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šŸ“¬ Daily Brief: Fake Ozempic

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šŸ“¬ Daily Brief: Fake Ozempic

Good morning, Quartz readers!


Hereā€™s what you need to know

The World Health Organization issued a warning about fake Ozempic. The agency said it found counterfeits in the U.K. and Brazil in October, and more in the U.S. in December.

Oil prices have gone up 10% in the last two weeks. A slight ding in supply and rising Middle East tensions are boosting the commodity.

Amazon is getting rid of plastic air pillows in its packaging. The company already has replaced 95% of its plastic air pillows in North American with paper filler.

McDonaldā€™s is giving Free Fries Friday a shot. App users who spend a minimum of $1 on Fridays will receive free fries with their order in an effort to win back inflation-scorned customers.


Apple needs an OpenAI alternative in China

Apple unveiled its hotly anticipated generative AI plans earlier this month, including an integration partnership with OpenAI.

Thereā€™s just one problem: OpenAIā€™s ChatGPT, which Apple is putting in its newest iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems, is not available in China, along with other AI models developed outside the country.

Apple is going to need a plan to turn around rapidly declining numbers in the country, and this wonā€™t help. Case in point:

2nd: Where China ranks among Appleā€™s biggest markets
15.7%: Appleā€™s share of Chinaā€™s smartphone market, down year over year from 19.7%
19%: How much Appleā€™s iPhone sales in China have fallen in the first quarter of this year
2020: Last time Appleā€™s iPhone sales in China were that bad


How do drugs get their wacky names?

Illustration: Vicky Leta

Stelara, Comirnaty, Sronyx ā€” why are drug names often so strange? Itā€™s actually primarily due to safety. Settling on a name can take a drug manufacturer up to four years and involves several regulatory agencies.

In the season premier of the Quartz Obsession podcast ā€” Drug Names: The machinations behind the monikers ā€” Quartz reporter Bruce Gil tells host Rocio Fabbro all about the art and science of drug naming.

šŸŽ§ Listen now on Spotify | Apple | Pandora

šŸ‘“ Or, read the transcript


Friday market haiku

Felony charges

werenā€™t kind to Trump Media.

Next up: All time low.

Trump Media stock has plunged 50% since Donald Trumpā€™s conviction and is near an all-time low, with yesterday marking more losses.


More from Quartz

šŸ§  AI could make all expertise free within 15 years, billionaire VC says

šŸ’‰ Gilead says its HIV prevention shot was 100% effective in a clinical trial

šŸ“ˆ ā€˜Mega tech IPOsā€™ could finally come in 2025, Nasdaq president says

šŸ¤‘ New millionaires are more likely to give directly to charity than old money

šŸŗ Ozempic and other weight loss drugs could help alcoholics, too

šŸšØ Distracted driving is accelerating as Gen Z takes the wheel


Surprising discoveries

Earthā€™s core is indeed rotating slower. That could mean longer days, but we wouldnā€™t notice it much.

Saturn is also dealing with some orbital changes. Scientists found the planet has seasons of energy imbalance due to how it spins.

A theater in London was set to screen the world premiere of a movie written by ChatGPT4.0. The backlash was swift and the showing was halted.

Snapchat is being linked to an uptick in teen opioid overdoses. Users are meeting dealers on the app, and itā€™s fueling addiction to the prescription painkillers.

Another shiny monolith column popped up in the middle of nowhere, this time in the desert near Las Vegas. Similar sightings have been reported in Utah and California since 2020.


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Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, longer days (happy solstice!), and seasons of energy balance to talk@qz.com. Todayā€™s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.

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