Good morning, Quartz readers!
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Donald Trump launched a crypto company. The man who once called digital currencies a scam now says “I have to do it.”
Women are making big gains in America’s C-suites. A McKinsey report says that outside that stratum, however, there’s been less progress.
Autopilot lets drivers goof off behind the wheel. A study suggests that people get more comfortable with the tech — possibly too comfortable — the longer they use it.
Michael Kors said it’s too hard selling purses for monopolies to happen. The designer wants a judge to let his company get rolled up into a fashion behemoth.
Ozempic will likely get cheaper for millions on Medicare. A Novo Nordisk exec said the company expects the drug to be part of government drug price negotiations next year.
TikTok teachers are splurging on cool classrooms
The latest wave of TikTok influencers in the décor space are… teachers! Some are spending as much as $1,000 to create comfortable, stylish learning environments for their students.
Usually, the big back-to-school content crush centers around college students doing it big with their dorm room quasi-renovations, but now grade-school is getting more of the attention.
Quartz’s Madeline Fitzgerald dives into the classroom-decorating trend and explains what makes teachers so eager to join it.
Amazon’s RTO plans are inspiring mass grumpiness
The tech giant just said it’s requiring all of its central staff to start coming into its offices five days a week in the name of face time and culture-building.
But the staffers are really unhappy about that! Some are even grumbling about seeking out performance improvement plans so they can bail with a settlement rather than lose their remote work options.
Quartz’s Ben Kesslen digs through the return-to-office mandate backlash and all of the grouchy things that Amazon workers are saying about the change.
MORE FROM QUARTZ
🧑🚀 The first space-walking billionaire says it was really hard
🛒 Sam’s Club is giving raises to 100,000 workers to help retain them
☕ Starbucks is making another big executive change after its CEO shakeup
💊 A drug company is suing the FTC for criticizing its control of the drug market
📷 Instagram is making change to teen accounts
🏠 The states where rent burdens are going up — and down
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
Covering the Trump campaign is a word-coiningly bizarre exercise. A media critic uses “sanewashing” to describe the Republican’s norm-breaking center of gravity.
Pizza Hut wants to help you bribe your way to a new job. The company is rolling out the option to let a pizza box double as a resume.
Earth used to be a much more fabulous planet. Scientists believe that the third rock from the sun used to have rings.
Snapchat is doing some reflection regarding AI. The social media platform wants to combine the tech with your selfies to sell ads that target you and feature you.
India’s wedding market is worth $130 billion. Half of the spending on the lavish events goes toward jewelry (paywall).
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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, anti-RTO missives, and resume delivery gambits to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Melvin Backman and Morgan Haefner.