đ Bezos offloads stock
Good morning, Quartz readers!
Hereâs what you need to know
Jeff Bezos sold nearly 12 million Amazon shares. The selloff was worth more than $2 billion and there is more to come.
Finland elected its next president. Preliminary results show that center-right candidate Alexander Stubb will come out on top and become the NATO newbieâs 13th leader.
Moodyâs downgraded Israelâs credit rating. The countryâs finance minister claimed the decision was politically motivated, while the agency said the war in Gaza could adversely affect the countryâs economy.
The UK is making plans to revive its nuclear energy fleet. The government wants to take over a plant site in Wales and is seeking a private partner to make a station there, according to the Financial Times.
Disney+ and Hulu have a villain in piracy
Streaming was supposed to kill media piracy. But offering subscribers access to thousands of movies, films, TV shows, and songs all ad-free for a relatively low monthly fee hasnât hampered the piratesâin fact, a new report found that piracy is on the rise.
As piracy shoots up, streamersâ subscriber bases are dropping. Services like Disney+ and Hulu are steadily losing customers, with paid subscriptions down by as much as 7%.
Quartzâs Bruce Gil looked at how piracy is affecting the streaming giants.
The Black innovators that shaped the US economy
Many American historians and education experts agree that K-12 schoolsâ history curricula too often highlight stories of trauma and oppression, even during Black History Month. While important, they say, itâs equally significant to bring the accomplishments and achievements of Black Americans to the forefront.
One of those expertsâNafeesa Muhammad, a professor of history at Spelman College in Atlantaâtold Quartz that learning the contributions of Black innovators âprovides a more comprehensive understanding of African American historyâ and how the modern-day American economy was formed.
We compiled a list of Black entrepreneurs throughout American history. Read through it here.
Quotable: Why marketers pay $7 million for Super Bowl ads
âYou pay for a Super Bowl ad once, but you get free viewership, media coverage, and chatter on social media for free. This increased chatter and media coverage starts before the Super Bowl and continues over several days after the Super Bowl.â âJura Liaukonyte, a professor of marketing at Cornell Universityâs SC Johnson College of Business, in an interview with Quartz about the unique communal event the ads create.
More from Quartz
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đ€ Sam Altman wants to raise up to $7 trillion for his new AI chip project
đ Bitcoin could hit $50,000 soon as a new crowd of buyers drives up prices
đ„Ł Snoop Dogg says his dreams died at Walmartâand heâs suing
đș Amazon is streaming a Prime-exclusive NFL playoff game next year
Surprising discoveries
Florence, Italyâs airport is getting a vineyard. The 38 rows of grapes will be planted on its roof.
The oldest person in the US is 116 years old. Back when Edith Ceccarelli was born, Oklahoma just became a state and Theodore Roosevelt was president.
A website called OnlyFake can generate IDs for $15. They are pretty convincing.
A polar bear sleeping on a small cap of ice is one of this yearâs best wildlife photos. The other top four images in the Peopleâs Choice Award are just as striking. Â
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has a doppelgÀnger in the US government. Sen. Chris Coons is even around the same age and height.
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Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, airport wine, and cards for Edith to [email protected]. Todayâs Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.