☕ Read the room

Outrage over Apple’s new iPad commercial... May 10, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [CardCritics]( Good morning. The Beehive State is buzzing. Not only was Utah ranked the best state in the country for the second consecutive year by US News & World Report, it also has a new NHL team. But that team needs a name, and on Wednesday owner Ryan Smith announced [20 options]( for the public to vote on. Some choices (Black Diamonds, Swarm, Venom, Squall, Hive, Yeti) are inspired, while others (Frost, Ice, Freeze, Blast, Blizzard, Glaciers) just sound like Gatorade flavors. If this team really wants to stand out, it should combine the top two vote-getters for its name. The Utah Yeti Blast would go 82–0. —Matty Merritt, Cassandra Cassidy, Dave Lozo, Adam Epstein, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq $16,346.27 +0.27% S&P $5,214.08 +0.51% Dow $39,387.76 +0.85% 10-Year 4.449% -4.0 bps Bitcoin $62,581.66 +1.42% Roblox $30.42 -22.06% Data is provided by *Stock data as of market close. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: At this point, the market is heaving half-court heat checks, and everything’s still going in. The Dow [jumped]( for the seventh straight day while the S&P 500 closed above 5,200 for the first time in a month as stocks climbed across the board, possibly a reaction to data showing that the cooling labor market could translate into a Fed interest rate cut in a few months. - Stock spotlight: Roblox, the game you won’t ever fully understand no matter how many times your kids or younger siblings explain it to you, [tanked]( 22% yesterday after the company cut its annual bookings forecast. The rough patch suggests that the game’s pandemic-induced popularity has likely peaked.  TECH [Everyone hates Apple’s destructive iPad commercial]( [Apple iPad Pro commercial]( People had a pretty universal response to Apple’s new iPad ad: [Read the room](. The tech giant introduced its new iPad Pro this week with a [commercial]( titled “Crush!” that features a hydraulic press crushing creative objects like a trumpet, paint cans, an old-school arcade game, and cameras to form its new $1k tablet. The ad has been viewed on CEO Tim Cook’s X account more than 53 million times in two days, and everyone from tech writers to Hugh Grant is roasting the company for becoming the soulless Big Brother it [vehemently railed against]( decades ago. The company was forced to issue a rare apology and said the ad wouldn’t air on TV as planned. Apple’s legendary marketing is integral to its success. If consumers can’t romanticize Steve Jobs “going against the grain,” they might as well buy a Lenovo. - The destructive imagery of Apple’s commercial comes as artists are already on edge about Big Tech’s massive investments into AI and concerns (and lawsuits) about the technology is [stealing]( their work and will eventually replace them. - Apple is also being sued by the Justice Department for its alleged [illegal monopoly]( over the smartphone market. In addition to the souring of Apple’s image…this is not a promising start for the device’s pivotal release next week. iPad sales were down [25%]( last year compared with the year prior, mainly because Apple didn’t release new iPad hardware in 2023 for the first time since 2010. Bottom line: Instead of wooing creatives with the iPad Pro’s powerful new specs, like its M4 neural engine, and the fact that it’s the thinnest device the company has ever created, the ad seemingly worsened the reputation of a gadget that is perhaps known best as a tool for toddlers to drool on in a restaurant.—MM PRESENTED BY CARDCRITICS [This card’s catchin’ eyes]( [CardCritics]( And we aren’t surprised. [Credit card perks like these]( have a tendency to attract admirers, and this card’s got plenty of both. The pros at CardCritics have shared their verdict: [This card’s benefits]( are worth more than a passing glance. Cardholders enjoy: - a $200 bonus after spending $500 - unlimited cash rewards on purchases - a looooong intro APR on purchases and balance transfers Can’t take the suspense any longer? Find out which card CardCritics is pumped about, and learn more about [applying for your own](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Hundreds protest against Israel's Eurovision participation in Malmo, Sweden]Anadolu/Getty Images Thousands protest Israel’s participation in Eurovision. The semifinals of the annual song competition were overshadowed Thursday by scores of pro-Palestine protesters who took to the streets of Malmö, Sweden, [to object]( to the inclusion of 20-year-old Israeli singer Eden Golan in the contest. Activists have for months called on Eurovision to ban Israel over the war in Gaza, but event organizers have refused, arguing the contest is meant to celebrate music and be apolitical. Golan has reportedly received death threats and was booed by the audience during her performance. The contest, which is watched by more than 150 million people each year, banned Russia from participating after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Deadly storms are battering the South. Four people have died, dozens more have been injured, and thousands of homes and businesses are without power as severe thunderstorms [and tornadoes]( torment a large part of the US, from North Carolina to Texas. The region has experienced 300 tornadoes since April 25, the most since 2011 and the second-most ever recorded. In total, 39 states and 98 million Americans were under some kind of severe weather risk this week, the Associated Press reported. Sony is reportedly considering selling CBS if it buys Paramount Global. According to the New York Times, Sony and private equity firm Apollo Global Management [intend to break up]( Paramount if they succeed in their attempt to buy the troubled entertainment company for $26 billion. Their plan, per the NYT, is to auction off the flagship CBS network, alongside cable channels like MTV. They would combine Paramount Pictures with Sony’s existing movie studio and keep the rights to famous Paramount characters like SpongeBob SquarePants. For decades, Paramount has been controlled by the Redstone family, who reportedly prefers that the company is not partitioned. AUTO [This model is the latest sedan to die]( [Scene from “Repo Man”]( Pictures High school parking lots are going to look a lot different in 10 years. This week, GM announced it’s [retiring]( the Chevy Malibu, the company’s last sedan model, to focus on EV production. The demise of the Malibu finishes what GM started at Chevy last year when it eliminated the Camaro, leaving it with a lineup of only SUVs, trucks, and the two-door Corvette. And GM isn’t the only carmaker to step away from smaller cars as they lose popularity among drivers: - Ford (mostly) quit sedans in 2019, though it still makes the Mustang. - Stellantis is focused on SUVs and trucks but plans to bring back an electric version of the Dodge Challenger in 2025. - Foreign automakers like Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru have also scaled back their sedan production. Driving the change: Younger car owners are looking for something [roomier]( that can fit both their REI camping equipment and their goldendoodle. Since SUVs and crossovers are more profitable than sedans, carmakers have been happy to adjust to the trend. Cars (hatchbacks, sedans, coupes, etc.) accounted for less than 23% of auto sales in the US in 2021, according to JD Power. Looking electric…despite consumers’ tepid interest in EVs, GM is investing $390 million to [refit]( the Malibu factory to produce the new Bolt.—CC TOGETHER WITH THE POINTS GUY [The Points Guy]( Are your points in peril? [Proposed legislation]( could cut your hard-earned credit card cash-back and travel rewards programs. The worst part? The bill could also put your personal security at risk when shopping. [Protect your points today](. SPORTS [TNT’s loss could be Charles Barkley’s gain]( [Charles Barkley]( Layton/Getty Images The most-coveted NBA free agent in 2025 might be a man in his 60s known more for his opinions on churros than anything he did on the court. Inside the NBA stalwart Charles Barkley could command a contract worth as much as $20 million per year on the open market, per [FOS]( if TNT’s broadcast partnership with the NBA is not [renewed]( after next season. That would put the man with the worst golf swing on TV in the same lucrative company as fellow athletes-turned-broadcasters Tony Romo (10 years, $180 million from CBS) and Tom Brady (10 years, $375 million from Fox). TNT isn’t benched yet. Amazon and Disney have frameworks in place for partial broadcast rights, with NBC the front-runner to be the third and final partner, bringing the total value of the 11-year deal to ~$76 billion, according to Sports Business Journal. Normally, TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery would be able to match NBC’s offer, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is requiring a higher bid from WBD, since NBC can offer more prime-time broadcast windows and boasts regional sports networks that WBD can’t equal.—DL GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Brazil floods 2024]Carlos Fabal/Getty Images Stat: Heavy rains have caused the worst flooding in Brazil in at least [80 years](. The Guaiba River in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to over 17 feet this week, higher than during the country’s infamous 1941 flood. About 1.5 million Brazilians are affected, as waters flow in from lakes and rivers in the north, engulfing the entire state. More than 100 people have died and 130 others are still reported missing, according to most recent estimates. Some observers are calling it a “Katrina moment” for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who signed a decree that exempts $9.9 billion in emergency relief from Brazil’s budget. Quote: “I’m not your mum...I only care about results.” How’s this for a result? Baidu public relations executive Qu Jing is reportedly out at the Chinese search giant after she posted a series of videos on social media endorsing [cutthroat workplace practices](. She said employees should keep their phones on 24 hours a day and be willing to travel 50 straight days for business. And in perhaps the biggest self-own of all time, Qu bragged that she worked so much that she forgot what grade her son is in. She also apparently forgot that PR execs are supposed to put out fires, not start them. Read: The untold story of the Sherpa who raced to deliver the news that Mount Everest had been summited for the first time. ([Outside]( QUIZ [Planet of the quizzes]( [New Friday quiz image]( The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to listening to “Espresso” on repeat. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [TikTok]( will start labeling AI-generated content in an attempt to combat misinformation. - [Warner Bros.]( announced it will release a new Lord of the Rings movie in 2026, produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the original trilogy. - [The 2023 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA]( both resigned just days apart, marking the latest in a series of controversies for the organization. - [Mortgage rates]( fell for the first time since March, to just over 7%. - [A Boeing 737]( skidded off the runway in Senegal, injuring 11. RECS [Friday to-do list] Win the summer: What scientists say are the [best kinds of sunscreen](. Check your diet: This tool will tell you how much [ultraprocessed food]( you’re eating. Optimize Siri: 15 iPhone [tips and tricks]( that may surprise you. Rep Morning Brew: From socks to t-shirts to hoodies, we’ve got all the Morning Brew merch you didn’t know you needed. [Grab your new favorite apparel here](. It’s giving…hired: Connect with companies + [explore job openings]( with just one application. Express Employment Professionals can help you find jobs that match your skills—with [no fee]( *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Picdoku: Like sudoku but get intimidated by numbers? Picdoku is your game. [Play it here](. Friday puzzle Two elements in the periodic table can be spelled using the chemical symbols of three other elements. One of them is silver: Si (silicon) + Lv (livermorium) + Er (erbium). What is the other? 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 Iron. Ir (iridium) + O (oxygen) + N (nitrogen). [Source]( Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: partitioned, meaning “separated or divided up.” Thanks to Emily from Illinois for sending us the suggestion in one piece. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. Written by [Adam Epstein]( [Matty Merritt]( [Cassandra Cassidy]( Dave Lozo, and [Neal Freyman]( 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