NAFTA 2.0, Myanmar in court, smuggled sea cucumbers

House Democrats to unveil impeachment charges against president Trump. Reports say the House judiciary committee is leaning toward at least two: abuse of power for allegedly pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, and obstruction of Congress for preventing aides from testifying in the investigation. The House could vote before Christmas. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today House Democrats to unveil impeachment charges against president Trump. Reports say the House judiciary committee is leaning toward [at least two]( abuse of power for allegedly pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, and obstruction of Congress for preventing aides from testifying in the investigation. The House could vote before Christmas. NAFTA’s makeover is almost complete. Canada’s [deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland]( US trade representative Robert Lighthizer, Jared Kushner, and Mexican officials [meet in in Mexico City]( as the US gets closer to approving the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. It was signed last year but ratification has stalled in Congress. Argentina’s new government takes power. Alberto Fernández, a Peronist aligned with the region’s left, will be sworn in as president. Neighbor Brazil is [only sending its vice president]( with right-wing president Jair Bolsanaro saying Argentina “[chose poorly]( in October’s election. Michael Bloomberg speaks at UN Climate conference. Three weeks after announcing his Democratic candidacy for president, the New York billionaire will appear in Madrid to defend the fight against climate change. [It is rare]( for a candidate to appear on the international stage before winning a party’s nomination. Sponsor content by Refinitiv Here are the proposed coal power plants China is bankrolling around the world. This data visualization shows how coal’s future is almost entirely financed by China. If these 60 proposed plants get built in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, they’ll emit as much CO2 as all of Spain. But that future isn’t set in stone. Investors can promote sustainable development on President Xi Jinping’s New Silk Road with green bonds. [Make an impact with our coal database.]( While you were sleeping Gambia’s case against Myanmar for the Rohingya genocide kicked off in The Hague. The lawsuit was filed last month at the International Court of Justice. During [the three-day trial]( Myanmar’s de facto prime minister, Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi [will defend]( her government’s actions against the Muslim Rohingya minority. Ukraine and Russia reached a ceasefire after five years of fighting. Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin [met in Paris]( and agreed to exchange “conflict-related detainees” by the end of the year, and for military forces to disengage in three regions by March. Sydney remained blanketed in smoke from bushfires. [Air pollution levels]( in parts of the city are 11 times higher than the threshold deemed hazardous. Australia has [more hotspots]( than any other country. A Chilean plane disappeared en route to the Antarctic. A military aircraft carrying 38 people and heading to an air base on King George Island [went missing in the Drake Passage]( known for its turbulent weather. Six were shot dead in a Czech hospital. The attack, in a hospital waiting room in the northeastern city of Ostrava, happened at close range, Prime Minister Andrej Babis told local television. Police [stepped up patrols]( at schools, shopping centres and other hospitals. Quartz membership [Sign up]( for your free membership trial. Is Ant Financial still worth $150 billion? It’s been more than a year since the Chinese giant became the world’s most valuable fintech, its valuation double that of Goldman Sachs. But a lot has changed since then. The China-US trade war has escalated and tariffs worth more than $600 billion have been slapped on goods. It’s a difficult environment, even for a company like Ant. [Jane Li finds out]( how it’s doing in [this week’s field guide]( which looks beyond the fintech hype. Quartz obsession We’re pretty lousy at predicting the future. Blame psychology, evolution, or the complexity of the data, but the truth is that we mostly get in our own way. By harnessing the wisdom of the crowd—or the brute force of supercomputers—we can get a little closer to the mark. [Find out what happens next with the Quartz Obsession](. Matters of debate A high turnover of CEOs signifies an economic boom. The employment rate for business leaders is [the opposite of ordinary employees](. Slavery extended beyond the elite. The [earliest known image of enslaved African Americans]( with cotton was taken on a relatively modest homestead. Boys need dolls. Parents should [subvert gender expectations]( and encourage their sons to care for others. Surprising discoveries Over 15 years the best performing currencies are… Thailand’s baht and Israel’s shekel. They’ve consistently [strengthened against the dollar](. Calcutta was once an anti-pollution pioneer. A century ago, its air was “[cleaner than any major European industrial city]( TikTok is promoting wholesome hashtags in India. It’s trying to clean up its act after the authorities [banned the app]( there for allegedly spreading child porn. Sea cucumber smuggling is a serious problem. US officials found 46 of the protected species—a Chinese delicacy—in the bag of a man who was [crossing the southern border](. Dance can treat depression. Our bodies are [deeply interconnected]( with our minds. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, anti-pollution tips, and dance moves 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 brought to you by Jenny Anderson and Rashmee Roshan Lall. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to advertise in the Quartz Daily Brief? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.