Border emergency vote, Manafort’s remorse, vein blueprints

Congress votes to undo Donald Trump’s border wall emergency declaration… The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives is expected to easily pass a measure that would block the US president’s access to $5.7 billion in spending for his long-promised border wall. The prospects of passage in the Senate are more difficult, though Democrats would only need to win over two more Republican votes. [Quartz Daily Brief: America]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Congress votes to undo Donald Trump’s border wall emergency declaration… The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives is expected to easily pass a measure that would [block the US president’s access to $5.7 billion in spending]( for his long-promised border wall. The prospects of passage in the Senate are more difficult, though Democrats would only need to win over two more Republican votes. … while Trump’s ex-lawyer testifies to Congress. Michael Cohen faces three days of grilling by lawmakers, beginning with a [closed-door session]( in front of the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee today. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cohen is expected to [accuse Trump]( (paywall) of criminal conduct while in office during public testimony Wednesday. Hanoi prepares to host US-North Korea talks. Trump flies in tonight on Air Force One for a two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who [arrived in the Vietnamese capital]( this morning after [taking the scenic route]( via armored train and limousine. A Brexit update from Theresa May. The British prime minister will [brief the House of Commons]( after returning from a meeting of EU leaders. Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn last night [bowed to pressure from his party]( and said he would back another referendum if lawmakers vote down May’s latest attempt to secure parliamentary approval for her Brexit deal. The UN Security Council meets on Venezuela. The US requested the meeting following [weekend violence]( which left several dead at the Venezuela-Brazil border. Washington has [slapped fresh sanctions]( on Venezuelan officials and urged Latin American allies to freeze the assets of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA. The Trump administration, along with about 50 countries, back opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s quest to replace strongman Nicolás Maduro. Sponsor content by Columbia Business School Learn how to lead an agile organization. In this three-day program, you’ll improve your ability to make hard-to-reverse choices with confidence, maneuver through uncertainty, and inspire others to join you in taking strategic risks. [Learn more](. While you were sleeping Paul Manafort pleads for leniency. Lawyers of Trump’s former campaign chairman [asked a federal judge]( to not impose the maximum 10-year sentence on charges of conspiracy against the US and obstruction of justice, citing health concerns and remorse. The request comes after special counsel Robert Mueller’s Saturday filing said Manafort “repeatedly and brazenly” broke the law. He also faces up to 25 years in jail for a separate case in Virginia for financial crimes. The SEC asked a judge to hold Elon Musk in contempt. The US Securities and Exchange Commission said the Tesla CEO’s [tweet]( last week about his company’s projected production was inaccurate and [violated a settlement deal]( reached last year. Musk is supposed to get public statements material to investors vetted by company officials in advance. Carmaker PSA had a “historic year.” The French multinational behind Citroen and Peugeot posted a [nearly 50% rise]( in net profits last year, earning a record $3.21 billion. The automaker, Europe’s second-largest, also announced it would end its [30-year absence in North America]( (paywall) as it looks to diversify its customer base. An Australian cardinal was found guilty of child sexual abuse. Vatican treasurer George Pell was [convicted of molesting two choir boys in the 1990s](. He is the highest-ranking Roman Catholic leader ever found guilty of sexual abuse. The sealed verdict by an Australian court in December was made public today, on the heels of a [Vatican conference]( (paywall) on clerical sexual abuse. He’ll be sentenced tomorrow. India carried out an airstrike in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. An Indian minister said that fighter jets had [conducted a strike]( on targets across the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing the disputed region. The raid comes after an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed more than 40 security personnel. The Pakistan military said there were no casualties. Quartz Obsession 536 AD. Did Twitter convince you that 2018 was the worst year ever? Maybe that’s because social media wasn’t around in 536. That’s the year that a volcanic eruption kicked off the Little (but not that little) Ice Age. Then came two more eruptions, a bubonic plague pandemic, falling empires, and more. [Look back at the Quartz Obsession.]( Membership We continue our examination of recessions by talking to Claudio Borio, the head of research at the Bank of International Settlements (aka the “central bankers’ central bank”). Back in 2004, Borio [raised serious concerns]( about the housing market, long before most people sensed a crisis was looming. Tuesday is also Private Key day: Matt de Silva interviews Doug Galen, a Stanford lecturer and [co-founder of RippleWorks]( a crypto-financed tech foundation. Matters of debate [Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!]( Chinese footbinding was about work, not sex. The archaic practice became a way to control [women’s labor](. Closing the mobile phone gender gap is a huge opportunity. An uptick in smartphone use among women in low and middle-income countries could be a [$700 billion opportunity](. Concrete is the world’s most destructive material. The heavy, durable substance is the second most widely material on Earth after water, and poses [enormous environmental dangers](. Message from our Partner Should you trust the 5-second rule? Is your brain hard-wired to do certain things? Curiosity.com is demystifying [10 of the most-Googled scientific misconceptions]( — some of which you almost certainly believe. Surprising discoveries China is using facial recognition on pigs. Local tech firms are helping [keep track of livestock]( (paywall) to prevent a swine-flu epidemic. Vietnam deported a Kim Jong Un impersonator. The Australian comedian named [Howard X]( was in Hanoi ahead of the Trump-Kim summit. Earth’s atmosphere is bigger than we thought. Our planet’s gaseous layer may actually extend [far past the moon](. Female serial killers have their own particular MO. Women, often well-educated caregivers, tend to [kill acquaintances or people they see every day](. The veins in your hand can unlock a smartphone. LG’s new [“Hand ID” technology]( can read the unique blueprint under your palm. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Kim Jong Un impressions, and tales of terrible years 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](.