Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The European Central Bank meets the press after its policy meeting. President Mario Draghi won’t likely announce an interest-rate tweak. But with the euro zone doing great, investors will look for hints of a change in the timetable for withdrawing the massive bond-buying program. One concern is the euro has become too strong for the bloc’s own good.
Theresa May announces plans for the ethical oversight of AI. The UK prime minister is expected to use her speech at Davos to discuss the challenges presented by artificial intelligence (paywall), and to outline plans for a national Centre for Data Ethics to provide guidance on AI regulation.
Donald Trump arrives at Davos. He’ll meet with one prime minister he likes (Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu) and one he berates with angry tweets (Britain’s May). He will be the guest of honor at a party thrown by the World Economic Forum and then host a “small dinner” for a “select” group of European CEOs with big investments in the US.
India woos Southeast Asia. It’s hosting the leaders of the ASEAN countries, each of whom will have a bilateral talk (paywall) with prime minister Narendra Modi. India is seeking to improve ties with the bloc, partly in response to China’s growing clout in the region.
Caterpillar’s fourth quarter provides clues on the global economy’s health. The US maker of heavy machinery saw its stock surge last year amid signs of a turnaround in its markets around the world. Analysts expect $12 billion in revenue (paywall), up from $9.6 billion a year ago.
While you were sleeping
Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. The former USA Gymnastics doctor pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct that took place over his two decades at the organization. He had previously been sentenced to 60 years for federal child-pornography charges. More than 150 women came forward with testimonies.
SpaceX test-fired the world’s biggest operational rocket. Engineers fired the Falcon Heavy’s engines for 12 seconds in a “static-fire” test, performed a few weeks ahead of its scheduled maiden flight. CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the results were promising, saying the rocket’s “hold-down firing… generated quite a thunderhead of steam.”
Donald Trump said he’s willing to speak under oath in the Russia inquiry. The US president said he’s “looking forward” to doing so, adding that an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller would take place in two or three weeks. Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and whether there was collusion with the Trump campaign.
Bill Richardson quit an advisory panel on the Rohingya refugee crisis. The former US ambassador to the UN called the panel a “whitewash and a cheerleading operation for the Myanmar government.” Last September, UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein called Myanmar’s military operations against the Rohingya Muslims “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
Alphabet launched a business to protect companies from hackers. Called Chronicle, it will help clients “find and stop cyber attacks before they cause harm,” said its CEO Stephen Gillett, formerly chief operating officer of Symantec. VirusTotal, a malware analysis platform Google bought in 2012, will be a part of the new venture.
Quartz obsession interlude
Ashley Rodriguez on why a movie like Bright can bomb with critics and kill with audiences. “Netflix knows quality isn’t the only factor that attracts viewers—otherwise, Adam Sandler wouldn’t be as popular as he is on the service. Netflix nixed its old star-rating system last year because people used it to rate the quality of the titles, like critics do, rather than how much they enjoyed them.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The biggest career mistake is getting too comfortable. Being the expert with the most experience in your field means you might have already missed valuable opportunities for reinvention.
Farmland could offset America’s entire carbon footprint. Soil carbon sequestration should please just about everyone, but it needs to be put in motion soon.
Investors should avoid high-testosterone hedge fund managers. A new paper concludes that these individuals underperform compared to their lower-testosterone counterparts.
Surprising discoveries
A 16th-century manuscript was found in an old copy of Alice in Wonderland. The 1583 land transfer deed, which was believed to have been lost in a fire, surfaced in an Australian shop.
People in Japan can pay handsome men to make them cry. Rui-katsu, or “tear seeking,” is popular with the Japanese, who are known to be infrequent criers.
Norway is leaving the fur business. New laws outlawing pelt farming represent a growing shift toward respecting animal consciousness.
Witch hunts began as a publicity stunt. Protestantism and Catholicism used Germany as their battleground, and each wanted to prove its prowess in beating back Satanic influences.
The internet’s favorite grumpy cat just won a $710,000 lawsuit. A US coffee company used images of the cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, without permission.
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