What to watch for today
To cut or not to cut? That is the question OPEC’s 12 members will be asking themselves in Vienna, as they decide whether to limit production to prevent the price of oil from falling further.
Europe vs. Googliath. The European parliament votes on whether Google should be broken up—not that it has the power to force that to happen. Regulators have already made one thing clear: They want the EU’s recent “right to be forgotten” ruling to apply globally.
A peek into the German psyche. Confidence has been fickle in Europe’s biggest economy, so analysts will be looking at the Gfk consumer climate survey for signs that shoppers are in a happier mood.
Dilma Rousseff unveils her dream team. Brazil’s recently (and narrowly) re-elected president presents a cabinet to sort out the country’s economic mess. Banco Bradesco chief Joaquim “Scissorhands” Levy is expected to become her finance minister.
The great US migration is underway. An estimated 46.3 million Americans are traveling an average of more than 50 miles (80 km) to eat turkey with friends and family on Thanksgiving. A snowstorm will complicate the journey on the East Coast.
While you were sleeping
More clashes at the Hong Kong protests. Student demonstrators threatened to target government buildings (paywall) if police continued to force them from protest camps with pepper spray and batons. Pro-democracy activists also tried to occupy smaller streets in the city’s Kowloon district after a major thoroughfare was cleared yesterday.
A step closer to an Ebola vaccine. For the first time, a human trial showed a vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline is safe and will likely be effective in fighting the virus. The vaccine could be available in West Africa in about six months; other vaccines are being tested in Mali, Switzerland, and the UK.
Thailand’s elections may be delayed. The military junta’s finance minister Sommai Phasee said general elections now may not take place until 2016, a year later than previously stated. Martial law will come to an end eventually, Sommai said, but is required at the moment “to deal with security.”
Beijingers may only get to drive every other day. The pollution-choked city has been test-driving a system to ban cars with license plates ending in odd or even numbers on alternate days, which helped produce rare blue-sky days during the recent APEC summit. Authorities are now looking into making the alternate-day ban permanent.
Australia’s economy suddenly looked a lot healthier. New home sales rose 3% in October month-on-month, after a flat September, and third-quarter company spending rose by a better-than-expected 0.2%—encouraging signs as the country tries to transition from mining-driven investment growth.
The Philippine economy took a surprise dive. Third-quarter GDP grew by a lower-than-expected 5.3% from a year earlier, marking the slowest growth in three years due to a reduction in public spending and higher interest rates.
Microsoft pre-announced an acquisition. The company prematurely published an incomplete blog post that suggests it is on the verge of acquiring Accompli, a mobile email start-up. The gaffe comes just days after a Twitter executive made a similar blunder.
Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died from an in-game injury. The batsman was struck on the head on Tuesday, and never regained consciousness. The ball hit Hughes at the base of the skull, an area not well-enough protected by his helmet, sparking conversations about the need to develop better safety gear for the sport.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jason Karaian on Europe’s new real-estate superstar. “Before the crash, Ireland’s turbo-charged economy earned it the nickname the ‘Celtic Tiger.’ Then came the dark days of crushing debt, deep recession, and an international bailout. Now, the country’s rapid recovery has people calling it the ‘Celtic Phoenix.’ Nowhere is this more apparent than in house prices.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Don’t sneer at Uber’s $40 billion valuation. Unlike other tech companies, its business offers actual value to our lives.
Whiteness isn’t the beginning and end to privilege. Nationality, class, gender, sexuality, and ability also matter.
Holidays are an opportunity for immigrants to assimilate. Celebrating Thanksgiving is a chance for even new arrivals to feel truly American.
Hillary will run, and Hillary will win. Warren Buffett likes the former secretary of state’s White House chances.
Government snooping on Facebook doesn’t make us safer. Despite what the UK government claims.
Surprising discoveries
Giving thanks makes you healthier. You’ll sleep better, exercise more, and feel more optimistic about life.
You can get paid for breaking in someone else’s jeans. The only catch: You can’t wash them for six months.
Twitter will soon be able to see what other apps you have. All in the name of serving up better-targeted ads.
Don’t blame tryptophan for your Thanksgiving nap. Turkey only contains a small quantity of the sleep-inducing amino acid.
Advanced Kim Jong-un studies. North Korean high schoolers have to take an 81 hour course on their Dear Leader; the class on his father was twice as long.
Gulls are flaying whales alive. Southern right whales in Argentina are trying new defensive tactics when they surface for air.
Click here for more surprising discoveries on Quartz.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Uber life enhancements, and nap-inducing Thanksgiving menus to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day.
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Quartz Daily Brief—Americas edition—Ebola vaccine success, Europe’s Google vote, Thai elections delayed, the tryptophan myth
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