Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Novo Nordisk stock nosedived as Wegovy and Ozempic sales disappointed. The Danish pharma giant reported second quarter earnings that missed Wall Street’s predictions.
Boeing said 737 Max door plugs won’t be lost as easily. The planemaker provided the update at a government hearing as part of its ongoing safety investigation.
U.S. mortgage rates fell to their lowest point in over a year. The drop has led to a sharp rise in refinancing applications.
The future of Google search could lie in Microsoft’s 1998 antitrust case. The 2001 settlement of the case marked the decline of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.
Reddit stock tanked despite revenue and user gains. That could be because of a muddled advertising outlook and a post-IPO lockup period that ends Friday.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order on a weedkiller over risks to unborn babies. The pesticide is associated with low birth weight and impaired brain development.
Democrats hauled in $41 million on Walz
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s choice to bring on Tim Walz as her running mate got her party doling out cash.
So much so that Act Blue, a Democratic fundraising platform, pulled in over $41.3 million on Tuesday after the Minnesota governor was picked to join Harris on the ballot this fall. The boost is the highest for the party since $67 million was raised after U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.
As it stands, between January 2023 and June 2024, the now Harris-Walz campaign has raised $284.1 million, while former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance have pulled in $217.2 million. Quartz’s William Gavin has more on the spike in funds.
California’s got some new Michelin star restaurants
Residents of the Golden State may soon struggle to snag dinner reservations as the 2024 Michelin Guide California awarded stars to several new restaurants.
Quartz’s Madeline Fitzgerald has more on which notable new additions made the list, which slightly dropped, and why, at least this year, no one has claimed the coveted three stars.
More from Quartz
🛩️ Air Canada says the Paris Games are a fiscal drag
🛒 Instacart’s getting a big boost from grocery delivery
🍟 McDonald’s is dropping a ‘collector’s meal’ with throwback toys for adults
🏘️ Airbnb is struggling as Americans lose interest in short term rentals
❤️🩹 CVS is breaking up with its insurance head and speeding up its AI plans
🚘 Rivian’s ‘defining’ second quarter tanks the stock after net losses widened
🍎 Apple’s AI is a far cry from Tim Cook’s goal
🗣️ Microsoft is also clapping back at Delta on the CrowdStrike outage conundrum
Surprising discoveries
Mayonnaise is stirring up nuclear fusion breakthroughs. The sandwich spread is being used by researchers in their quest to discover a clean, limitless source of energy.
One balloon led to a boil water advisory in New Orleans. The party decoration hit a power line and caused a brief water outage at a water treatment plant.
An attempted Taylor Swift takedown derailed. Two men were busted in Vienna for allegedly plotting attacks on major events, including an upcoming show of the pop star.
Carvings at a Turkish site might illustrate the rise of early civilization. The carvings may even be a link to the world’s oldest solar calendar.
Millennials and Gen X are more likely to develop 17 types of cancer than Boomers are. The two generations are at a higher risk of facing leukemia, breast cancer, and gastric cancer.
Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week’s news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. Become a member or give membership as a gift!
Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, mayonnaise, and balloons to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Francisco Velasquez and Morgan Haefner.