Good morning, Quartz readers!
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
A cryptic Elon Musk post sent another memecoin momentarily soaring. His mention of the Kekius Maximus cryptocurrency resulted in a big price spike.
California is making shoplifting even more illegal. A number of new laws to combat retail crime have officially gone into effect.
Electric car sales are big in Norway. Nine in 10 vehicles sold in the country last year were electric.
Demand for weight-loss drugs still outweighs supply. High costs and insurance gaps remain major obstacles to access.
Many celebrities could be cashing in on Dry January. The likes of Tom Holland and Rosario Dawson are rolling out non-alcoholic beverage lines.
A bad day for Tesla
Tesla sold a lot of cars and trucks last year, but it did not sell enough. Its customers purchased 1.79 million vehicles, just shy of the 1.8 million it had hoped to sell.
Some investors think that miss is too small to matter. However, the company would likely have appreciated as much momentum as possible before the Trump administration’s expected cuts to electric vehicle subsidies.
What are Tesla observers saying about the 2024 sales numbers? Quartz’s William Gavin rounds up what they’re saying.
Apple digs deep to beat Huawei
Apple is trying really hard to outsell Huawei in China. It is offering consumers in the country big deals to do so.
The company is offering a discount of up to 500 Chinese yuan, or $68.50, on its latest iPhone models. Apple has been trying to regain market share in China after Huawei sales increased in recent years.
Why is Apple letting its phone go for a lower price in China? Quartz’s Britney Nguyen explains the tech giant’s competitive mindset.
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SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
There’s a delivery service that brings Guatemalan food to the U.S. — from Guatemala. Immigrants use the couriers to ferry homemade meals and domestic-only products to them in America. (paywall)
Gold gains are making Rolexes more expensive. A jump in market price for the precious metal is getting passed along to consumers. (paywall)
A new genre of wellness retreats let hikers work their way through depression and grief. The offering dovetails with research showing nature helps people deal with difficult feelings.
Now anyone can create A Room of One’s Own. Virginia Woolf’s book-length essay is now part of the public domain.
New Jersey has a zinc-hole. A portion of Interstate 80 collapsed into an unused zinc mine.
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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news or comments to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Melvin Backman and Audrey McNamara.