🌎 Hollywood's writers return

Plus: The EU says Elon needs to clean up X ASAP. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/u4inSKKTALfitoeikH1oK73e3X6cLHtGdcKd54t988I=320) [Quartz](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850876815%2Fhollywoods-writers-return%2F/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/VkHKyw6g4rAPVnePfTxcwIgovvVh4elb6GH_BNNmE_s=320) September 27, 2023 [View in browser](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850876815%2Fhollywoods-writers-return%2F/2/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/FgdteAEzsu07bxnl5S824gEAbd_sUUwe8FKPx6RJ86Y=320) Sponsored By [Two people silhouetted in the foreground look out at the iconic Hollywood sign. ](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850876815%2Fhollywoods-writers-return%2F/3/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/zV-SCeFLi0cxboEVF4FhoMppHqxvHwztSanzLpLsLqE=320) Photo: Reuters (Mario Anzuoni) Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know The Hollywood writers strike is ending today. The Writers Guild of America has agreed to what it calls an “[exceptional](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fculture%2F2023%2Fsep%2F26%2Fhollywood-writers-strike-ends-studio-deal/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/9OE04ghuLSl1uT2hsVrw7QF33IXbw0AHLHqhK7kySRA=320)” new deal with studios after a nearly five-month-long walkout. The US Federal Trade Commission and 17 states are suing Amazon in a landmark case. The complaint alleges that the e-commerce giant [monopolizes](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Famazon-sued-by-ftc-and-17-states-over-allegations-it-in-1850873826%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/O1Kw0_E2Gup6T-GHw42X7lxUyVPk17SfiKWRcZG5osA=320) online marketplaces, violating both federal and state antitrust laws. A New York court ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud while building his real estate business. A judge found that the former president [lied about the size](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fjudge-rules-donald-trump-defrauded-banks-insurers-whil-1850875314%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/O8dN1j6LGzrlUyIaNO97E807Uhdnf-ySXZxpJWXrk18=320) of his net worth to banks and insurers for years. JPMorgan is settling over its ties to late financier and sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The bank agreed to pay [$75 million to the US Virgin Islands](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fjpmorgan-to-pay-75-million-on-claims-that-it-enabled-j-1850873369%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/llNC3HQGLVO1GOGp2776DtKZHjHyTEQuQnLEUwSlgwY=320), with $55 million earmarked for local charities. The EU said X is the social network most responsible for fake news. European Commission vice president Věra Jourová said [Elon Musk needs to get ahead of disinformation](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fmusks-x-is-the-biggest-purveyor-of-disinformation-eu-o-1850873184%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/Gxm-FlhUaT1c0FVcF3V2M276ffZbmSftwT3_L7-klcM=320) before Russia does real damage in the upcoming election seasons in Slovakia and Poland. Sponsor content by CEO Coaching [CEO Coaching]( CEOs, are you “Growing Broke? Cash is king, and as the CEO, it’s your responsibility to know what your cash flow looks like at all times. You, not your CFO. Take the time to analyze your financial situation using tools and strategies developed by seasoned former CEOs with our new eBook, Top 5 CEO Financial Must-Haves. [advertisement][advertisement][advertisement] [Get the eBook]( Apple, you’re being awfully quiet about AI over there… Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon may be the noisy ones about artificial intelligence these days, but there’s been barely a peep from everyone’s favorite iPhone-maker. That doesn’t mean Apple’s been idle. In fact, it’s been on a shopping spree, buying up more AI and machine learning companies than anyone else. %2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850876815%2Fhollywoods-writers-return%2F/4/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/E5PPx1BujqklzQCo6F9-8NOY9851T1TMa9bK0gzyOpk=320 Graphic: (Michelle Cheng) Michelle Cheng takes a look at what companies Apple’s buying and [how AI could be integrated into its devices](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fapple-may-be-quiet-on-ai-but-it-s-also-the-biggest-buy-1850872570%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/IgvZwQalGefpyNHq721XvUz-guScNFbao3dVL-l_SS8=320) in the near future. Who’s cheering for Blue Origin’s new CEO? Jeff Bezos’s 24-year-old space company has yet to catch up to its lofty ambitions of putting thousands of humans into space. Thus far, its greatest accomplishment has been the New Shepard small rocket and space capsule, which has been grounded for a year. Blue Origin’s culture under outgoing CEO Bob Smith has had problems, too, with rumors of sexual harassment and criticism of unchecked safety concerns. So Bezos has turned to Amazon’s device division chief Dave Limp, who Bezos announced on Monday will take over in December. Why is the space industry crossing its fingers that Limp can turn the tide? As [Quartz Space Business reporter Tim Fernholz explains](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdid-jeff-bezos-finally-pick-the-right-ceo-to-get-blue-o-1850873878%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/6fZZgH8KbtGyOKo6th8Tv3dEzsc5kjES2750bbDIkUE=320), it comes down to SpaceX: “Blue Origin has long been held as the only company with the capital and the vision to compete with SpaceX at a time when Elon Musk’s firm has a virtual monopoly on satellite launch and human spaceflight in the US and Europe.” Ford said, CATL said Ford is halting work on its $3.5 billion electric-vehicle battery factory in Michigan, but the automaker’s partner in the project—the Chinese battery giant CATL—insists that the EV collaboration is ongoing. Who to believe? 🚘 Ford says: A “number of considerations” lie behind the decision to suspend work on the plant, though specifics have not been shared. 🔋CATL says: Its partnership with Ford is forging ahead and the suspension is “fake information,” according to Chinese state-run business outlet [STAR Market Daily](%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20230926130325%2Fhttps:%2F%2Fwww.chinastarmarket.cn%2Fdetail%2F1472616/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/lFR8IJvJiiHzvo3fkKq-Bo_W1ptPzMNPH3FxlacQyEE=320) (link in Chinese). 🔧 The United Auto Workers union says: The hiatus is a “shameful, barely veiled threat by Ford to cut jobs” amid [its current strike](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fauto-workers-still-have-room-to-expand-their-strike-aga-1850867944%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/fVEtFv2I-oKBU5MPNaLEPAwulDxyJ_trkTMqDstd5Ho=320). [Mary Hui explains the possible rift in a partnership](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fford-s-chinese-partner-insists-their-ev-battery-deal-is-1850872778%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/mWrK_SRDn5kS6WY-DKlxiL9mDCgDmqTVKiec4A9yGDA=320) that the US government had already been investigating as a potential threat to national security. Quartz’s most popular 🤖 [Luddites saw the problem of AI coming from two centuries away](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fluddites-saw-the-problem-of-ai-coming-from-two-centurie-1850862051%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/5ia9OAqwhdxTJfGwkMj9QHRcjnovlP6GOWyvv9ELYQk=320) 🎥 [Hollywood’s writers have a deal—and little to do while actors are still striking](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fhollywood-studios-writers-union-deal-actors-1850869770%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/d_VI9ej9OGXRXqIgfemM186v0tamkZpQHZPmPdrbAls=320) 🥤 [Coke is launching a new drink “co-created” with AI](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fcoke-launch-coca-cola-y3000-ai-drink-1850838456%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/kXm9Z9ZU8pJpgpCtCaOjsCp5MnyfpyKQ8DTu5GjdTUU=320) 🎲 [Young hackers are sticking up Las Vegas casinos for hefty ransoms](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fyoung-hackers-are-sticking-up-las-vegas-casinos-for-hef-1850837238%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/HpLAlaKDyA0LyHnNNotyvgZGHSjlMszM9TBrXs2qL28=320) ❄️ [After a record hot summer, get ready for an El Niño-influenced winter](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fel-nino-winter-us-2023-snow-ice-removal-1850862635%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/TzP1ZVb7HHJ2VeGZdeJfyvxeg9QwcYXOeX9SnBSVwq8=320) 😱 [Project Gutenberg has implemented one of the worst AI fears of striking actors](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fproject-gutenberg-ai-to-ebooks-audiobooks-1850856297%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/4OJdI0hmWSUR6RyTnj5WywM_1_9rmfrAP1NfKOvFx8M=320) Sponsor content by CEO Coaching [CEO Coaching]( Increase Accountability in your Business. As CEO, you’re responsible for the vision of the company. But if you don’t have the right systems in place to hold you and your team accountable for achieving your goals, you’ll never get where you want to go. Try a complimentary coaching call with a former CEO and get on the right track. [advertisement][advertisement][advertisement] [Connect with a Coach]( Surprising discoveries Higher temperatures may be contributing to increased instances of drug and alcohol abuse. This does not bode well for [humans on a warming planet](%2F%2Fwww.eurekalert.org%2Fnews-releases%2F1002248/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/BD-0deUHH_VTib5iV-R-Y29Nw5p4HmENwrEeCdyv5co=320). “The Cash Flow King” podcaster was running an $11 million Ponzi scheme. Readers, we cannot dispense financial advice, but it’s a good rule of thumb to avoid giving money to [anyone that fits the above description](%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Fsec-charges-cash-flow-king-podcaster-11-million-ponzi-scheme-rcna117253/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/JdKLL9VSS88dTToirWdUV-o2lA8nUxDF0F7FKetZnis=320). This quarter’s “world’s best-performing currency” award goes to… [the Taliban](%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2023-09-25%2Ftaliban-controls-world-s-best-performing-currency-this-quarter/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/_Ciq5wyq1Hn9vsvSdp7PlW7Vt0pMUY0qAj5IFf1hGws=320)? By some metrics, auto executives at the “big three” US automakers make about 300 times more than their workers. That’s a bigger wage gap than in the [railroad and airline industries](%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Fbusiness%2Fauto-ceos-make-about-300-times-what-their-median-worker-is-paid-heres-how-that-stacks-up-cefc9a5/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/pck1xiMskCro-_KkzCXvaWMLqb5aaMJB1OsBcsxhzxQ=320). AI companies are hiring creative writers. Do you have [what it takes](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fai-companies-hiring-creative-writers-1850873456%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/TJRMC4qhl3YRjrijtOG3_ZxoHS1BeoPdn-Bp_S2FpQI=320)? Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, creative writing samples, and things you could do with your money other than giving them to a guy on a podcast to [talk@qz.com](mailto:talk@qz.com?cc=&subject=Daily%20Brief%20feedback%20&body=). Reader support makes Quartz available to all—[become a member](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fsubscribe%2F/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/aBhzi-XzfSURoJsPuTm7UqnwDxPcJKeZM7zGYbehPS8=320). Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Susan Howson and Julia Malleck. [🌐 View or share this email online.](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850876815%2Fhollywoods-writers-return%2F/5/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/8XUdEMDMuOH-Hp2-uKBZxNuGIhXVLkwO15_vJjW6w9U=320) [📬 Check out our emails [caret]](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2F/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/RdeZwJqQCJ6ADt7YcS7vXLII0wYyHIdfurPWCumFVOk=320) [👀 Read Quartz’s latest stories [caret]](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Flatest%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/78emkea08Bzt4agIp5DPFxFocmPMg8p3Ywt2Nh5E1oM=320) [📈 See what stories are trending [caret]](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdiscover%2Ftrending%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850876815/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/_S4ZHbJ1Kl1WrAMLapEVLiLpr8ndb6EDBSoJnMkB3ac=320) 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 © 2023 G/O Media Inc. [Unsubscribe](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fnewsletter%2Funsubscribe%3FsubscriptionToken=2c6a6a5b4aa4c5dd8bd038e02a176f0190b9207b-115866%26utm_source=quartz_newsletter%26utm_medium=email%26utm_campaign=2023-09-27/1/0100018ad6115a74-cd53313e-f9b6-4490-88df-6029bffb8bf2-000000/IeQr8Kkd0c7QTvrheIKb4Tz0Xp12Yeb524rUQa2CzE8=320)