US impeachment resolution, end of crypto’s boom, vaccine goals

Plus: China would like to stop being the world’s workshop. [Quartz]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know US House Democrats released their articles of impeachment. The resolution [charges president Donald Trump]( with “inciting an insurrection” and voting is expected by Wednesday. More pro-Trump protests are on the horizon. The FBI has warned against protests [planned in all 50 states]( and Washington DC ahead of president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week. The crypto boom looks to be over. Bitcoin’s [biggest drop since March]( has shaken faith in the resurgence of cryptocurrencies. Parler lost its servers and is suing Amazon. The conservative social media app alleges Amazon [halted its web services]( for anti-competitive and political reasons after failing to moderate its content. BioNtech says its vaccine is effective against new strains. Though if needed, founder Ugur Sahin says mRNA will allow the firm to [develop a new vaccine quickly](. Still, the World Health Organization said herd immunity [won’t happen anytime soon](. The US declared the Houthis of Yemen a terrorist group. While experts say the group poses no direct threat to the US, the measure [could trigger a famine]( the region. Sponsor content by Smartsheet 55% of workers are less productive than they were before Covid-19, according to 451 Research. They’re less engaged, too—and who could blame them? Empower your employees to collaborate, focus, and innovate with Smartsheet, the enterprise platform designed for dynamic work. [Start executing more efficiently](. What to watch for Impeachment, again. The US House of Representatives is headed back to Washington, DC on Tuesday, where they’ll vote to formally encourage vice president Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. If Pence isn’t on board, they’ll vote Wednesday on impeachment. Trump would become the first president in US history to be impeached twice, and though the Dec. 2019 proceedings may seem like yesterday, the situation has changed. Let’s review. - The 25th Constitutional Amendment allows for the [removal of a president]( who is deemed unfit, and it would require cooperation with the vice president and cabinet members. - Impeachment does not mean he’s out. The House will vote to [formally bring charges]( against Trump. It’s the Senate who votes to acquit or convict and remove. - There are consequences beyond just removal. That’s partly the reason the House is pursuing impeachment with so few days left in Trump’s term—the Senate can vote to disqualify him from holding public office in the future. - Plus, it sends a clear message. Lawmakers will need to indicate in no uncertain terms that the kind of behavior Trump encouraged last week is absolutely unacceptable. Charting clothing prices With education and wages on the rise, shrinking its cost advantage, China now wants to focus on higher-end manufacturing, lean on domestic consumption to fuel its economy, and leave the work of cranking out cheap, labor-intensive goods to others. [A chart showing clothing prices staying flat or decreasing as the prices of other consumer goods have increased.] If others step in to [take China’s place]( as the world’s workshop, it could result in higher prices on clothes and footwear. “We’ve gotten used to very low prices in these goods, and I don’t know if we fully appreciate how much the price of these goods relative to other goods has declined over the past 20 years,” says Gordon Hanson, a professor of economics at the Harvard Kennedy School. “Fast fashion is a consequence of China’s rise.” Who’s doing vaccines right? The speed of Covid-19 vaccine development may be a miracle of modern medicine, but the rollouts seem to have fallen victim to good old-fashioned logistical hurdles. Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all seem to have the process figured out. [What are they doing]( that the rest of the world isn’t? For starters… 🗺 They’re small. No sprawling distances to travel while keeping vaccines at -70 to -80°C. 🏥 They’ve got universal healthcare. Centralized and digitized data mean citizens can access an app or call a hotline and receive an immediate appointment for a jab if they are eligible. 🗣They’re not skeptical. Communication around the vaccines’ safety and efficacy has been clear and convincing. ✦You know what you’re doing right? Trying out a Quartz membership [free for seven days.]( work. Quartz announcement How can Quartz make research more useful? From whitepapers to trend forecasts, we want to know how our users consume research, and how we can make that process better. [Take our 2 minute survey]( and help us help you. Surprising discoveries A mutilated manatee is under investigation. Authorities are looking for information surrounding the appearance of a manatee with “Trump” [etched into its back](. Ben & Jerry’s announced a dog dessert. Owners [can choose between flavors]( like pumpkin with cookies or peanut butter with pretzels. Don’t Pokémon Go and drive. Deaths, injuries, and damages caused by game players [cost at least $2 billion]( nationwide. Lobsters have their own health data monitors. Researchers developed two systems—one adorably called MockLobster—to [pinpoint weak links]( in the supply chain. Robots can show primitive empathy. A robot from Columbia Engineering learned to predict a [partner robot’s actions]( with just a few video frames. SHARE THE DAILY BRIEF Loving the Daily Brief surprising discoveries? 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