Welcome to Axis ProRata, where we take just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech, business, and politics.

Brought to you by Facebook. I'm Danper Mac. On today's show, Amazon Shirk's responsibility on facial recognition and growing oil demand that has nothing to do with gas.

But first, impeachment. Okay, so this is a topic I have worked pretty hard to avoid on the podcast, mainly because it's

often seemed like little more than a partisan fever dream that gets more attention on cable

news than in the actual halls of Congress.

But that is beginning to change, particularly as the White House keeps thumbing its nose

at congressional subpoenas, plus

President Trump's comments last week that seem to invite foreign interference in U.S.

elections. Simply put, the prospect of impeachment, or at least impeachment hearings, is realer

today than at any other time in the Trump presidency, and no one quite knows how it would all

play out. In fact, the only certainty is that it would create a lot more uncertainty,

not only for politicians, but for U.S. and global businesses,

which are already trying to navigate trade tweets

and other geopolitical disputes that seemingly come out of thin air.

And that uncertainty is being created not even so much by Trump's actions,

but really because the Democrats themselves

can't decide what to do. There are only around 60 Democrats in the House who are publicly on board

with impeachment proceedings, including only around one-third of the freshmen. It does keep growing.

That number, it gets larger almost by the week, but so far hasn't been nearly enough for Speaker

Pelosi to flip the switch,

which either is political realism or political cowardice, depending on your point of view.

The bottom line, a modern Congress has never tried to impeach a sitting president who is running

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