Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day

On today's podcast:

(1) A new AI automation tool from Anthropic PBC sparked a $285 billion rout in stocks across the software, financial services and asset management sectors on Tuesday as investors raced to dump shares with even the slightest exposure.

(2) Almost half a trillion dollars has been wiped off cryptocurrencies in less than a week as a selloff led by Bitcoin accelerated. Total crypto market value has slumped by $467.6 billion since Jan. 29, according to CoinGecko data. 

(3) The European Union will pitch the US on a critical minerals partnership to curb China’s influence, looking to shape the Trump administration’s push to strike global agreements this week.

(4) London’s Metropolitan Police has started a criminal probe into Peter Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office, after the UK government said it had referred communications between him and Jeffrey Epstein to the authorities.

(5) Novo Nordisk A/S shocked investors by forecasting a steep decline in sales this year, a sign of how intensifying price wars in obesity drugs and the Trump administration’s pressure on pharmaceutical prices will hit the company’s results.

Podcast Conversation: What happens when the Winter Olympics can’t rely on winter