Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Facebook and Microsoft earnings. Both companies are expected to show strong reports despite lingering economic worries, while Tesla has been bracing investors for a first-quarter loss. Meanwhile, America's GDP report, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been delayed until the Bureau of Economic Analysis catches up from the government shutdown. The Fed's high-wire act. Chair Jerome Powell will try to navigate the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting without causing another market panic or signaling that the agency is preparing America for another recession. US-China trade talks begin. Donald Trump will meet Chinese vice premier Liu He for a two-day session that likely won't result in any deals being made, especially with tensions freshly heightened over the US government's indictment of Huawei. France releases its final 2018 GDP growth figures. Economists are expecting slower growth (paywall) than in 2017, due to a global slowdown, the ongoing "Yellow Vest" protests, and crippling rail strikes last spring. While you were sleeping Apple reported first-quarter earnings. It reported revenue of $84.3 billion for the holiday quarter, about $4 billion less than a year earlier and just slightly better than its lowered forecast, which it blamed on sluggish demand for iPhones in China. Apple may have reached saturation point with the iPhone—but revenue from apps and subscriptions is a bright spot, registering a nearly 20% increase.
UK lawmakers backed Theresa May's Brexit amendment. Parliament voted to support renewed negotiations with the European Union on the Irish backstop, and rejected a no-deal Brexit. European Council president Donald Tusk says the EU isn't having it, and that the existing exit agreement as written will not be changed. Huawei's CFO appeared in a Canadian court. During the hearing, a judge approved a change in the bail conditions of Meng Wanzhou. She has been charged in the US with bank and wire fraud in violation of sanctions against Iran, among other charges, and faces extradition to the US. The US sent a Honduran asylum seeker to Mexico under its new policy. Carlos Gomez, 55, was sent back to Tijuana. Under the Trump administration's hardened immigration policy, asylum seekers at San Diego have to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in US immigration courts. Pinterest hired Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase to lead its IPO. The social media company known for envy-inducing food and fashion photos is likely to go public in the first six months of the year and could raise around $1.5 billion. The site's last fund-raising round valued it at $12 billion. A deadly grenade attack hit a mosque in the southern Philippines. At least two people were killed and four others injured in an attack on a mosque in Zamboanga city, days after fatal explosions rocked a Catholic church on nearby Jolo island, following a referendum backing greater autonomy in the Muslim-majority Mindanao region. Quartz obsession interlude Puffer jackets are equal parts luxury symbols and life savers. From "fill power" to brand-name recognition, the winter-guarding garment has evolved several times over the last century. Nowadays, you're just as likely to see it on a fashion runway as you would in a biting snowstorm. Cozy up with our latest Quartz Obsession to see what makes or breaks these jackets on warmth and style. Quartz Membership Could McDonald's be key to helping the environment? Cattle are the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Because of fast food's reliance on beef, the industry could play a critical role in helping reduce both emissions and use of water worldwide. Today, Quartz looks at the campaign to get six food giants on board as part of a deep dive on the global water crisis. Matters of debate Join the conversation with the new Quartz app! Iran's planned crackdown on Instagram would be a blow to feminists. Women in the country use the platform to promote their freedom, as well as to get informed and stay connected. Your prosecco habit is harming vineyards. It may be time to cut back: the rise in popularity of the white wine is causing soil erosion. Our understanding of the fourth industrial era could be all wrong. We're too close to it to get a good perspective on what it means and how it fits into human history. Surprising discoveries Earth is starting to feel more like Mars. Temperatures on the Red Planet vary widely, and, due to climate change, those on our home planet now do too. To work better with your colleagues, get an Xbox. A study found that teams saw a 20% productivity boost after playing a video game together for only 45 minutes. China's failure to control methane emissions is not only bad for the climate. It's also wasting a valuable resource that could be used for heat and electricity. Japan is planning a massive hack in the name of cybersecurity. It plans to access connected devices in millions of homes and offices to expose weaknesses in the internet of things. A rare type of durian went on sale in Indonesia at a hefty price tag. A supermarket in an Indonesian town sold two J-Queen durians at about $1,000 a pop. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ethical prosecco, and SFW video games to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today's Daily Brief was written and edited by Yenni Kwok and Isabella Steger. | 
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