Google faces DC, China-US trade reset, hybrid fugu

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. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by 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. Sponsor content by Brightline When it comes to strategy implementation, there’s often a gap between what businesses aim to deliver and their de facto capabilities. In a Twitter poll carried out by Quartz Creative in partnership with the Brightline Initiative, 59% of respondents reported that their companies aren’t able to effectively implement strategy. Reasons for disconnect boil down to three primary pain points, all beginning with "C." [Learn them here.]( 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]( 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](. Message from our Partner Looking for the top stories of the day? The Daily Edition is a quick spin through the most important headlines in news, business, tech, sport, celebrity gossip, and more. [Don't miss a story](. 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. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( If you click a link to an e-commerce site and make a purchase, we may receive a small cut of the revenue, which helps support our ambitious journalism. See [here]( for more information. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.