Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. Nearly a million people are descending on the US capital to either celebrate or protest the mogul’s inauguration. The swearing-in itself promises to be a low-key affair, notable for the absence of star performers, Democratic lawmakers, and ailing former president George H.W. Bush.
Will China’s economy grow by exactly 6.7% once again? Beijing’s highly dubious economic data hit that mark for the first three quarters of 2016, and analysts expect more of the same when fourth-quarter GDP figures are released. The government finally admitted to making up some statistics earlier this week.
Davos wraps up with Philip Hammond and Henry Kissinger. Britain’s foreign secretary discusses the UK’s future relationship with the EU alongside Barclays CEO Jes Staley and former Italian prime minister Mario Monti. Kissinger then chats about global prospects for 2017 with Davos founder Klaus Schwab.
While you were sleeping
Trump’s treasury secretary nominee faced a bruising confirmation hearing. Former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin was grilled on his failure to declare almost $100 million in assets and the directorship of a company based in a tax haven. He broke with Trump by voicing a preference for a strong US dollar, and said he wanted to quickly raise the debt ceiling before it maxes out in March.
Senegalese troops entered the Gambia after its authoritarian president refused to give up power. Adama Barrow, who defeated the country’s longtime leader Yahya Jammeh at the polls in December, was sworn in as president in a makeshift ceremony in Dakar. A spokesman for Barrow said that “either President Jammeh accepts the situation or we are looking at a state of war.”
US safety investigators cleared Tesla’s Autopilot system for last year’s fatal crash. In a big win for Elon Musk, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that drivers with Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving software were 40% less likely to get in an accident, making Teslas much safer than the average car.
Theresa May stood up for globalization. The British prime minister said the UK will be the world’s “most forceful advocate” for free trade and free markets. That was seen as an implicit smack-down of Trump—and an attempt to keep international banks in London post-Brexit.
Italian rescuers tried to reach dozens of people missing in an avalanche. They were inside a hotel that was destroyed by tons of snow and ice, shaken loose by a series of recent earthquakes.
Quartz obsession interlude
Dave Gershgorn on the headphone start-up that wants to put two extra brains in your ears: “Doppler’s software must be able to do a few things within milliseconds: Identify a specific noise, understand the characteristics of that noise, and then alter the noise without distorting it. These ambitions all rely on machine learning, a still-nascent field in which algorithms are taught to find patterns in data.” Read more here.
Quartz markets haiku
As the hours count down
Reality has set in
The Street wants results
Matters of debate
Teen drug use can be slashed with “natural highs.” Iceland’s incredibly successful program offers classes in music, dance, hip hop, art, and martial arts.
A populist strongman can alter the nature of a democracy. History shows that authoritarian leaders bend the rules until they are unrecognizable.
The White House should be run like a corporate board. Half a dozen people around a table should make decisions collectively.
Surprising discoveries
Obama briefly considered minting a $1 trillion coin. Facing a government shutdown, it was one way to pay off the national debt.
Dutch trains run on windmill power. There are 2,200 turbines generating enough electricity to meet the country’s mass transport needs.
One in five people may “hear” flashes of light. Many may not even realizethey are experiencing sensory cross-wiring similar to synesthesia.
Running could actually be good for your knees. The activity stimulates changes in the biochemical environment inside the joint, which could help it work more smoothly.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, $1 trillion coins, and natural highs to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.