Weinstein in court, drones at airports, Saturn’s vanishing rings

Vladimir Putin’s marathon year-end press conference. The Kremlin bills the annual hours-long televised conference as a way for reporters to get access to the Russian president, but past events have typically been characterized by fawning praise and softball questions. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Vladimir Putin’s marathon year-end press conference. The Kremlin bills the annual hours-long televised conference as a way for reporters to get access to the Russian president, but past events have typically been characterized by fawning praise and [softball questions](. Harvey Weinstein goes to court. The disgraced Hollywood mogul, who faces five felony charges, will appear in a New York courtroom for a[pretrial hearing](. The judge could[schedule a trial]( throw out the indictment, or dismiss some or all of the sexual misconduct charges. Among the attendees in the gallery will be [Jennifer Lawrence](. The Bank of England convenes. The UK central bank is expected to [hold rates steady at 0.75%]( as it waits for parliament to do something—anything!—definitive on the country’s Brexit preparations. Nike reports earnings. The athletic-apparel giant is expected to outperform projections, though analysts warn that trade tariffs likely stifled growth. Revenue is[expected to hit $9.2 billion]( in the latest quarter, up from $8.6 billion during the same period in 2017. Sponsor content by Doctors Without Borders In a disaster zone, speed is of the essence. Doctors Without Borders creates innovative facilities, like inflatable hospitals and mobile surgical trailers, which provide humanitarian relief around the world. To help Doctors Without Borders save lives, [consider donating](. While you were sleeping Carlos Ghosn could be freed on bail. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that [a court decision]( could soon free Nissan’s former chairman, who has been detained since Nov. 19. Ghosn’s arrest has put Japan’s judicial system—and its [99.9% conviction rate]( scrutiny, as he was held for three weeks before being charged. Tokyo stocks entered a bear market. The Nikkei 225 index [sank more than 3%]( on Thursday after the US Fed cut its growth outlook and hiked interest rates the day before, pushing stocks on Wall Street down to [new lows]( for the year. A slowing global economy and trade tensions [have been weighing]( on Japan’s export-heavy economy. Drones shut down London’s Gatwick airport—twice. The UK’s second-busiest airport [shut down]( on Wednesday night after drones were spotted in the area. It reopened at 3am, but [closed again]( 45 minutes later after drones reappeared (and remains closed at the time of writing). Some 110,000 passengers on 760 flights are scheduled to pass through Gatwick today. North Korea said it will keep its nukes. Pyongyang’s Central News Agency said it would [never give up]( its nuclear arsenal unilaterally, citing concerns about the US nuclear security umbrella over South Korea and Japan. The comments [are a diplomatic rebuke]( to both South Korea and Donald Trump, who have said that North Korea is open to denuclearization. Three astronauts returned to earth. A Soyuz capsule [touched down]( in Kazakhstan after six months aboard the International Space Station. It was the first trip to space for NASA’s Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Russia’s Sergey Prokopyev, and the second for Germany’s Alexander Gerst. Gerst broke a European Space Agency record for flight time, at 362 days. Obsession interlude For some eaters, fast food is no longer about simplicity. Menu hacking—which might date back to surfer hangs at In-N-Out in the 1960s—is all about secret menus and clever ingredient combinations. It adds a bit of personalization to the least personal cuisine, and establishments are learning more about their customers from it. [Get the inside scoop in today’s Quartz Obsession](. Membership Selling bras is not unlike selling pot. When everyone in the market is offering basically the same product, differentiation is expressed in the details and in the emotional experience. Peter Horvath, former COO of Victoria’s Secret and current CEO of Green Growth Brands, shares how he’s drawing on his experience in lingerie for cannabis. [Read his QZ&A with Alex Halperin here](. Matters of debate [Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!]( Amazon Prime isn’t reliable anymore. It’s failing to live up to its[promise of two-day shipping]( as shoppers discover at checkout an arrival date far later than anticipated. To truly quit Facebook, you need to give up Instagram and WhatsApp. The exit of WhatsApp’s founder shows how inextricably tied the[service was to its parent](. Why are American cities so weirdly shaped? Many municipal boundaries appear to ignore geography, population density, [and common sense](. Message from our Partner What factors secure success or failure? For many companies, there’s a definitive moment that could determine success or failure. The Brink is a business-oriented podcast that tells the stories behind not only the biggest success stories but also the precipitous drops in corporate history. [Listen to the podcast here!]( Surprising discoveries Saturn’s rings are disappearing. The signature features of the sixth planet in our solar system [are being sucked in by gravity’s pull](. China’s war on Christmas hasn’t deterred kids from writing to Santa. Some cities have banned the holiday and the spread of “[religious propaganda]( Even commodities traders don’t know what a bushel is. Most have probably never seen a [bushel basket]( (subscription) and routinely have to convert the amount into metric tons. Costa Rica went 300 days on only renewable energy. It [set a new record]( for running its grid on hydropower, wind, and other renewable sources. Sweden’s “man-free” festival got sued. The country’s Discrimination Ombudsman [said it broke the law]( despite noting all were welcome at entry. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, anachronistic units of measure, and letters to Santa to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by[downloading our app]( and[becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Adam Rasmi and edited by Jason Karaian. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( If you click a link to an e-commerce site and make a purchase, we may receive a small cut of the revenue, which helps support our ambitious journalism. See [here]( for more information. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.