Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US and China finally sign a deal. The two countries are scheduled to sit down and sign off on a “phase one” deal that suspends a plan for more tariffs, and halves an existing levy on certain Chinese imports. Tariffs on $360 billion of Chinese goods will remain on the books.
The House of Representatives moves forward with impeachment. It will vote to send two articles of impeachment to the Senate, and name the people who will lead the prosecution against president Donald Trump. It comes after new materials released by House Democrats provided fresh evidence that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his rival Joe Biden.
The European Parliament condemns the UK’s stance on EU citizens. Parliamentarians are due to back a resolution that expresses “grave concerns” at a UK minister’s threat of deportation, and warns that the lack of clarity could put EU citizens in the UK at risk of discrimination by prospective employers or landlords.
More bank earnings. After JP Morgan announced record profits yesterday, investors have raised their expectations for Goldman Sachs and gobbled up Bank of America stock. BlackRock will also post earnings, fresh off its announcement of a major strategy shift toward sustainable investing, including divesting from coal.
While you were sleeping
US Democrat presidential candidates held their final debate. It was a relatively muted affair as the four candidates in a virtual dead heat in Iowa and New Hampshire were reluctant to throw punches at each other, focusing their attacks instead against Trump. The debate comes weeks before the Iowa caucuses that are crucial for winning the Democratic nomination.
Japan’s environment minister said he would take paternity leave. The decision by 38-year-old Shinjiro Koizumi, a rising star in Japanese politics, was lauded in a country where many men still don’t take parental leave. He is the first sitting cabinet member in the country to do so.
Flybe was rescued. The UK government will work with the troubled domestic airline to restructure a tax debt, while shareholders such as Virgin Atlantic will put more money into it. Flybe connects smaller regional airports around the UK to European destinations.
Human Rights Watch blasted China in its new global report. After the organization’s head was denied entry into Hong Kong on Sunday to launch the report, the findings were presented in New York instead. It condemned China’s treatment of Muslim Uyghurs, and called out Beijing’s efforts to silence critics abroad.
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Matters of debate
Twitter is distorting our sense of mainstream political opinion. Its relatively small and unrepresentative user base has an outsized influence on politics.
Taiwan is a model for universal health care. Its single-payer system is simple, efficient, and costs a fraction of what the US spends.
Open-source code could help us survive natural disasters. Solutions developed by one team can be easily scaled to other communities around the world.
Surprising discoveries
European Android users will see an obscure search engine on their phones. Info.com won a slot in Google’s auction for external search providers for phones in the region.
Hong Kong police used legal acrobatics to crack into phones. They obtained a warrant to search an area in a police station where thousands of confiscated phones were being stored.
Children’s books are the most checked-out books in New York libraries. The top 10 include The Cat in the Hat and Where the Wild Things Are, but also 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.
Ghana is having a “Harlem Renaissance.” An influx of visitors from the African diaspora has kickstarted an important cultural moment.
Shanghai broke up with Prague. The city government suspended official ties with the Czech capital after it signed a sister-city agreement with Taipei instead of Beijing.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, colorful lunch boxes, and Dr. Seuss books to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.