Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Google’s CEO goes to Washington. The House Judiciary Committee will question Sundar Pichai on the company’s controversial Chinese search engine, antitrust criticisms, and alleged anti-conservative bias.
Theresa May tries to salvage her Brexit deal. After being forced to call off a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal originally scheduled for today, the UK prime minister will meet German chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte in a desperate bid to get some concessions.
A bail ruling for Huawei’s CFO. A Vancouver court is expected to decide (paywall) on bail conditions for Meng Wanzhou, whose arrest on Dec. 1 has escalated into a major diplomatic spat. Meng has offered to hand in her passport and submit to strict electronic monitoring as she awaits a ruling on whether she will be extradited to the US.
CBS holds an annual meeting amid a probe into its former CEO. A number of groups plan to stage protests outside the network’s headquarters in New York to encourage its board to withhold a $120 million severance package for Les Moonves, who was ousted in September following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
Trump meets with Democrats over a border wall. The US president, who wants $5 billion for his border project folded into a spending bill, will meet with congressional leaders to try avoid a partial government shutdown.
Boeing releases plane order tallies. The world’s largest airplane-maker will release (pdf) its November figures for plane orders and deliveries, an indication of its revenue and manufacturing performance. Deliveries are expected to rise as the company heads towards a year-end rush.
While you were sleeping
China-US trade talks resumed. Chinese vice premier Liu He talked on the phone (paywall) with US Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and trade representative Robert Lighthizer to lay the groundwork for the next round of negotiations. Among the issues discussed were agricultural products, with the resumption of US soybean purchases (paywall) expected soon.
France’s “yellow vests” rebuked Macron’s concessions. The French president, who has already backtracked on a fuel tax hike, last night acknowledged the anger of demonstrators and said he would increase the minimum wage and waive a planned pension tax. Protesters called the offer “a drop in the ocean.”
Google is accelerating the shutdown of its social network. The company announced that 52 million Google+ accounts have been improperly accessed, as it retires the site several months ahead of schedule. Google says that an API bug accidentally exposed names, emails, and job information, but financial data and passwords weren’t accessed.
Daimler goes green. The German automaker said it would buy more than €20 billion ($22.75 billion) in battery cells for electric vehicles by 2030, in preparation for “the electric future of our company.” Mercedes-Benz, its marquee luxury division, plans to release 130 electric and hybrid vehicles by 2022.
The IMF warned of a financial storm. Top official David Lipton said that governments and central banks were not prepared to weather future crises facing the global economy. Brexit, a shrinking of some of the world’s major economies, a plummet in oil prices, and other straining factors have made global conditions shaky—and may push policymakers into “uncharted waters,” Lipton said.
A missing Marine crew was declared dead. The US military said it was ending search operations for six Marines after a fighter jet and refueling plane collided mid-air off Japan’s coast on Thursday (Dec. 6). Two passengers were rescued by Japan’s navy after the crash, but one later died.
Obsession interlude
Scooters are having a moment. And not just the dockless kick scooters creating a buzz in America. In China, India, and Southeast Asia, electric scooters could radically reduce noise and pollution. Even Vespa is going electric. Hop on at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
The arrest of Huawei’s CFO is an overreach of American power. Choosing to handle the issue (paywall) in a highly personal way is likely to further worsen relations with China.
Jack Dorsey missed the point of meditation on his Myanmar retreat. The Twitter CEO’s obsession with quantifying his spiritual progress runs counter to the Buddhist teachings.
Giving selectively to a few charities is better than a fragmented approach. Trying to take on too many needs and problems (paywall) can lead to “compassion fatigue.”
Quartz membership
Beyond the Tesla bubble: The future of electric cars is being written in China, where the government has invested nearly $60 billion to develop a manufacturing and consumer base. This year, the country is expected to sell more than 1 million electric vehicles (EVs), nearly as many as the rest of the world combined. To read more about the other contenders, check out this week’s Field Guide.
Surprising discoveries
Japan’s famously lethal fugu are creating new hybrid species. The pufferfish are breeding with their close cousins, after climate change forced them into new waters.
Nearly a third of US calls are scams, robots, or both. It’s no wonder Americans don’t answer the phone anymore (paywall).
Samsung is also retiring the headphone jack. After mocking Apple’s decision to do so in 2016, the Korean company is now following suit.
Egyptian authorities are investigating a nude photoshoot at the Great Pyramid. They first have to verify whether the video depicting a naked Danish couple scaling the structure is even real.
“Smocking Gun” is trending on Twitter. Like “covfefe” before it, another infamous Trump Twitter typo is captivating social media users.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, pet fugus, and meditation tips to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Adam Rasmi and edited by Jackie Bischof.