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Supporters and opponents of the impeachment of president Donald Trump get to hear testimony broadcast and streamed live starting today.  Our library image shows a rally in Times Square in October. Photo: Christopher Penler / Shutterstock 

Taylor and Kent to testify in public

In what Reuters calls “a critical new phase” of the impeachment enquiry, Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, are scheduled to appear today in televised hearings before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. The committee is seeking evidence that president Donald Trump pressured Ukraine into investigating Democrat presidential candidate hopeful Joe Biden. The Washington Post reports that a further six witnesses will be called in the coming week, most of whom have already testified behind closed doors. Trump has said the Democrats are relying on “2nd and 3rd hand” testimony. CNN has “five things to watch for”. Fox News says committee chairman Adam Schiff has warned Republicans no to use the hearings to further what he called “the same sham investigations into the Bidens”.

Alarm as Google collects medical records

Project Nightingale, Google’s project to collect detailed personal health information of up to 50 million people across 21 US states, has caused consternation after the Wall Street Journal (paywall) broke the story. The tech giant partnered with Ascension, a Catholic non-profit that, according to a report by Vice, has facilities that make up America’s second-largest health system. The Guardian has an exclusive from a whistleblower, who says patients are being kept in the dark about the massive deal. Tariq Shaukat, president of industry products and solutions at Google Cloud, wrote in a blog that the deal “adheres to industry-wide regulations” and claims that such digital transformation of the healthcare industry is all about “improving patient outcomes and saving lives.”

Áñez declares herself president of Bolivia

The day after former president Evo Morales landed in Mexico after fleeing the country, Jeanine Áñez has declared herself interim president of Bolivia. She claims that she is next in line under the constitution, according to the BBC. She has also vowed to hold elections soon. But as Aljazeera reports, because members of Morales’s party boycotted the senate, there was a lack of a quorum to formally appoint Áñez.

Dreamers look likely to lose

Conservative judges on the supreme courts look set to support president Donald Trump’s attempt to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals law that protects the so-called “Dreamers” who entered the United States illegally as children. Reuters says the law currently shields about 660,000 immigrants. The Guardian reports liberal justice Sonia Sotomayor arguing that the administration had failed to explain “that this is not about the law, that this is about our choice to destroy lives”.

No let-up in Hong Kong

Anti-government protesters and police battled throughout Tuesday night in Hong Kong and parts of the city are braced for more paralysis on Wednesday, Reuters reports. In a detailed report on the clashes, the South China Morning Post says that police have said the city has been pushed to the “brink of a total breakdown”.

Chinese e-vehicle firm attracts investors

Chinese start-up Xpeng Motors, which hopes to rival electric vehicle maker Tesla, has raised $400 million from investors as it seeks a larger slice of China’s fast-growing electric vehicle market, CNBC reports.

Tesla chooses Berlin

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Elon Musk has said Berlin will be the site of Tesla’s first European factory. “Everyone knows that German engineering is outstanding and that's part of the reason we are locating our Gigafactory Europe in Germany,” Musk reportedly told an audience at an awards ceremony on Tuesday.

FTSE 100 firms face gender equality challenge

The Guardian reports that the Hampton-Alexander review, commissioned by the UK government, has concluded that one in every two FTSE 100 executive appointments over the next year will have to go to a woman if the UK wants to meet 2020 gender equality targets.

French students protest

Students in Lyon, Paris and Lille marched in solidarity on Tuesday with a 22-year old who attempted suicide by self-immolation last week, the BBC reports. Students claim they experience a precarious life of financial struggle.

Why babies hiccup

A scientific study led by University College London has found that hiccupping triggers a large wave of brain signals in babies that could aid their development, CNN reports. The brain activity might help babies “learn how to monitor the breathing muscles” the study's senior author said.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts