🌏 Amazon’s green cards

Plus: The smartest U.S. states

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Image: David Ryder (Getty Images)

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Here’s what you need to know

President Donald Trump wants more products to be “Made in America.” In a Davos video address, he doubled down on tariffs as part of his ‘America First’ agenda.

Amazon’s green-card applications have returned after a two-year hiatus. The company reportedly resumed the process, and it’s timely under Trump’s administration.

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Apple is at a crossroads. With AI set to take off and a possible recovery in China, Apple’s future could be decided this year.

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AI drugs backed by Google are expected to enter trials by 2026. Deepmind’s Demis Hassabis says Isomorphic Labs will aim to tackle major diseases with AI.

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The fizzle falls flat on Champagne exports. It’s no time for celebration,” according to the co-president of a champagne trade organization.

Nike’s new CEO knew things were bad. But there was one moment when the full scale of the crisis truly set in.

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Elon Musk vs. Sam Altman

Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s decade-long feud is heating up again – this time with President Donald Trump in the crossfire. The two co-founded OpenAI, but their relationship soured three years later, with Musk leaving over conflicts of interest. Since then, Musk has sued OpenAI twice over its move to go private.

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This week, the feud escalated when Trump invited Altman and other tech leaders to announce the $500 billion Stargate AI project, calling Altman the “leading expert” – a direct jab at Musk.

Musk, a Trump advisor, fired back on X, questioning the project’s funding and sparking a social media clash.

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Where do the OpenAI co-founders stand? Quartz’s William Gavin has the details.


America’s smartest states?

Measuring intelligence isn’t easy or really feasible, but a team at testing platform BrianManager gave it a shot – using 19 factors to gauge the smartest states in America.

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From SAT scores and IQ averages to college graduation rates and even the number of bookstores, the study attempts to paint a picture of intellectual success across the country.

While it’s far from a complete measure of intelligence, the results are eye-opening.

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Which states made the cut? Quartz’s Ben Kesslen breaks it down.


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👠 Single women are the new dominant force in luxury real estate

🏆 Best Picture Oscar nominees are in. Here’s what they made at the box office

🏌️ Some Walmart managers can now make more than $600,000

📦 5 states Americans moved to in 2024 — and 5 states they left

🥊 10 states in America where businesses have been hit hardest by inflation


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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, Nike sneakers, or champagne toasts to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Francisco Velasquez and Harri Weber.