Luke Vargas

Just days before President Trump's inauguration last year, we report that the crypto venture tied to the president's family accepted a half-a-billion-dollar investment backed by a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family.

Sheikh Tanoun bin Zayed Al-Nayan is the UAE's national security advisor, sometimes called the spy sheikh, and is a brother of the country's president.

Prior to Trump moving back to the White House, the Shakespeare lieutenants signed a deal with the Trump family to buy a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, which steered around $187 million to Trump family entities.

The deal came just months before the UAE won access to American AI chips, something the royal had been pushing the U.S.

for.

And in a contest of Super Bowl halftime stars, Kendrick Lamar took home last night's Grammy Award for Record of the Year, while this year's performer Bad Bunny won Album of the Year.

The awards come at a pivotal moment for the music industry, as a surge in AI artists sparks fierce debate among fans and creators alike, as well as a rush to clarify whether an artificial artist could one day walk away with a Grammy.

The Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.

said last week on the Rapid Response podcast that using AI is allowed, but that eligible music must be based on human artistry.

However, with an estimated 50,000 AI-generated tracks being uploaded to Spotify daily, record labels and artists are being forced to confront AI, as entertainment reporter Catherine Sayre explains.

And that's it for What's News for this Monday morning.

Today's show was produced by a slate of real humans, Hattie Moyer and Daniel Bach, supervising producer Sandra Kilhoff, and me, Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal.

We will be back tonight with a new show.

Until then, thanks for listening.

President Trump prepares to tap Kevin Warsh as his pick for Fed chair.

Plus, the White House and Democrats close in on a deal to avoid a government shutdown.

And Apple shares tread water as investors look past a bumper earnings beat to a looming chip shortage.

It's Friday, January 30th.

I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

The pick is in.