Twitter’s earnings, SoftBank’s shares, inclusive emojis

Twitter announces fourth-quarter earnings. Analysts will be looking at ad revenues, user growth, and spending to curb harassment and misinformation. The social media company’s stock is up 19% so far in 2019 and around 37% over the past 12 months. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Twitter announces fourth-quarter earnings. Analysts [will be looking at ad revenues]( user growth, and spending to curb harassment and misinformation. The social media company’s stock [is up 19% so far in 2019]( and around 37% over the past 12 months. The US publishes its consumer credit scorecard. A strong labor market is expected to push outstanding credit to around $4 trillion for December when the Federal Reserve [releases figures today](. However, analysts expect the monthly rise in borrowing to come in a bit below the previous month’s gain. Theresa May visits Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. The European Commission president [awaits an update]( on how the UK plans to handle Brexit, a day after European Council president Donald Tusk [undiplomatically expressed frustration]( (paywall) with Britain’s inability to articulate what it wants from an exit deal. The Bank of England decides on interest rates. Meanwhile, the UK central bank is likely to [keep rates steady at 0.75%,]( and trim forecasts for the country’s already sluggish growth due to Brexit uncertainty and the spillover effects of a global slowdown. Sponsor content by Columbia Business School Everyone needs training, including executives. In the Advanced Management Program — available in a 27-day consecutive format or in two 2-week modules — senior executives hone the skills needed to solve complex problems, respond to evolving leadership challenges, and create a vision to lead their companies to success. [Learn more](. While you were sleeping SoftBank’s biggest-ever buyback sent its shares soaring. The Tokyo-listed conglomerate surged 17%, a day after CEO Masayoshi Son [unveiled plans]( to repurchase up to $5.5 billion of shares, funded by the proceeds of the IPO of its domestic telecom unit in December. The US publicly rebuked Germany for deporting a terrorist it wanted. Acting attorney general Matt Whitaker [criticized the decision]( (paywall) to send to Turkey a man convicted in 2010 of plotting to bomb US targets in Germany. The dispute is the latest sign of rising tensions between the two allies. Sudan’s president softened his tone towards protesters. Omar al-Bashir [described the protesters]( who have been demonstrating nearly every day since December, as young people with poor prospects, a stark contrast to his earlier demand for the “rats to go back to their holes.” The European Commission slashed its forecast for the euro-zone economy. A slowdown in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands led the commission to [cut its expectation]( for GDP growth in the bloc this year to 1.3%, down sharply from 1.9% just a few months ago. Norwegian Air scaled back its growth model. The low-cost, long-haul carrier [cut its 2019 growth plans]( as it looks to shore up cash and focus on profitability. British Airways’ parent company recently decided against acquiring the Nordic airline, which posted a fourth-quarter loss of $350 million. Quartz obsession interlude Dollar stores have remade the American retail landscape—at a steep cost. In many small towns and struggling urban areas, they’ve even replaced grocery stores, creating food deserts where residents must rely on unhealthy options that, when you look closer, aren’t even a good deal. [Read more in today’s Quartz Obsession](. Membership Is esports the next NBA? Michael Prindiville definitely believes it. As chief of the esports organization Dignitas (which is owned by the same group that owns the Philadelphia 76ers), you might expect that, but Prindiville isn’t saying the road to world domination will be easy. Read more about his forecast for esports in [this week’s member exclusive](. Matters of debate [Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!]( Online shopping isn’t worth the environmental cost. Fast shipping and free returns are [driving up harmful emissions](. Pointing out the obvious can help drive change. Findings don’t have to be earth-shattering to [prompt people to act](. A US border wall would be a boon for drug cartels. It would make [the risky business of people smuggling]( more profitable. Surprising discoveries Smartphones are getting a menstruation emoji. The “drop of blood” is part of a release of [new inclusive symbols]( that will also add 171 skin tone and gender options. A new island has NASA puzzled. The land mass off the coast of Tonga has [lightly colored, sticky mud]( unlike anything scientists have previously encountered. A paleontologist found a punk rock dinosaur in Argentina. Bajadasaurus bones [show a fearsome predator]( with mohawk-like spikes protruding from its back. 12% of Americans don’t know who their VP is. A recent CNN poll suggests more than 30 million people [have never heard of Mike Pence](. Cashless stores hit a hurdle. New Jersey legislators are [mulling a ban]( on cashless stores, claiming that they hurt consumers with bad credit and exclude people outside the formal banking system. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, inclusive emojis, and mysterious mud 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! 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