🌏 Lobby applications

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here Quartz May 16, 2024 Photo: Reuters (Kevin Wurm) Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Chinese biotech leaders want to lobby the U.S. WuXi Biologics executives have registered to lobby American lawmakers, just as a bill aiming to block them from doing business in the U.S. moves forward. And tense geopolitical relations are driving Microsoft to ask Chinese AI employees to relocate. Around 800 employees in China were given an offer to relocate to other countries including the U.S., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Other employees that are relocating: OpenAI’s trust and safety staffers. They may not be moving countries, but several key leaders are moving on from the company. And still some other employees are being shown the door as Amazon and Under Armour hand out pink slips. Layoffs at Amazon affected more than 100 customer service reps, and Under Armour’s hit an unknown amount. Walmart’s stock hit a new high. Investors liked what they saw in the world’s largest retailer’s latest earnings data. Nvidia’s stock is also knocking on the door of the all-time high club. Germany is investigating whether Mercedes is union-busting Today, votes will be tallied in a unionization push at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama — and their efforts are getting some help from the automaker’s own homeland. The United Auto Workers (UAW) said yesterday that the German government is investigating Mercedes-Benz for potential union-busting. The UAW filed charges last month in German court against the Stuttgart-based automaker for allegedly violating labor standards with its anti-union communications and actions. The effort in Alabama is part of the UAW’s broader push to organize workers in non-union U.S. auto plants on the back of successful strikes against the “Big Three” American carmakers Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. A recent win at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has made the UAW even more eager to establish itself in the South. One big number: $474.2 billion The combined capital that the top five private equity firms have accumulated over the past five years Although it’s a relatively young industry, private equity firms controlled $8.2 trillion in assets globally last year. Take a look at just how much the top five firms each brought in — and how many assets they oversee. Sponsor content by The Daily Upside The Daily Upside Navigate the complexities of inflation, rate hikes, and more without the clickbait headlines. Subscribe to The Daily Upside - a free business newsletter that provides expert analysis on all things finance, economics, and markets. It is our favorite source for business news that's actually worth reading. Join over 1 million readers and try it for free today . More from Quartz 📈 Spot Bitcoin trading will be available on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange soon 📈📈 Cannabis stocks pop after Biden moves to reclassify marijuana 📈📈📈 The Dow hit 40,000 for the first time ever 💉 Eli Lilly says its experimental weekly insulin works just as well as daily doses 💉💉An experimental weight loss drug helped users lose 18% of their weight 😮‍💨 The FAA is giving United Airlines some breathing room after its turbulent March Surprising discoveries Spiderwebs and microphones have a surprising amount in common. Charlotte may have used her web to spell, but most spiders actually use their webs to hear. People are still stuck on the Dali cargo ship that ran into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The 21 sailors have been on board for seven weeks. So many people showed up to a Canadian city to break a Guinness World Record that a proper count wasn’t possible. The task: dress up as a dinosaur. While those peoplesaurs were definitely warm-blooded, real dinosaurs may have been, too. New research used fossils and climate models to find that Jurassic predators may not have been as cold as we previously thought. And while the peoplesaurs probably talked in Canadian accents, a lot of American hockey players unwittingly do. It’s a phenomenon known as “linguistic personas.” Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week’s news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. or give membership as a gift! Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, dinosaur costumes, and Canadian accents to [email protected]. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner and Gabriela Riccardi. 🌐 View or share this email online. 📬  Check out our emails caret 👀  Read Quartz’s latest stories caret Quartz  |   |  1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 © 2024 G/O Media Inc.