Tuesday, Jan 28, 2020 | View in browser

Good morning.

We’re covering the effect that John Bolton’s coming memoir is having on the impeachment trial and the frustrations of people of color who work for Pete Buttigieg’s campaign. We’re also looking ahead to the unveiling of President Trump’s long-awaited peace plan for the Middle East.

By Chris Stanford

President Trump’s lawyers wrap up

The defense is expected to complete its presentation at the impeachment trial today, including a strong argument against calling witnesses who could shed more light on the president’s actions. Here’s what to expect when the proceedings resume around 1 p.m. Eastern.

On Monday, a handful of Republicans, including Senator Mitt Romney, appeared to be moving closer to joining Democrats in voting to subpoena John Bolton, the former national security adviser whose upcoming book corroborates a central piece of the case against Mr. Trump.

The president’s lawyers largely ignored Mr. Bolton’s book, saying the investigations of political rivals that Mr. Trump encouraged Ukraine to pursue were an effort to root out corruption and not tied to U.S. aid.

What’s next: A 16-hour question-and-answer session begins once Mr. Trump’s team concludes. The Senate will also vote this week on whether to call witnesses.

Go deeper: In his book, Mr. Bolton says that he and Attorney General William Barr were concerned by Mr. Trump’s seeming embrace of authoritarian leaders, including those of China and Turkey.

The Daily: Today’s episode is about Mr. Bolton’s revelations.

Another angle: “Hamilton” fans might recognize the title of Mr. Bolton’s memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” which is nearly the same as a song title from the Broadway hit.

Workers at a hotel in Wuhan, China, exercised during a staff briefing today about new safety procedures during the coronavirus outbreak. Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Coronavirus infections skyrocket in China

Confirmed cases of a mysterious respiratory illness increased nearly 60 percent overnight to more than 4,500, the Chinese health authorities said today. At least 106 people have died. Here are the latest updates.

U.S. health officials have recommended avoiding all nonessential trips to China. We have tips for travelers.

Hong Kong’s top official said today that the city would limit the number of visitors from mainland China in an effort to control the spread.

Related: The outbreak has provoked alarm that the global economy may be in for a shock. Markets in Asia that aren’t closed for the Lunar New Year holiday fell today, but stocks in Europe were steady.

Another angle: The Chinese government has faced growing public anger over its management of the crisis. The mayor of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, said on Monday that he was prepared to resign, although the offer wasn’t immediately acted upon.

Investigators on Monday at the scene of the crash in Calabasas, Calif., that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Kobe Bryant’s helicopter flew into dense fog

Investigators in the crash that killed the former N.B.A. star haven’t ruled anything out, but the hillsides around the flight’s destination near Los Angeles were enveloped in a nearly blinding fog at the time.

The helicopter was not carrying a cockpit voice recorder, and federal officials aren’t expected to reach a conclusion about the cause of the accident for months.

The details: Mr. Bryant was traveling to a youth basketball tournament with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who was also killed in Sunday’s crash. Two of her teammates and their parents also died. Here’s what we know about the victims.

Go deeper: Mr. Bryant’s two-decade career coincided with the N.B.A.’s international expansion, in which he played an important role.

Closer look: Our sports columnist Michael Powell remembers the player known as “Black Mamba” as “a confounding and intriguing star, complicated and intelligent and self-aware and nasty, and accepting of all of that in himself.”

Another angle: A 2003 rape accusation changed how many saw Mr. Bryant, but not the trajectory of his career.

Why Iowa is so crucial

The state’s caucuses, which are less than a week away, are an important part of the presidential election cycle, but it hasn’t always been that way.

Protests in the 1960s, a mimeograph machine and a long-shot candidate all contributed to Iowa’s unlikely role. Our video explains.

The caucuses are the start of a four-month period that will determine the parties’ presidential nominees. We answered some common questions about the process (including “Are we going to be O.K.?”).

Another angle: As Pete Buttigieg has struggled to attract the support of minority voters, people of color spoke to The Times about their frustrations working for his campaign.

Go deeper: Dayton, Ohio, used to vote Democratic. As its economy soured, blue-collar workers turned to Republicans, a pattern that’s repeating nationwide.

For you: The Times is introducing a morning edition of the On Politics newsletter, full of news, insights and analysis from our reporters around the country. Sign up and get an inside look at the 2020 campaign.

If you have 10 minutes, this is worth it

When friends share your life online

Timothy Robinson

Nora Ephron once said, “Everything is copy.” In 2020, the more apt phrasing might be, “Everything is content.”

More and more people are turning their personal lives into social media careers. But what happens when their friends don’t want to be part of the oversharing? It might be the big question of the influencer era.

Here’s what else is happening

Middle East peace plan: A proposal set to be released today by President Trump would give Israel sovereignty over much of the Jordan Valley, a strategic area on the eastern edge of the West Bank. Palestinian leaders are unlikely to support that or other elements of the plan.

A plea to remember: At a ceremony for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, survivors expressed a fear that what happened at the Nazi death camp was being forgotten.

Climate change considerations: New Jersey will become the first state to require builders to account for climate change, including rising sea levels, to win government approval for projects.

The burden of paperwork: Do you make the kinds of mistakes that can cost poor families food or health insurance? Take our quiz.

Erik Freeland for The New York Times

Snapshot: Above, Everglades National Park. Our Travel section explored the threats to Florida’s “river of grass,” where a $4 billion restoration plan has lagged.

Late-night comedy: John Bolton was on the minds of many of the hosts, including James Corden: “This just goes to show you that sometimes political figures will have the moral courage to go against their party as long as it’s perfectly timed with the release of a book.”

What we’re reading: This piece on Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Netflix series, “The Goop Lab.” Our television critic James Poniewozik calls it a “great debut” for The New Yorker’s new TV critic, Doreen St. Félix.

Now, a break from the news

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Cook: A quick Italian soup with turkey meatballs is flavor-packed.

Listen: At the Grammy Awards, Billie Eilish won big, Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. made a glorious mess, and the show faced the challenge of responding to Kobe Bryant’s death. Here’s our roundup of the best and worst moments.

See: The fifth annual BroadwayCon over the weekend was a haven for passionate musical theater fans. Some arrived in full costume.

Smarter Living: Because small luxuries are sometimes the most essential, we have a guide to bathmats.

And now for the Back Story on …

Halting the Great Plague

For some British readers, news of travel restrictions intended to stop the spread of a deadly virus in central China might have brought to mind a somewhat incongruous image: a village in the English Peak District, where the wells are decorated with flowers each summer.

This village, Eyam, became a symbol of self-sacrifice because of its role in England’s last major outbreak of bubonic plague, in 1665.

That autumn, plague-bearing fleas arrived in Eyam in a bale of cloth from London. As deaths began to mount, the rector of the village church, William Mompesson, gathered the villagers and asked them to quarantine themselves to stop the infection from spreading.

A cottage in the Derbyshire town of Eyam, famous for isolating itself to stop the spread of the plague. Print Collector/Getty Images

Further encouraged by the previous rector, Thomas Stanley, the villagers agreed, and stuck by their agreement, even as whole families died. (Mr. Mompesson survived, apparently against his expectations, but his wife, Catherine, did not.)

When the outbreak ended the following November, 260 people in Eyam had died — by many accounts, that was more than half of the population.

But the lives they saved, in villages and larger towns nearby, almost certainly numbered in the thousands.

A correction: The Morning Briefing of Friday, Jan. 17, using information from the Tolkien Society, misstated the date of the death of Christopher Tolkien, the son of the writer J.R.R. Tolkien. He died on Thursday, Jan. 16, not Wednesday, Jan. 15.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Chris

Thank you
Lin-Manuel Miranda provided this morning’s soundtrack, while Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. Peter Robins, an editor in our London newsroom who grew up about 40 miles from Eyam, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about the ripple effects of John Bolton’s coming book.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: What causes Pinocchio’s nose to grow (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• The Research & Development team at The Times is working in collaboration with IBM on the News Provenance Project, whose aim is to diminish the spread of misinformation.