Paramount's decline drama

Good morning, Quartz readers!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The drama surrounding the merger of Paramount and Skydance is almost over. Seagram scion Edgar Bronfman Jr. dropped the deal at the last minute Takeover offer for the entertainment giant.

Donald Trump is bringing more NFTs to market. He advertised a series of portraits of himself by and claims he is the “crypto president.”

Mark Zuckerberg has some regrets. He says Meta should have fought the government's efforts to combat misinformation about COVID-19 harder than it.

Elon Musk supports a bill to use kill switches for artificial intelligence. The xAI supported a measure in California that Skepticism from Silicon Valley.

Eli Lilly offers a big Zepound discount. Some cans are available at half price – but there is a catch that may make the offer more attractive more expensive than it seems.

ARE AMERICAN WORKERS ANGRY?

A new report from Bankrate suggests that nearly one in two workers will be looking for a new job in the next year, with that number rising to two-thirds among Generation Z.

However, this total has decreased compared to the previous year, when 56% of the workforce

Quartz's Ben Kesslen examines what the numbers say about a “normalizing” labor market and the future of the U.S. economy.

IS A BLOCKADE IN THE HOUSING MARKET BEING RESOLVED?

An analysis of federal government mortgage data shows that 85% of homeowners have a mortgage with an interest rate below 6%, slightly below the prevailing average market rate.

This is down from the record 93% in 2022 and suggests that many homeowners may feel less tied to their low-interest home loans than they did just a short time ago.

Quartz's Rocio Fabbro goes through the numbers and examines what they might mean for the real estate market.

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🔬 The government provides HP with $50 million for microfluidics research

SURPRISING DISCOVERIES

A blast from the past. A donor to London’s National Gallery applauded the destruction of some false building columns from the beyond.

Garbage in, energy out. The Spanish company Repsol relies heavily on recycled biofuels from Cooking oil and waste.

The most boring RoboCop sequel ever. Police departments are experimenting with officers writing reports with AI chatbots.

Legalizing marijuana is bad for marijuana stocks. Shares in the sector are falling on news that the government could reclassify the drug.

IKEA hopes that customers who shop in its stores will shop more online. The furniture retailer is experimenting with a new store format in Tokyo.

We wish you a safe start to the day. Send news, comments, expensive guitars or cheap mortgages to [email protected]Today's Daily Brief is brought to you by Melvin Backman.