🌎 Icahn’s latest challenge

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Federal prosecutors are looking into Icahn Enterprises. Shares of the Hindenburg Research-targeted company fell 15%, wiping off $2 billion in market value, following the disclosure.

Google shared a demo of its upcoming AI-powered search engine. The tech giant is looking to catch up with Microsoft’s GPT-powered Bing (more on the generative AI race below).

Disney announced that Disney+ and Hulu will merge into one. The entertainment giant, which owns two-thirds of Hulu, is also considering buying the remaining stake from Comcast.

Charges against George Santos include covid benefits fraud. The embattled congressman pleaded not guilty to the 13 charges.

The controversial Title 42 border policy is coming to an end. The Biden administration deployed more troops to the US-Mexico border, anticipating a “chaotic” situation.

Who isn’t talking about generative AI?

300+: Mentions of “generative AI” during company conference calls worldwide this year, compared to next to none before 2023

Are you talking about AI? If you need some pointers, we put together a reading list on how some entities are choosing to mingle with the bots. (You also may want to keep an ear out for our next podcast episode.)

🤖 Coding instructors are adding AI to their lessons—before AI replaces them

🍔 Yelp is using AI to help users write reviews

🇮🇹 Italy has banned ChatGPT, but will its clampdown work?

🎨 Why Canva isn’t describing its new AI tools as AI

🤔 The Microsoft Office-ization of AI makes sense

Guyana’s regulators are defending Exxon

Guyana’s environmental protection agency (EPA) has come to the aid of an unlikely player: oil giant ExxonMobil.

The South American country’s regulators have appealed a court ruling that found Exxon failed to provide sufficient insurance coverage for an offshore oil project—and accused the EPA of helping it do so. Read more about the litigation and Guyana’s explosive, oil-fueled growth.

Chinese investments in Europe are charged up in at least one area

With Chinese investment in the EU’s 27 member states at a decade low, it’s easy to feel like China has taken its eyes off Europe and started looking elsewhere.

But that’s not entirely true, especially when it comes to greenfield investments in one particular area: batteries. Electric vehicle battery plants are driving Chinese investment in Europe and becoming its mainstay. But for Europe, the investments are a double-edged sword.

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Surprising discoveries

A liver drug pushed Italy’s exports to China to a record €3 billion ($3.3 billion) in February. Chinese people are stocking up on ursodeoxycholic acid after one study says it could protect against covid.

Forever chemicals make up many contact lenses in the US. It’s hard to say how eye exposure to the compounds might affect health, though.

One Chinese company wants 100,000 Sri Lankan macaques. The monkeys are a pest for farmers, but animal rights activists are concerned what their fate will be.

For the first time in the UK, a baby was born using DNA from three people. Scientists hope it’ll curb instances of mitochondrial diseases.

Apple’s 2009 App Store rollout set the tone for mobile phone use, but just in the West. It also made it unlikely that Apple could ever have a superapp like WeChat. Hear what host Scott Nover and Quartz reporter Ananya Bhattacharya have to say about that in the latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast.

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