Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Senators grill Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees… Attorney general pick Jeff Sessions and CIA director nominee Mike Pompeo are the first of up to seven confirmation hearings (paywall) this week. Many of the nominees have yet to be vetted for conflicts of interest, placing pressure on the government ethics agency.
…and Barack Obama says goodbye. The president makes his farewell speech in Chicago, where he began his political career. Expect a strong defense of Obamacare, proud recitations of economic recovery figures, and some Trump-directed “admonitions about the challenges we face moving forward.” Thousands lined up in frigid temperatures for tickets.
A commission overseeing the Iran nuclear deal meets in Vienna. Brought together by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, officials will address Tehran’s complaint about the US renewing sanctions last month, among other issues. The gathering takes place 10 days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has promised to tear up the nuclear deal.
While you were sleeping
Trump called Jack Ma—creator of the world’s most notorious counterfeit marketplace—a “great, great entrepreneur.” The Alibaba founder visited the president-elect and promised to create a million American jobs over the next five years by enabling small businesses. Ma, who is facing an SEC investigation and censure by US trade regulators, made a similar promise in 2015.
Venezuela’s congress approved a resolution saying president Nicolás Maduro had abandoned his post. Maduro “ceased being president and converted himself into a dictator,” said lawmaker Freddy Guevara (paywall), a member of the opposition-controlled National Assembly. The largely symbolic move is unlikely to affect Maduro, and comes amid a crippling economic crisis.
Fiat Chrysler tussled with Trump, and rebuffed his praise. The carmaker nixed any notion that Trump could take credit for a plan to spend $1 billion to expand plants in Ohio and Michigan, and said it was “quite possible” it would have to close its plants in Mexico if heavy tariffs are enacted. Toyota—another recent Trump target—announced plans to invest $10 billion in the US over the next five years.
Apple wants to open a high-tech manufacturing center in Arizona. The iPhone maker has applied for government approval to assemble and manufacture server equipment for data centers at a facility in Mesa. It needs approval to import foreign components without incurring heavy tariffs.
Quartz obsession interlude
Oliver Staley on the $67 billion in student debt held by US grandparents. “The number of debtors over 60 has quadrupled in a decade—to 2.8 million in 2015 from 700,000 in 2005—making them the fastest-growing age segment with student debt. While some of it was borrowed for their own education, more than two-thirds of the debt is owed for children or grandchildren.” Read more here.
Quartz haiku interlude
It is a strange world
A company neuters dogs
And sells M&Ms
Matters of debate
Philosophy can teach children what technology cannot. Flexible thinking will be key in a future dominated by artificial intelligence.
Women are more satisfied with their lives than men. There’s a catch: Women also think other people are even more satisfied with their own lives.
Antitrust laws are about to become obsolete. Collusion between machines is an inevitable byproduct (paywall) of complex pricing algorithms.
Surprising discoveries
A plane crash can improve workplace morale. A company that offers intense survival classes is branching out into team building.
It wasn’t just “Diamonds and Pearls” for Prince. The musician had more than $800,000 in gold bars stashed away at the time of his death.
Scientists figured out why peeling an orange is always messy. The fruit’s oil glands shoot out droplets at high speed.
A BBC robot traumatized a troop of monkeys. They went into mourning after the gadget plunged to its “death.”
Exercising rarely might be nearly as good as exercising regularly. Death rates from cancer and heart disease fell almost equally in a major study.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, gold bars, and extreme team-building techniques to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.