Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
US senators examine Donald Trump’s authority to use nuclear weapons… The foreign relations committee will hold a hearing on the president’s unfettered ability to deploy nukes. It was convened by outgoing senator Bob Corker, who has called the White House “an adult day care center” in his war of words with the president.
…And grill Jeff Sessions about his Russia contacts. The attorney general will face uncomfortable questions about Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. His previous testimony denying knowledge of communications between the Kremlin and White House is at odds with the account of convicted Trump advisor George Papadopoulos.
UK lawmakers debate a Brexit blueprint. Parliament will discuss Theresa May’s EU withdrawal bill, which is said to be a “copy and paste” of EU rules and regulations into British law. There are 186 pages of proposed amendments.
While you were sleeping
S&P Global Ratings said Venezuela is in default on interest payments. Vice president Tareck El Aissami railed against Trump and financiers, saying they conspired to stop (paywall) the country from making its payments on time. Yesterday Venezuela promised to keep paying its debts at a conference in Caracas.
The Trump administration pushed coal at a UN climate-change conference in Germany. A panel of top US energy executives, led by Trump adviser George D. Banks, faced boos while trying to make the case for “clean” coal. “Promoting coal at a climate summit is like promoting tobacco at a cancer summit,” said attendee and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
China’s new-home sales fell the most in nearly three years. Last month, sales by value dropped 3.4% from a year earlier, in another sign that government efforts to curb runaway home prices are taking effect. Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized that “houses are for living, not for speculating” at the recent 19th Party Congress.
A major Silicon Valley investor was ousted after sexual harassment allegations. Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a board member at Tesla and SpaceX, is leaving after an internal investigation reportedly uncovered unacceptable behavior toward female entrepreneurs. Jurvetson said he was leaving “to focus on personal matters, including taking legal action against those who have defamed me.”
Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. In a playoff match, the four-time champions could only tie Sweden, which will advance to next year’s tournament in Russia. It was also the last international appearance for legendary Italian goalie Gianluigi Buffon.
Quartz obsession interlude
Yemisi Adegoke on the Uber drivers using a fake GPS app to inflate fares. “Initially created for developers to ‘test geofencing-based apps,’ Lockito, an Android app that lets your phone follow a fake GPS itinerary, is being used by Uber drivers in Lagos… In some cases, inflated trips can cost riders more than double the rate they should be paying.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Superstar cities come with a downside. A creative class can spur innovation, but winner-take-all urbanism leaves many behind.
Somaliland is east Africa’s strongest democracy. It’s one of the few entities carved up by colonists that actually makes sense, and it created a democracy for citizens (paywall) instead of donors.
SoftBank is the savior of troubled startups. CEO Masayoshi Son is filling the role of “unicorn veterinarian” at companies like Uber.
Surprising discoveries
A Bluetooth-enabled sex toy was recording users’ “sessions.” Lovense, a major player in the teledildonics industry, described the accidental recordings as a “minor bug.”
“Secret agent” robots are infiltrating schools of fish. Scientists designed them to mimic and influence real fish.
The 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos will be co-chaired by seven women—and zero men. The forum has been criticized as much for its gender imbalance as for its elitism.
A trove of Nazi art is locked up on an army base in Virginia. The collection includes four watercolors by Adolf Hitler.
Volkswagen might bring back the Bug. The carmaker is mulling an electric Beetle that honors the iconic original.
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