🌍 The $3T club initiates Microsoft

Plus: Red Sea oil's slick.
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Photo: Reuters (Mike Blake)
Good morning, Quartz readers!

Microsoft crossed the $3 trillion threshold. It's a valuation milestone that puts Microsoft behind just Apple in market value. Several tech companies are vying for the $3 trillion club, but one (Tesla) is notably behind, and is predicting slower growth in 2024.
A Boeing 757 lost a nose wheel before takeoff in Atlanta. The incident, which happened Saturday and involved a 32-year-old Delta Air Lines-operated plane, isn't at all the same as what's going on with those Boeing 737 Max models, but it's not helping with the manufacturer's reputation.
Two ships carrying cargo belonging to the US Department of Defense were attacked by Houthi rebels. Maersk Detroit and Maersk Chesapeake were both flying American flags in the Red Sea when fired upon—the accompanying US Navy vessels intercepted the fire, according to officials.
China is working to ease those tensions in the Red Sea. Attacks on ships in the area have upended global trade, with trickle down effects being felt across sectors—especially in oil (more on that below).

It turns out that oil gets more expensive to ship when boats go boom in the Red Sea.
Of all the steps that go into getting oil from the ground and then turning that oil into gasoline and plastic and all the stuff we use to go about our lives, one crucial step is getting more expensive because missiles and bombs are flying all over the Red Sea.
As the US continues—and escalates—its not-quite-a-war with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, shipping markets are ramping up the price to transport crude oil. The cost of moving oil from the Middle East to Asia is up 182% since the US began leading "Operation Prosperity Guardian" to secure the important global shipping channel. Quartz's Melvin Backman explains why this is happening.

It may not be a crowd pleaser, but Netflix's decision to do "paid sharing"—aka kick you off your friend's account—worked exactly like it was supposed to.
Graphic: (Quartz)
Membership is up, revenue is up, stock prices are up—and other subscription services are watching closely.

Indeed's best 50 jobs in the US just dropped. What percentage—based on salary, growth opportunities, flexibility, and availability—are in healthcare?
A. 13%
B. 22%
C. 35%
D. 53%
The correct answer is B., 22%—but there's one sub-sector within healthcare where the opportunity is especially high.

The World Health Organization issued a warning about measles in Europe. Annual cases are up 30-fold.
Do you tie your shoes the bunny ears way or with a 54-atom knot? Probably not the latter, because that'd be the smallest knot ever made.
Satellites nailed down where four new emperor penguin groups were marching around. Knowing where they are in Antarctica can help conservationists monitor the species as the climate changes.
Teenagers in the Stone Age liked chewing gum. It could have just been fun, or the tree resin could have been used to stick things together (or to the bottom of boulders).
Pope Francis can't get that puffer deepfake out of his head. He raised warnings about the dangers of AI and alluded to The Coat—but it wasn't all apocalyptic.

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Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, chewing gum, and puffer jackets to talk@qz.com. Today's Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.

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