🌏 The Medicaid Freeze

Plus: Mona Lisa kicks out her roommates

Empty hospital bed with equipment.
Empty hospital bed with equipment.
Image: Ryan McVay (Getty Images)

Good morning, Quartz readers!


Here’s what you need to know

Tech stocks bounce back after DeepSeek’s AI shakeup. A brief recovery for Nvidia and its peers pushed the Nasdaq up roughly 400 points, following a $1 trillion market dip.

… Meanwhile, President Donald Trump warned that DeepSeek’s AI tool is a threat to Big Tech. The Chinese startup’s model should be a “wake-up call.”

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Trump’s Medicaid freeze locks 72 million Americans out of coverage. Lawmakers reported widespread shutdowns of Medicaid payments across the U.S.

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Tesla’s earnings come on Wednesday. Investors are focused on affordable EVs, self-driving tech, and Musk’s long-term vision for the company.

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Netflix reigns supreme in streaming. The media giant has effectively leveraged live events and its growing ad business to stay on top.

Starbucks hired two Taco Bell veterans. The coffee giant’s new talent comes with over 30 years of combined experience at the Tex-Mex chain. The company also reported earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations, though sales still slipped.

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CVS wants customers to unlock items — with conditions. A new app feature tests accessibility for certain products, but restrictions apply.


Big Retail, Big AI

AI is ditching its buzzword status in retail.

Retailers are teaming up tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Nvidia to see what AI can do. At this month’s National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show, it was clear: Retailers are all-in on AI to streamline operations — and they’re ready to spend big.

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Companies like Costco, Domino’s, Dollar Tree, and Home Depot have jumped on the AI bandwagon. Not all retailers, however, are on the same ride.

Where is AI making the biggest impact in retail? Quartz’s Francisco Velasquez dives deeper.

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Mona Lisa’s kicking out her roommates

In a bold move, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that the Louvre is getting a major makeover — and the Mona Lisa is getting her own VIP space.

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The iconic painting will be moved into a special room, all to herself, where visitors can admire her without any distractions from the rest of the museum.

But that’s not all. The Louvre is also planning brand new entrances, sleek underground galleries, and other high-end upgrades. It’s all part of an ambitious renovation project expected to cost millions.

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Who’s footing the bill? Quartz’s Madeline Fitzgerald breaks it down.


More from Quartz

💰 Big Pharma has already raised the prices of hundreds of drugs this year

💊 RFK Jr. is open to lowering drug prices — using a policy championed by Elizabeth Warren

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🚒 Costco is already under fire for sticking with DEI

🛬 JetBlue stock sinks 20% as its outlook disappoints

💭 DeepSeek is the ‘Temu of AI,’ analysts say

📺 Hims & Hers is making a big bet on a Super Bowl ad

🪪 Elon Musk’s X is working with Visa to rival Zelle and Venmo

🍏 Apple earnings are coming. Here’s what to expect


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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, Netflix recs, or Mona Lisas to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Francisco Velasquez and Kevin Ryan.