Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Theresa May goes to the White House. Or rather, ”Teresa” May is making a state visit, as the misspelled official memo dubbed the British prime minister. The quiet and reserved May noted that “sometimes opposites attract” ahead of her meeting with Donald Trump in DC today. They’ll discuss trade, foreign policy, and security before holding a joint press conference that could get awkward.
The US releases economic data. The commerce department will share its first reading (paywall) of GDP for the fourth quarter of 2016. Analysts expect growth of 2.2% for the quarter and 2% for the full year—good, but not great.
Trump calls Vladimir Putin… Their first conversation since Trump entered the White House is scheduled for Saturday, and will be scrutinized for signs of how the two might improve relations, and for hints on whether Trump favors rolling back sanctions against Russia.
… and Angela Merkel might call Trump. Sources told Reuters that the German chancellor is planning to speak with the US president on Saturday as well, and that she wants to talk about Russia.
While you were sleeping
The world’s biggest annual migration got underway. Millions of Chinese boarded planes, trains, cars, and boats on Friday to go to home and celebrate the week-long Lunar New Year (paywall) holiday with their families. Beijing urged residents not to set off fireworks due to smog concerns. The official start to the Year of the Rooster is Jan. 28.
Tesco beefed up. The UK’s largest supermarket bought Booker, the country’s biggest wholesaler and convenience-store operator, for £3.7 billion ($4.6 billion). If it gets regulatory approval, the merger will help Tesco fight off discount chains like Aldi and Lidl, which have steadily taken market share from the group.
Syrian negotiations were postponed. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the UN-hosted talks, scheduled for Feb. 8, won’t happen until the end of the month, but gave no reason. Trump said this week he will “absolutely do safe zones in Syria,” but provided no further details.
Cost-cutting paid off at UBS. While the Swiss bank’s forth-quarter profit fell from 949 million Swiss francs ($949 million) last year to 738 million this year, slashing costs and an improvement at its US wealth management unit (paywall) helped it beat expectations. And the results would have been even better if not for pesky litigation costs.
Australia’s wine industry had a vintage year. The value of the country’s wine exports rose by 7% last year, driven by China’s thirst for its grapes—exports to China jumped by 40%.
Quartz obsession interlude
Aamna Mohdin on the European far-right leaders who want to make Europe great again: “With crucial elections in France, the Netherlands, and Germany this year, Trump’s victory has given these far-right leaders hope for a united strategy to inflict Trump-like devastation on European political elites.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
A ban on Syrian refugees risks losing the war on terror. It will fuel European anti-immigrant movements and boost recruitment for jihadist groups.
Trump’s trade policy was debunked more than 200 years ago. Adam Smith long ago showed that mercantilism doesn’t work.
Neuroscience has the solution to the opioid epidemic. Researchers are trying to disconnect pain relief from addiction.
Surprising discoveries
Your hotel thermostat is a lie. To save money on electricity, hoteliers often override the settings (paywall).
Finland’s famous “baby boxes” are coming to America. They’re filled with infant gear, educational materials, and double as cribs.
Fake Trump tweets are a Chinese internet sensation. More than a million have been created in the past four days.
Scientists made metallic hydrogen by cramming gas between diamonds. Strange things happen when super-cold atoms get intimate.
McDonald’s is launching a Big Mac vending machine. Welcome to the dystopian roboburger future.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, “Wealth of Nations” quotes, and Nordic baby supplies to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our app for iPhone and Android.