šŸŒ Amazonā€™s strike wave

Plus: People still love Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse

Amazon workers walk the picket line outside an Amazon facility in the City of Industry, California
Amazon workers walk the picket line outside an Amazon facility in the City of Industry, California
Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP (Getty Images)

Good morning, Quartz readers!


HEREā€™S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

An FDA Zepbound ruling is rattling the weight loss industry. Compounding pharmacies now have 60 to 90 days to stop making off-brand versions of the drug.

Seventeen universities have been accused of lowering their standards for rich kids. At one, high school students flagged for their wealth ā€œwould get in almost 100 percent of the time.ā€

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Diners are still obsessed with Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse. Darden Restaurants stock soared after its latest earnings report.

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The Dow bounced back after a historic losing streak. Its rebound came a day after a massive selloff sparked by caution on interest rate cuts.

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Feds say CVS filled a ā€œmassiveā€ amount of invalid opioid prescriptions. The pharma giant denied allegations that it funnelled drugs to so-called ā€œpill mills.ā€


Amazon faces a strike

Amazon faced a wave of picket lines across the nation as a series of strikes launched in the middle of its busy holiday shipping rush. The labor actions were coordinated by The International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

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Picketers targeted the companyā€™s fulfillment centers, where orders are prepared for delivery. ā€œWhat weā€™re doing is historic,ā€ said one worker at a warehouse in San Francisco.

What is driving the labor unrest? Quartzā€™s William Gavin gets to the bottom of whatā€™s going on.

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Maybe rethink your Ozempic pause

One in six patients prescribed weight-loss drugs like Ozempic plan to stop taking the medication over the holidays. They donā€™t want their appetites suppressed for all the big meals theyā€™ll be attending.

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Medical experts recommend not doing that, however. Itā€™s not necessarily dangerous, but it can throw weight-loss plans off-track.

What else do doctors have to say about holiday-season drug pauses? Quartzā€™s Bruce Gil relays their advice.

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SURPRISING DISCOVERIES

Podcasting king Joe Rogan might soon be dethroned. Kylie Kelceā€™s show has debuted to enormous success.

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Guys with beards and long hair are very popular in Utah this time of year. Jesus look-alikes are getting a lot of work posing for family portraits and wedding announcements. (paywall)

The Texas border wall with Mexico is patchier than you might think. At least a third of countryā€™s-edge Lone Star landowners have rebuffed state efforts to erect the structure on their property.

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Crypto is gaining significant high-end allure. The global luxury industry is becoming increasingly open to purchases made using digital currencies. (paywall)

Half of Gen Z is getting holiday gifts from marketplaces like Shein and Temu. Americans are getting serious about cutting their spending wherever possible.

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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news or comments to talk@qz.com. Todayā€™s Daily Brief was brought to you by Melvin Backman and Harri Weber.