☕️ Pixar’s future

SCOTUS preserves abortion pill access... June 14, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [SmartAsset]( Good morning. Congrats to everyone who works at a company that lets you dip out early for Summer Fridays. For the rest of us, don’t forget: A Summer Friday isn’t a corporate perk. It’s a mindset . —Matty Merritt, Cassandra Cassidy, Molly Liebergall, Adam Epstein, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 17,667.56 +0.34% S&P 5,433.74 +0.23% Dow 38,647.10 -0.17% 10-Year 4.238% -6.0 bps Bitcoin $66,658.80 -2.01% Dave & Buster’s $44.84 -10.94% Data is provided by *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 5:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks [kept ripping]( on Thursday, pushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their fourth consecutive record closes as investors embraced the (mostly) good vibes from this week’s inflation report. Speaking of good vibes: The customers at Dave & Buster’s are going to have a much better time this weekend than the company’s executives, since its stock tanked after an earnings miss.  LEGAL [SCOTUS preserves abortion pill access]( [The Supreme Court]( Loeb/Getty Images Finally, there’s some news about the Supreme Court’s 9–5 instead of their eyebrow-raising PTO escapades. SCOTUS announced several major decisions yesterday, including a unanimous [rejection]( of an attempt to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Mifepristone is half of a commonly prescribed two-pill medication abortion regimen used in 63% of all abortions in the US, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The FDA expanded access to it twice since 2016—a decision challenged by a group of anti-abortion doctors. What the decision means: For now, there are no new restrictions on mifepristone. But the justices didn’t take a hard stance on the issue. In his majority opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that the doctors bringing the case could not establish they had a right to sue over the FDA’s regulation of the drug and that the anti-abortion group should take their concerns to citizens via the “political and electoral processes.” - But in its attempt to punt the decision, the court could invite even more legal battles to their desks. Three other suits in Idaho, Missouri, and Kansas are attempting to restrict abortion pill access with different arguments. - SCOTUS is also set to rule this session on whether Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion abortion interferes with emergency care provisions. High court votes with Starbucks Those team-building ropes courses must be working, because the court also found common ground on two other cases. In one case, SCOTUS [sided]( with coffee retailer Starbucks against the National Labor Relations Board regarding the firing of seven employees who attempted to unionize a Memphis location. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote a separate opinion dissenting on certain points made in the majority opinion, but ultimately voted with her colleagues. The decision—seen as a blow to unions’ organizing abilities—tightened the standards for federal judges to issue injunctions against companies embroiled in labor disputes. In the other case, SCOTUS [said]( a California lawyer could not trademark the phrase “Trump Too Small,” finding that being denied the trademark didn’t violate his free speech rights. Looking ahead…more big decisions are [expected]( soon, including on social media disinformation, guns, and Trump’s quest for absolute immunity.—MM PRESENTED BY SMARTASSET [Vanguard vs. Fidelity vs. Schwab]( [SmartAsset]( Who are you partnered with? It’s no secret that these could be considered three of the most popular brokerage firms. But they stack up slightly differently when it comes to fees and services. Learn more about who should work with Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab. [See the comparison](. Try SmartAsset's [free quiz]( to get matched with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area. While your advisor matches may not necessarily be associated with the above institutions, consulting a fiduciary advisor can be a great first step to helping make sure you're on track to meet your retirement goals. [Get your financial advisor matches today](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Germany and Scotland fans at Euro 2024]Andrew Milligan/Getty Images Euro 2024 kicks off today. The 17th edition of the quadrennial football soccer tournament starts today when host country Germany faces Scotland in the first of 51 matches to determine [European supremacy](. Apart from the hosts, the favorites include England, France, Portugal, Spain, and defending champs Italy. The pressure is heavy on England, which has never won the Euros and hasn’t won a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup. Ukraine, meanwhile, will likely be a fan favorite in the competition as the country defends itself from Russia’s invasion. The monthlong tournament could give a fleeting boost to Germany’s economy: The country expects to sell 2.7 million tickets and earn $4 billion in additional tourism sales. G7 leaders agreed to lend Ukraine $50 billion. On the first day of their three-day summit in Fasano, Italy, the heads of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies (US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan) met and [decided on a plan]( to loan Ukraine the funds using the interest on $300 billion in frozen Russian assets. President Biden also signed a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine, which Donald Trump could scrap if he wins November’s election. The G7 leaders also revealed a plan to create a group to coordinate the supply chain for semiconductors. Disney and DeSantis settled their beef. Our long national nightmare is over: Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seemingly [ended the feud]( that started two years ago over the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The five members of the board that governs the land of Disney World—whom DeSantis appointed as part of his “anti-woke” crusade against the company—voted to approve a 15-year, $17 billion development deal to expand the Orlando resort. As part of the deal, Disney agreed to give at least half of its construction projects to Florida-based companies and donate up to 100 acres for infrastructure improvements. In March, the two parties agreed to stop suing each other. AUTO [Tesla shareholders say OK to Musk’s $56b payday]( [Elon Musk]( Wigglesworth/Getty Images The news out of Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in Austin: This is Texas, and Elon Musk can hold ’em. The electric vehicle company’s shareholders [voted]( by a wide margin to reapprove the CEO’s pay package, handing a big win to Musk and Tesla’s board. Shareholders also approved Musk’s plan to move the company’s incorporation from Delaware to Texas. Why we’re here: In January, a Delaware judge [rescinded]( Musk’s compensation package, despite Tesla’s shareholders having approved it in 2018, due to concerns that the process was “deeply flawed” and influenced too heavily by Musk. The package allowed him to receive options on ~300 million shares, valuing it at nearly $56 billion today, provided Tesla hit preset revenue and profit targets (which it did). Some large shareholders voted no, viewing the pay as too high and Musk as undeserving—partly because he used some of his wealth from Tesla to buy Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and partly because the company’s stock is down over 25% this year. But Musk’s supporters won out, with many believing the high compensation is needed to retain the the CEO’s attention and motivate him. Musk [thanked shareholders]( for their support on X on Wednesday before the votes were even counted, predicting victory and sending Tesla’s stock up. After the vote, Musk told his investors, “Hot Damn! I love you guys.” Despite reapproval, it’s not a done deal. The Delaware judge who nixed the package (or an appeals court) will likely still get a say before Musk gets his money. —CC SPONSORED BY APPLE CARD [Apple Card]( Pay it forward. You budget and you’re mindful of your spending habits. Wanna keep the smart spending strategies going this summer? The weather may be flamin’ hot, but your receipts don’t have to be. [Read our article]( about [summer spending]( and how your budget can succeed this season and beyond. ENTERTAINMENT [Pixar’s future could ride on these tiny creatures]( [Anxiety emotion from ‘Inside Out 2’]( Anxiety and Embarrassment are two of the new anthropomorphic emotions joining the cast of Inside Out 2, and if the animated film premiering in theaters today doesn’t smash it, they’ll also describe how Pixar execs are feeling. The studio that brought you Toy Story needs a box-office win. Pixar grossed $1.1 billion from the fourth installment of that beloved franchise, but then the pandemic happened. Onward hit theaters in March 2020, and Pixar’s next three films—Soul, Luca, and Turning Red—went straight to Disney+, which “felt a little like a death,” Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter [told]( Bloomberg. Lightyear, Pixar’s return to theaters in 2022, lost millions, and last year’s Elemental logged the worst opening weekend in the studio’s history. So…Pixar has changed its tactics: More sequels and spinoffs, fewer original concepts (like the pandemic-era releases that warmed hearts but made barely any money), Docter said. Optimism abounds: Inside Out 2 surpassed the first installment in advance ticket sales, according to Fandango, and box-office analysts are predicting it could be the first movie of the year to crack $100 million domestically in its opening weekend. That would also [inject]( theaters with some much-needed life—box-office revenue is [down]( 26% this year from 2023, per Comscore.—ML STAT [Prime number](#) [Graphic of a laptop with the Wells Fargo logo on the screen]Francis Scialabba That Rube Goldberg-esque machine you built that releases a marble along a track that then nudges a pendulum to swing into your computer mouse to make it look like it’s moving while you’re still lying in bed could [get you fired]( if you work at Wells Fargo. The banking giant dismissed more than a dozen employees for allegedly “creating [the] impression of active work” via fake keyboard activity, according to a regulatory filing reported on by Bloomberg. Devices that trick your bosses into thinking you’re actually reading their emails cost about $20 on Amazon, but that does not factor in the potential price of unemployment. QUIZ [Dude, Where’s My Quiz?]( [New Friday quiz image]( The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to actually getting the real Summer Friday—forget what we said before. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [Wholesale prices]( unexpectedly fell 0.2% last month, further evidence that the US is getting inflation under control after the encouraging consumer price index report released earlier this week. - [LinkedIn]( rolled out a slate of AI features, including AI-powered career coaches for premium members. - [Evan Gershkovich]( the Wall Street Journal reporter wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, was accused of spying for the CIA in an evidence-free indictment. - [The computer servers]( for GameStop’s annual shareholder meeting crashed yesterday due to overwhelming interest. - [Elon Musk]( was sued by eight former SpaceX employees for sexual harassment and retaliation, which Musk has denied. RECS [Friday to-do list] Watch: The [rarest move]( in chess. Learn: [The history]( of the device that measures your feet at shoe stores. Read: The five best books [about voyages](. Hit the road: The cities where Americans [drive the most]( (and the least). Shop: Don’t miss out on Morning Brew’s summer sale! [Get up to 50% off]( some of our best-selling merch while supplies last. Grab a slice: Whip up a few pies with Ooni’s [Koda 2 Max]( oven. With its 24-inch cooking area + two gas burners, you can cook every pie to perfection. [Get it while it’s hot]( Summer spending sidekick: Looking for smart [spending strategies]( this summer? Try saying that five times fast, and then, [check out our article]( all about it.* *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Decipher: New game alert! Decipher is a game that requires you to decode a message—in today’s puzzle, the message is a famous movie quote. Read the instructions carefully, but we know you’ll figure it out. You can always hit “Info” to read the instructions again. [Play it here]( and tell [Jack]( what you think. Friday puzzle What is the only US state name that contains none of the letters in the word “mackerel”? 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 Ohio ([source]( Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: quadrennial, meaning “occurring every four years.” Thanks to Dennis from Buttzville, NJ, for the timely suggestion. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. Written by [Adam Epstein]( [Matty Merritt]( [Cassandra Cassidy]( [Molly Liebergall]( 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. 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