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A proposal for peace?

QuickTake Tonight
Bloomberg

Greetings, QuickTake readers! In this edition: A spike in coronavirus cases, a twist for impeachment witnesses, and NASA's plan to grow the economy in low-Earth orbit.

Trump unveils Mideast peace plan

President Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, with both touting the two-state proposal as a "win-win" for Israel and Palestine. Trump said it offered a "contiguous" territory for a Palestinian state, including the "rejection of terrorism," and promised $50 billion to build it up. Skirting complaints that Palestinians didn't take part in drafting the plan, Trump tweeted a map that outlined the territory with a capital in East Jerusalem, leaving Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital." Reactions to the plan were critical with analysts predicting swift rejection and even an escalation of tensions in the region.

More:

  • After the event, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbassaid "we say 'no,' anda thousand times 'no"' to the Trump vision.
  • Thousands of Palestinians protested in Gaza City ahead of the announcement, chanting, "Palestine is ours, it is not for sale."
  • The joint news conference came just hours after Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges and shortly before the Senate impeachment trial was gaveled back in session.

$ignificant figures

25. How many more deaths from coronavirus China's Hubei province reported Wednesday, bringing the total to at least 132 in the outbreak that's sickened thousands and disrupted global business and travel.

75%. Three-quarters of U.S. voters support witness testimony in the impeachment trial, said a poll released Tuesday, hours before Mitch McConnell told GOP senators they lacked enough votes to block witnesses from being called.  

7.7-magnitude. A powerful earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Cuba, triggering a tsunami alert and building evacuations from Mexico to Florida.

Highly quotable

"I think we've made our case." White House Counsel Pat Cipollone told senators to "do the right thing" as Trump's legal team wrapped their defense, arguing his actions don't warrant removal from office.

"High-risk vendor." How the U.K. labeled Huawei after the government gave the Chinese tech giant the green light to build parts of its 5G internet network, defying U.S. warnings it could jeopardize intelligence sharing.

"An attempt to immortalize him." More than 2.3 million people signed a petition calling on the NBA to update its 51-year-old logo to feature the likeness of Kobe Bryant following his "untimely and unexpected passing."

This is not normal

Hostile habitat. The Pacific Ocean is so acidic, it's dissolving the shells of Dungeness crabs as the water absorbs more carbon dioxide, causing pH levels to drop so low, it's critically damaging their sensory organs, too.

The future is now

Cosmic enterprise. The ISS is getting its first habitat module to spur economic growth in low-Earth orbit, NASA said of its plans to build a commercial gateway for scientists and tourists visiting for work or pleasure.

What's good

Solidarity. Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, in an update to his iconic Pillar of Shame series, cast a 26-foot sculpture of Hong Kong protesters in their trademark helmets and goggles to support their "fight for democratic life."

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Before you go: The battle between Chick-fil-A and Popeyes for tastiest chicken sandwich has led to a shortage of a key ingredient: little chickens.

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-Andrew Mach

 

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