Hello friends and Fortune readers.
Wall Street stock futures are up nicely this morning, as the European markets rallied to regain some of what they lost yesterday on fears of Deutsche Bank’s liquidity.
Today’s must-read story is by Fortune’s Valentina Zarya on what Twitter is doing to fix its harassment problem. About 27% of women report experiencing hate speech on the social platform.
Here’s what else you need to know.
1. Google car software counts as a driver
Google self-driving cars got a major boost from U.S. vehicle regulators as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google (GOOGL) car could be considered the driver under federal law. That’s a major step toward ultimately winning approval for autonomous vehicles on the roads.
2. Yellen testifies before Congress.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will join the House Financial Services Committee today, kicking off two days of testimony on the Hill. Yellen will deliver the Fed’s semi-annual Monetary Policy Report and respond to lawmakers’ questions. The appearance will be Yellen’s first since December when she held a press release in the wake of the Federal Open Markets Committee’s decision to raise benchmark interest rates.
3. President Obama shops his new budget.
President Barak Obama heads to Springfield, Illinois to talk with local lawmakers about bipartisan cooperation and push his final 2017 budget proposal, which was submitted to Congress Tuesday. The Republican-controlled House and Senate budget committees both refused to hear details of Obama’s plan. The stance is a break with tradition. Usually, the director of the Office of Management and Budget is invited to testify about the administration’s plans.
4. Twitter reports.
Twitter (TWTR) reports its fourth-quarter earnings after the market close today, and investors and Tweeters alike will be watching carefully. Twitter has faced increased scrutiny recently as acquisition rumors swirl and some are even predicting the platform’s downfall. The social media company recently said it would move to an algorithm based stream rather than its first come, first served timeline. Look for more clarity from CEO Jack Dorsey on the change.
5. And Tesla.
Tesla (TSLA) reports its fourth-quarter earnings after the market closes today, as well. The update comes on the heels of a recent few months for the electric car maker. It’s once sky-high share price has slowly but surely come down as investors worry that CEO Elon Musk will be able to deliver a much-promised low-cost electric car that will upend the auto industry. Fortune’s Katie Fehrenbacher takes a look at what else you should watch for in Tesla’s earnings today.
Also reporting today: Whole Foods (WFM), Cisco Systems (CSCO), and Expedia (EXPE).
