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Here’s what you need to know
Gold is riding a wave of global uncertainty to record highs. The precious metal hit $2,165 a troy ounce in Friday trading, making for its highest close ever (more on that below).
India signed a $100 billion trade deal with four European countries. The agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland aims to create 1 million jobs in India over the next 15 years.
OpenAI reinstated CEO Sam Altman to its board of directors. The ChatGPT owner made the announcement Friday after an external review of the events that led to his firing and rehiring last November.
Aramco made a $121 billion profit last year. The Saudi oil giant’s bottom line was lower than the record it hit in 2022 as energy prices dropped, but it’s still its second-highest earnings ever.
Oppenheimer won a lot of Oscars, including Best Picture. Barbie did not. The other big rivalry last night was between indie films (winning) and streamers (losing).
The race to make the next Ozempic
Surging demand for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound medications have created a weight loss drug duopoly. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly currently dominate the market, but others want a slice of the success the two pharmaceutical companies are basking in.
Drugmakers are racing to develop their own weight loss competitors. We’ve rounded up six new drugs that companies are working on right now.
Gold prices are coasting on fear
Gold is weird. You can’t really do much with it, and it’s not the kind of commodity that’s top-of-mind for many industries. But it’s shiny! And people have dug shiny stuff for centuries.
Gold has come to serve as a sort of last-resort investment the world over. Fears about the strength and sovereignty of your country’s currency? Gold. Having a hard time getting rich using your country’s financial system? Gold. Facebook ads making a convincing case for a spot in your retirement portfolio? Gold.
Here are the fears that are fueling this latest uptick.
One big number: 60%
Share of bonuses for Boeing employees that will be tied to safety and quality metrics.
In light of everything that’s been going on in its commercial aviation division, the aircraft manufacturer is shifting the driver of bonuses for those workers from financial considerations to safety ones — and it could solve a couple problems.
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Surprising discoveries
The number of inventors that are women is growing. Data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that growth was highest in chemistry inventions.
A new star is about to drop. T Coronae Borealis will shine bright in the sky for about a week then fade back into darkness for another 80 years.
And a distant planet is about to boil over. An exoplanet in deep space could be covered completely by an ocean that’s as hot as 100°C (212°F).
SpaceX photobombed the Moon. The person who captured the moment won the top prize in Sony’s World Photography Awards 2024.
ChatGPT is pretty good at recommending birthday presents. It’s just one of the things you can actually use the AI text generator for in your daily life.
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Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, star watching parties, and noodles to boil on the hot planet to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Melvin Backman, Susan Howson, and Morgan Haefner.