Hello, Quartz members, and welcome to Sunday Reads! Rockets go up, but they also come down early, as Elon Musk found out this week. Donald Trump is taking office tomorrow, and Joe Biden gave his farewell speech. But it’s Sunday, so here are some of our favorite stories of the week. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and read on.
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5 things we especially liked on Quartz
Dimon’s words of caution: Never mind that his bank just posted its most profitable year ever, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says the world is facing two massive economic threats: geopolitical instability and the risk that Trump’s policies will trigger inflation. Rocio Fabbro has more.
Take that, Elon! Jeff Bezos’ long-delayed Blue Origin New Glenn mega-rocket launched into orbit on its first try. But rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship launch vehicle appeared to explode just after launching, with debris raining down over the Caribbean Sea. Musk’s firm was able to recover its launch booster, while Bezos’ booster fell to the sea. William Gavin has the latest on the billionaire space race.
Pharma ad ban troubles: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s vaccine-skeptic pick for health secretary, wants to ban TV advertising for prescription drugs in order to “correct the chronic disease epidemic.” But advertising is big bucks for the networks and the drug companies. Bruce Gil on why Big Pharma won’t go down without a fight.
Jurassic Park Live? Colossal Biosciences, the world’s first company dedicated to bringing back animals from extinction, has secured $200 million in series C funding, bringing its total to $435 million since its 2021 launch. The company says it will use gene editing to bring back the woolly mammoth, the thylacine — commonly referred as the Tasmanian tiger — and the dodo bird. Bruce Gil takes a trip through the jungle.
Gates and the City: Carrie Bradshaw fans, watch out: The owner of the Greenwich Village brownstone that stood in for Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in the 1990s TV sensation Sex and the City is fed up. People apparently keep watching the series about four women and the dating scene in New York City, and when those viewers get to Manhattan, they all stop to fill their Instagram feeds with a snap on the famous stoop. Now the owner of 66 Perry St. has asked New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission for permission to put up a gate. Madeline Fitzgerald has the story.
1 sneak peek
The global elite are dusting off their snow boots for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, starting this Monday and running all week. This year, however, the Swiss mountains are competing with another summit altogether: Trump’s inauguration in Washington. To get Davos updates delivered straight to your inbox all week, sign up here.
What we’re watching this week
- Monday: Donald Trump is inaugurated President of the United States. The World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland. Markets are closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
- Tuesday: Netflix and United Airlines report earnings.
- Wednesday: Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson report earnings.
- Thursday: American Airlines and LVMH report earnings. Trump addresses Davos via video.
- Friday: American Express reports earnings.
Thanks for reading! Here’s to the week ahead, and don’t hesitate to reach out with comments, questions, feedback, joy, or news of a rocket launch in your future. Sunday Reads was brought to you by Peter S. Green.