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Here’s what you need to know
Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. A New York jury found him guilty in a porn star hush money trial, and his sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
A lawsuit accused Hyundai of using child labor in its Alabama facilities. The U.S. Department of Labor sued the South Korean auto giant, along with a connected staffing agency and supplier, for allegedly employing children under the age of 14.
Toyota’s global sales fell last month, thanks to a slump in China. The world’s largest carmaker reported a 27% decline in China sales last month as its price competition with Chinese carmakers heats up. Separately, Tesla is ready to launch Full Self-Driving in China.
Boeing’s 90-day safety plan failed to unlock more 737 Max production. The Federal Aviation Administration will continue its enhanced oversight of the company and restrict the planes’ production.
The viral “All Eyes on Rafah” post was likely AI-generated. The Instagram Stories post, which depicts rows of tents stretching back into snowy mountains with the words “All Eyes on Rafah” spelled out with white tents in the center of the image, has been shared at least 47 million times.
Internet experts have words about those Google leaks
“We’ve been lied to.”
It’s what search engine optimization (SEO) advisor Erfan Azimi had to say after finding out that Google’s search division may be using data to rank websites in a way that’s at odds with its public statements. Azimi was the internet expert who first reviewed and shared the 2,500 pages of leaked code, which Google confirmed were real to The Verge.
“‘Lied’ is harsh, but it’s the only accurate word to use here,” said fellow SEO expert Mike King.
Other experts emphasized that the documents, which illustrate which data Google Search collects, don’t conclusively show how it’s using that information to score and rank Search results, if at all. Still, it’s validation for many of what they’ve been feeling for a while now.
Inflation is getting to McDonald’s execs
A string of viral social media posts and reports have accused McDonald’s of raising its prices as much as 100%. To that, McDonald’s U.S. president Joe Erlinger said: Hold my Coke.
“For a brand that proudly serves nearly 90% of the U.S. population every year, we feel a responsibility to make sure the real facts are available,” Erlinger said in an open letter on Wednesday disputing those claims. Price hikes are much closer to 40%, he added.
Case in point: In 2019, a Big Mac cost $4.39. Five years later, the burger costs $5.29, about a 21% increase. Fries are up 44% in the same time frame to $3.29 for a medium. Digits aside, the growing sentiment is that customers feel like retailers have pushed prices too hard — and are only going to keep pushing back.
More from Quartz
📉 Inflation could start falling soon, New York Fed chief says
💲 Dollar Tree will bring hundreds of 99 Cents Only stores back from the dead
💸 The IRS is inviting all 50 states to use Direct File for next year’s tax season
💯 Bitcoin ETFs are an ‘astonishing success,’ Goldman Sachs executive says
🗣️ Elon Musk will testify in the SEC probe of his $44 billion Twitter acquisition
😡 American Airlines fired a top executive because he pissed off business flyers
Surprising discoveries
Salesforce stock just had its worst day in 20 years. Ouch.
A man in Europe had a much better day and recovered $3 million in Bitcoin after thinking his password was lost forever. Nice one, Michael!
Babies may babble to warm up for speaking one day. Well, that’s cute.
There’s a new Beatles auction record. John Lennon’s guitar fetched a cool $2.9 million.
Tungsten is Swedish for “heavy stone” (tung = heavy and sten = stone). Some languages, including Swedish, instead refer to the element by its German name, wolfram, which is why its symbol on the periodic table is W. Read more about what the element is used for in the latest Quartz Obsession — and sign up for the email here!
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Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, photographic password memory, and new songs on John Lennon’s guitar to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.