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What to watch for today
The EU and US trade chiefs confer. Tensions between Washington and Brussels remain high in the wake of threats from US president Donald Trump to tax European goods, most recently over France’s digital services tax.
Jeff Bezos schmoozes with Bollywood elite. After pledging $1 billion to digitize India’s small businesses, the Amazon CEO continues his charm offensive by clinking glasses with Bollywood A-listers at a swanky Mumbai hotel. It won’t stop the investigation into Amazon India’s alleged antitrust violations though.
Michael Bloomberg pitches Silicon Valley. At a private reception in a San Francisco gallery, the billionaire US presidential candidate will seek the support of the tech wealthy for his 2020 run—seen by most political analysts as a very long shot.
While you were sleeping
The US House delivered impeachment articles to the Senate. House speaker Nancy Pelosi also announced the seven lawmakers who will prosecute the case against president Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the Senate plans to vote on whether to subpoena witnesses for the trial, which is expected to begin next Tuesday.
China and the US signed a “phase one” trade deal. The agreement rolls back some tariffs and increases China’s purchases of US goods and services. Analysts don’t expect the deal to fundamentally improve their trade relationship.
Singapore’s fake news law went to court. The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, which has been used mainly against opposition figures since it took effect in October, has been criticized for being a thinly veiled censorship tool. A judge declined to move the proceedings to open court.
Toyota invested in flying taxis. The automaker gave nearly $400 million to Joby, a California-based start-up that’s researching light aircraft with vertical take-off abilities for future short-distance air commutes. The deal will have Toyota sharing technology and production expertise as well as its cash.
Quartz membership
After several high-profile accounting failures, British regulators are debating how to best rein in the industry’s major firms. And they’re considering a drastic step: breaking them up by separating their consulting businesses from their auditing.
Quartz daily obsession
Let it snow… and marvel at the shape of snowflakes. The snow crystals are one of our early introductions to the complex patterns of the world that continue to puzzle and dazzle scientists, mathematicians, and creatives—from the CGI snow in Disney’s Frozen to artificial flakes at the Olympics to predicting deadly avalanches. The Quartz Daily Obsession hopes you catch its drift.
Matters of debate
Forget celebrity chefs, we need celebrity waiters. Front-of-house staff is just as important to a restaurant’s success.
Airlines must bear the costs of becoming carbon neutral. More efficient planes and better routes can only do so much.
Philosophy is the new self-help. The writings of Nietzsche and Seneca are being mined for lessons about what you can and can’t control.
Surprising discoveries
Navy SEALs bought 450 counterfeit radio antennas. The “US-made” equipment actually came from China.
The US finally ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (sort of). It took 100 years to get the required 38 states to approve it, but it might be too late.
Spotify introduced a playlist for dogs left home alone. There’s also a pup-friendly podcast to help ease Fido’s separation anxiety.
Turkey’s greatest soccer player is now a US cabbie. Hakan Sukur, now 48, says political problems at home have forced him into exile.
Livers can now last a week outside the body. A new robot can keep the organ alive for far longer than the 24 hours it can survive on ice.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, celebrity waiter stories, and independent livers 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 Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.