximity instantly changes the character of urban space—it renders the old suburban models all but obsolete; it transforms the central business district; it turns old industrial areas into mixed-use playgrounds. Picture of the Day By EPA-EFE/JEAN MARC HERVE ABELARD A man uses his mobile phone to document unrest during a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 10 February 2019. Haiti experienced its fourth consecutive day of violent protests against the government of President Jovenel Moise, while the international community called for dialogue. [Fight For the Facts]( In an age where it’s difficult to tell the difference between real politics and fake news, quality independent journalism is more important than ever. Daily Maverick has become renowned as a news source that you can trust because our journalists tirelessly research and investigate the stories we publish. [Click here to sign up to become a Maverick Insider]( and help us Defend Truth. [Do you want to be the voice of Daily Maverick?]( Chronicle is looking to hire a [full-time podcast host and producer]( for an evergreen news podcast, served up daily by your favourite news site. In Numbers $1-million The amount earned annually by the bailiff on Judge Judy. Facts of the Day Today in 1999 Bill Clinton is acquitted in his impeachment trial. The USS Oriskany is an aircraft carrier sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. It is known by divers as the Great Carrier Reef. Featured Articles [Congo’s Tshisekedi welcomed warmly into the AU fold]( [Congo’s Tshisekedi welcomed warmly into the AU fold]( By Carien Du Plessis [Eskom — the terrorist attack from within]( [Eskom — the terrorist attack from within]( By Daily Maverick [Dark days are here again: As Eskom buckles, anger rises and conspiracy theories abound]( [Dark days are here again: As Eskom buckles, anger rises and conspiracy theories abound]( By Rebecca Davis and Ayanda Mthethwa [Congo’s Tshisekedi welcomed warmly into the AU fold]( By Carien Du Plessis [Eskom — the terrorist attack from within]( By Daily Maverick [Dark days are here again: As Eskom buckles, anger rises and conspiracy theories abound]( By Rebecca Davis and Ayanda Mthethwa [DA federal council backs race-based empowerment but confusion remains]( By Greg Nicolson Opinionistas [All together now: Bring on the heavyweights for Ramaphosa’s corruption-buster dream team]( A column by Professor Balthazar [University transformation draws attention to what we still need to learn]( A column by Mandla Makhanya Weather BFN: min: 16° max: 28°, rainy CPT: min: 17° max: 23°, cloudy DBN: min: 22° max: 27°, rainy EL: min: 21° max: 28°, rainy JHB: min: 17° max: 25°, rainy MHK: min: 18° max: 28°, rainy NLP: min: 21° max: 34°, rainy PE: min: 17° max: 23°, rainy PMB:min: 19° max: 28°, rainy Financial Data Oil=$61.39 Gold=$1,308.79 R/$=13.81 R/€=15.58 R/£=17.77 JSE All Share=53,409.14 DJIA=25,013.01 BTC$=3 603 [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( [Fb] [Tweet] [Link] [Yt] Copyright © 2019 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. 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