☕️ Trial of the century

Lunchables are under attack... April 12, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [LMNT]( Good morning. By the authority vested in us, a newsletter called Morning Brew, we hereby declare today the beginning of iced coffee season. Have trouble remembering when the season starts? It’s the same day every year: the Friday after Beans the Coffee Gargoyle lets out the first mating call (the sound of a frappuccino blender) during the spring harvest. —Matty Merritt, Molly Liebergall, Dave Lozo, Sam Klebanov, Adam Epstein, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 16,442.20 +1.68% S&P 5,199.06 +0.74% Dow 38,459.08 -0.01% 10-Year 4.576% +1.6 bps Bitcoin $70,629.42 -0.01% RTR $19.38 +161.89% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 10:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks did their best Undertaker coffin meme impression yesterday and [came back to life]( rebounding from investors’ overreaction to the disappointing inflation report earlier this week. Tech stocks led the way, with many of the Magnificent Seven posting solid gains. Rent the Runway surged an almost unfathomable 162% after it shared a positive forecast for the year and outlined plans to use AI.  MEDIA [O.J. Simpson dead at 76]( [O.J. Simpson]( Celano/Getty Images Thursday was a wild day for anyone who tracks historical moments by whether or not their teachers rolled out a TV cart. O.J. Simpson, the football legend who was acquitted of double murder in 1995, [died]( yesterday at 76 from cancer, his family announced, leaving a legacy that transformed American media and the criminal justice system. In 1994, Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death outside of Brown’s home. Simpson was charged with the murders, but instead of turning himself in, he was part of an infamously low-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco, watched by nearly 95 million people. What followed was perhaps the most publicized trial of the century. How did the case get so big? Simpson was a huge celebrity, the recipient of a Heisman Trophy, a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and roles in iconic movies like Naked Gun. Simpson was the guy you thought of when you picked up your Hertz rental car thanks to work in commercials. Experts say his trial marked the [start]( of the 24-hour news cycle, with Court TV and CNN covering every development and viewers eating it all up. When the jury controversially acquitted Simpson, an estimated 150 million people were watching. The trial also came at a time when racial tensions were especially high in Los Angeles following the police beating of Rodney King four years earlier. One of the defense’s key arguments was a tape of LA Detective Mark Fuhrman using racist slurs. A lot of people got famous from the trial. Pretty much anyone close to the case got a promotion or payout for their side of the story via book deals or TV appearances. In addition to an endless barrage of documentaries and Hollywood retellings, it also gave rise to the Kardashian [media empire]( as Kris Jenner’s ex-husband, Robert Kardashian, was one of Simpson’s attorneys.—MM PRESENTED BY LMNT [Hustling for summer]( [LMNT]( Ahh, April. The cruelest month, according to some. Rain showers. Tax season. And, of course, grinding down on your fitness routine to prep for the sunnier months. It’s a time of renewal, and renewal can be tough with a capital T. That’s why you need LMNT, a [super-tasty electrolyte drink mix]( made with everything you need and nothing you don’t. No junk. No sugar. No coloring. No artificial ingredients. No gluten. No fillers. No BS. Say goodbye to headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness—you know, the common symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. Plus, you can get a [complimentary LMNT Sample Pack]( with any purchase. [Hydrate your hustle](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Assault rifles for sale at a gun show]Spencer Platt/Getty Images Biden expanded gun background checks. The White House finalized a new rule yesterday that aims to close what’s known as the [gun show loophole]( that allows firearms dealers outside of physical stores to make sales without running background checks on buyers. The Biden administration expects 20,000 gun dealers who sell at weapon exhibitions or on the internet will now be required to pull customers’ criminal history and keep a record of sales. The goal is to help “keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons,” Biden said. While gun control advocates welcomed the move, gun industry groups threatened to challenge it in court. The rule implements the bipartisan gun safety law passed in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting in 2022. Fanatics is hosting the “Comic-Con for sports” this summer. In further proof that nerds and jocks are basically the same, the sports merchandise giant will put on a [three-day event]( in NYC in August with games, merch, trading card areas, talks, and appearances by Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Eli and Peyton Manning, and Kevin Durant, among other industry icons. The CEO of Fanatics Events told CNBC that the gathering will also expand beyond sports to bring in entrepreneurs and influencers. Fanatics, which is worth more than $31 billion and could be headed for an IPO, hopes its ambitious meeting of sports dorks will field 100k attendees and boost its various businesses. Vietnamese mogul sentenced to death for record fraud. Real estate tycoon Truong My Lan received the death penalty for orchestrating a $12.5 billion fraud scheme worth about 3% of the country’s 2022 GDP. The businesswoman was [found guilty]( of unlawfully seizing control of Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank and draining its funds by issuing loans to her own dummy companies while bribing regulators. The court said her actions undermined “people’s trust in the leadership of the Party and State.” The conviction, alongside those of 83 other defendants, is part of a sweeping anti-corruption push by Vietnam’s leadership as it tries to lure foreign investors looking for an alternative to China. FOOD [Lunchables aren’t safe for kids, says new report]( [Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers]( Sullivan/Getty Images If your parents never let you get the ham and cheese packs or pepperoni pizza meals that your classmates would proudly assemble in the cafeteria, text them a quick thank you. This week, the advocacy group Consumer Reports (CR) said scientists found hormone-disrupting chemicals and high levels of lead and sodium in the ultraprocessed meal kits. Based on these findings, the group [strongly recommended]( that the USDA remove two “school version” Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program for low-income students. According to CR’s tests: - Store-bought Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers, Pizza with Pepperoni, and Extra Cheesy Pizza contain 69%–74% of California’s recommended daily maximum for lead ingestion (there’s no federal limit) and 34%–49% of daily recommended sodium intake. - The supposedly healthier school versions actually had more sodium than their store-bought counterparts. How did Lunchables get on the menu? Huge food companies lobbied lawmakers to soften the federal nutrition standards enough to [qualify]( highly processed foods like Lunchables for the National School Lunch Program, the Washington Post [uncovered]( last year. Kraft Heinz’s response: “All our foods meet strict safety standards that we happily feed to our own families. Lead and cadmium occur naturally in the environment and may be present in low levels in food products,” a spokesperson said.—ML FROM THE CREW [The Crew]( How careful is too careful? How can organizations understand the proper use of generative AI, as well as all the tools under its umbrella that they may not even know about yet? [IT Brew]( sits down with GitHub and Sophos for a crash course on the dos, don’ts, and lesser-known uses of generative AI. [Join us to learn how to remain transparent]( with your team and not hold your organization back. TECH [What not to wear: Humane’s Ai Pin]( [Humane Ai pin]( The [reviews]( for Humane’s new Ai Pin are so negative that you’d think it spent time in the Amazon researching spiders. The Madame Web of wearable tech, which aims to one day replace your smartphone, is being universally dragged it for its prohibitive cost ($699 + $24 a month for a T-Mobile cellular plan through Humane), tendency to overheat, inability to provide reliable answers to voice queries, and how sunlight makes it nearly impossible to read information it projects onto your hand. But wait, there’s more! - Numerous reviewers were disappointed with the camera: [Inverse]( likened the photo quality to an iPhone 4, while [Engadget]( said it was worse than a Nokia E7 from 2012. - Most critics felt compelled to mention that its response time is too slow. - The only music app it supports is Tidal, which costs another $11 per month. There’s still potential. Reviewers found that the first-gen product felt very beta, including its Vision feature that analyzes your surroundings. Humane has promised software updates to work out the bugs, and The Verge [expects]( the Pin to get better as the overall state of AI improves.—DL GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [A stage at Coachella 2023]Christopher Polk/Getty Images Stat: If you notice fewer sequins and wide-brimmed hats in your Instagram feeds this month, it’s not just your imagination. Coachella, the music festival that became the epitome of cool thanks to legions of eclectically dressed celebrities frolicking in the California desert, is in for a down year. Demand for short-term rentals in the Coachella Valley is [down 12%]( this year, the Wall Street Journal reported. Tickets for the festival, which starts today, are typically sold out by this point—but there are still lots available. Though many blame the lackluster lineup, others say the expensive festival’s (tickets are $500+) time in the pop culture spotlight has kind of just run its course amid a period of high inflation. Quote: “Two years left to save the world.” Unfortunately, that is not the tagline for an action movie, but rather the declaration made by the UN’s top climate official [in a speech]( in London this week. Simon Stiell urged international leaders to meet the Paris Agreement’s 2025 deadline to submit better plans to curb emissions or face devastating consequences. Not all climate scientists are on board with Stiell’s doomerism, as some argue it’s empty rhetoric and risks making people feel powerless. Read: Is the Denver-Boulder metro area becoming the new Silicon Valley? ([CNBC]( QUIZ [A quiz unlike any other]( [New Friday quiz image]( The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to remembering it’s [ramps season](. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [Instagram]( announced it’s launching a new feature that automatically detects and blurs nudity in direct messages in order to protect teens and fight sexual scams. - [Federal authorities]( said Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, stole $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, potentially clearing Ohtani of any wrongdoing in a betting scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball. - [Harvard]( yeeted its test-optional policy, joining several other elite colleges in reinstating SAT or ACT admission requirements. - [Spotify]( is reportedly developing a tool that allows users to speed up, edit, and otherwise manipulate songs. - [UnitedHealth Chairman]( Stephen Hemsley and other executives sold $102 million in company stock months before a federal antitrust probe became public, Bloomberg reported. RECS [Friday to-do list] Air bud: Starting next month, BarkBox will offer [charter flights]( just for dogs and their owners. Till you collapse: Eminem called on his fans to fill out a [questionnaire]( that could be used in an upcoming documentary. Unwind: NBC Select’s [Wellness Awards]( include silicone earplugs and a mini sound machine. Watch: [A one-minute supercut]( of David Schwimmer saying “juice” in The People v. O.J. Simpson. Finance for the future: Join CFO Brew for a half-day event in NYC exploring AI and how to future-proof your finance operations. [Grab your tickets now](. Walking the HR tightrope: 8k+ global employees experience big imbalances in their workplaces—[see what this means](. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Picdoku: This game is essentially sudoku, but instead of fiddling around with numbers, you’re presented with symbols. Today’s theme? Soft drink logos. [Play it here](. Friday puzzle Here are 30 letter pairs that make up 10 six-letter words. Use the clues provided to find all 10 words, using each letter pair only once. Race your coworkers! AG CE CT ED ED EL EN ER ES ES ES EV EW FI HS IM IS IS IT LA LE LE NO NT OF SE SU TA UG VI 1. Gift 2. Polished 3. Joyful sounds 4. Stranger Things character 5. TV watcher 6. Important matters 7. Choose 8. Google Search option 9. Workplace 10. Sounds SHARE THE BREW [Share Morning Brew]( with your friends, acquire free Brew swag, and then acquire more friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We’re saying we’ll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWER - TALENT - EDITED - LAUGHS - ELEVEN - VIEWER - ISSUES - SELECT - IMAGES - OFFICE - NOISES Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: yeeted, meaning “thrown, especially with force and without regard for the thing being thrown.” Thanks to Liz from Raleigh, NC, for chucking the suggestion over. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. Written by [Adam Epstein]( [Neal Freyman]( [Matty Merritt]( [Molly Liebergall]( Dave Lozo, and Sam Klebanov Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Interested in podcasts? - Check out ours [here]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( // [FAQ]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright © 2024 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 22 W 19th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011