☕️ Fingers crossed

The UK begins a big four-day workweek test... June 07, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [The Ascent]( Good morning. Here’s an icebreaker question for any meetings you happen to be running today: What’s your take on grapefruit? The topic came up because we found out that per capita grapefruit consumption in the US has plunged more than 80% over the last 50 years. —Max Knoblauch (scorns grapefruit), Neal Freyman (big grapefruit guy, never puts sugar on it like a boss), Matty Merritt (only eats the skin) MARKETS Nasdaq 12,061.37 +0.40% S&P 4,121.43 +0.31% Dow 32,915.78 +0.05% 10-Year 3.049% +11.0 bps Bitcoin $31,487.22 +5.13% Amazon $124.79 +1.99% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 7:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks [ticked higher]( after investors saw signs that China was easing up on Covid restrictions as well as its regulatory crackdown on its tech industry. And you might have noticed Amazon’s stock got a pretty big shave. That’s because the company’s 20:1 stock split went into effect yesterday—its first split since 1999. - Global politics: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson [survived]( a no-confidence vote that would have booted him from office, but the fact that 41% of lawmakers from his own Conservative Party opted to remove him shows there’s…little confidence in him. Johnson has been dogged by reports that he was throwing ragers while the rest of the country was in Covid lockdown. WORK [The UK debuts super casual Fridays]( [A time card with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday crossed out](Illustration: Francis Scialabba, Photos: Getty Images Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the researchers who keep trying to give us a longer weekend. A [six-month program]( that began in the UK on Monday will test the effects of the four-day workweek on thousands of workers across 70 companies. More than 3,300 workers will participate in the trial, making it the largest test of the four-day workweek. Several industries will be involved, including banking, health care, marketing, and retail—and through interviews, surveys, and internal productivity measures, researchers will determine if we have all been clocking in on Fridays for our whole adult lives for absolutely no reason. The results of the trial will be announced sometime in 2023. Fingers crossed The concept of a four-day workweek is decades-old, but legitimate tests of it are somewhat recent. The last major trials took place in Iceland between 2015 and 2019, and included 2,500 public- and private-sector employees (more than 1% of the country’s working population). Those employees switched to a 35- or 36-hour workweek without any reduction in pay and, according to researchers, the test was a “major success.” Productivity at the majority of workplaces involved improved or stayed the same, the study found. Other trials are underway in several countries, including Spain, New Zealand, and Japan. But, if you’re one of the 92% of US employees who are into the idea and don’t want to wait for trial results, you may want to consider moving to France, where a 35-hour workweek cap has been the law since 2000. - Trials of lighter work schedules haven’t always been successful for both employees and employers, though: A two-year trial of a six-hour workday in one of Sweden’s largest cities in 2017 left workers happier, healthier, and more productive, but the practice was deemed too expensive due to the new hires needed to fill gaps in time. Bottom line: For all the notable trials and tests of a shorter workweek, finding a job that actually implements one is extremely rare. In January, there were just 1,700 jobs advertising a four-day workweek in the US for every 1 million posted.—MK �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=The%20UK%20debuts%20super%20casual%20Fridays%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F4-day-workweek-UK-trial%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH THE ASCENT [New year, new (interest-free) you]( [The Ascent]( Yes, we’re aware it’s only June. But we’re forward-thinkers, you see. So we’re already looking all the way ahead to 2024, which we can enter interest-free thanks to [this credit card](. When you move your existing balance to this card, you [pay 0% interest on your transferred debt for 21 months](. There’s also a long intro 0% APR on purchases. And you can say goodbye to late and annual fees—for good. So as you pay your way through your balance, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that this card can help you step into 2024 completely interest-free. Future you just did a happy dance. [Learn more and apply here](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Apple CEO Tim Cook appears on a video screen as he delivers a keynote address during the WWDC22]Justin Sullivan/Getty Images iMessage will get an edit function. Soon you’ll be able to tell your friends how you really feel when you text them, “I’m so ducking mad”: Apple is introducing the ability to [edit or completely recall texts](in iMessage as part of its next operating system, iOS 16. The company also announced changes to the iPhone lock screen (customizable fonts! Widgets!) and the biggest update to the MacBook Air in more than a decade during its WWDC keynote address. Biden tries to thaw the frozen solar industry. The US said it’s a) granting a [two-year tariff exemption]( on solar panels produced in Southeast Asia and b) invoking the Defense Production Act to jumpstart American manufacturing of panels at a time when the sector has been paralyzed due to a government investigation. As we wrote about last month, the Commerce Department launched a [probe]( into Chinese-made solar products, and the threat of retroactive punishment has put many projects on ice. Paramount sued over Top Gun: Maverick. Did you know that the OG Top Gun was inspired by a 1983 article in California magazine? Well, the heirs to the piece’s author are [suing]( the studio for producing and distributing the sequel without holding the copyright to that article. Meanwhile, Paramount is making boatloads on the blockbuster, and experts say a $1 billion global haul is attainable—even without the Chinese or Russian markets. TECH [Elon Musk tries to squirm out of Twitter deal]( [Elon Musk pointing with a bird on his finger](Photo Illustration: Dianna “Mick” McDougall, Photo: Getty Images/Frederic J. Brown After smashing the “cancel order” button to little effect, Elon Musk has [ramped up]( his threats to abandon his Twitter takeover by calling in his legal team. In Musk’s most significant play yet to pull out of the deal, his lawyer sent a letter to Twitter accusing the company of denying Musk’s requests for more information about the number of fake and spam accounts on the platform. Musk has repeatedly argued that Twitter has a much bigger bot problem than it discloses, and is using that as justification to scuttle (or potentially renegotiate) his $44 billion purchase. Big picture: One reason for Musk’s fixation with bots might be that he encounters them [far more]( than the average Twitter user—or even the average celebrity. About 70% of Musk’s Twitter followers are spam, fake, or inactive, compared to 41% for accounts with similarly huge followings, according to software-maker SparkToro. So where do we go from here? Twitter responded to Musk’s letter with a statement along the lines of, “No take-backs, pal. You signed on the dotted line, and we’re set on making this happen.” If it gets tired of Musk’s lollygagging, Twitter could eventually sue to compel Musk to go through with the deal. In related news…Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking an Elon-influenced swipe at Twitter. He said he’s [investigating]( whether Twitter is misleading users about the number of bots on its platform.—NF �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Elon%20Musk%20tries%20to%20squirm%20out%20of%20Twitter%20deal%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F06%2F06%2Felon-musk-tries-out-of-twitter-deal%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TECH [Axon grounds its Taser drone project]( [Axon drone](Axon Axon, maker of the Taser, said yesterday that it’s [pausing]( its controversial plan to make Taser-equipped drones to take down mass shooters. The hard pivot comes after Axon founder and CEO Rick Smith announced last week that the security company would start development of drones that could be operated by first responders and potentially used in schools to avoid another shooting like the recent one in Uvalde, Texas. What changed? Axon’s ethics board, a group of experts in tech, privacy, and policing, sparred publicly with Smith over the idea, arguing that the drones could be used to over-police communities of color. Nine members resigned yesterday over the drone plan. In explaining the mass exodus, the board released a statement saying it had “lost faith in Axon’s ability to be a responsible partner.” Zoom out: This isn’t the first time Axon has pitched the idea of a weaponized drone. It wanted to run a police pilot program utilizing the tech, but the board voted against it a few weeks ago. In 2016, Smith even wrote a companion [graphic novel]( exploring how the drone could stop a shooter.—MM �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Axon%20grounds%20its%20Taser%20drone%20project%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Faxon-pumps-brakes-on-taser-drone%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Pokemon GO]Niantic Stat: Pokémon Go is not just still around—it’s [thriving](. The mobile AR game just passed $6 billion in global lifetime player spending on app stores, according to Sensor Tower. Since its breakout launch in 2016, Pokémon Go has generated $1 billion/year in revenue, and was the seventh-highest revenue generating mobile game on the market in 2021. Quote: “I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start.” After taking a break from professional golf, Phil Mickelson announced that he will [compete]( in this week’s inaugural tournament run by LIV Golf, a controversial league backed by Saudi Arabia that’s attempting to poach top PGA Tour players with gobs of prize money. We’ll dive deeper into the drama on Thursday. Read: The Colorado River is in crisis, and it’s getting worse every day. ([Washington Post]() BREW'S BETS Good TikTok account: Watch a [robot draw things](. Meat grinder: What would it look like if you blended all people of Earth together and turned them into a ball of fine goo? [Here’s your answer](. Calling all NYC-based marketers: We know your field is constantly evolving, so we’re hosting an IRL event tomorrow, June 8, to talk about tips for remaining agile in today’s environment. Come for the conversation…stay for the free drinks and snacks. [Register here](. Crypto + stocks, but make it social: With [eToro](, you can create your own virtual investment portfolio with $100K in “play money” and see which stocks + cryptocurrencies your friends are investing in at the same time. Join today and [get $10 for depositing $100 on eToro](.* Get your grill on: Host the best summer cookout this year with ButcherBox’s delicious, high-quality meat delivered right to your door. Sign up now to receive the grilling bundle—two ribeyes, 5 pounds of chicken drumsticks, and a pack of burgers—[FREE in your first order](.* *This is sponsored advertising content. WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [Here’s what you need to know]( about the primaries in seven states today. - [New York]( banned residents under age 21 from buying a semiautomatic rifle, one of 10 public safety-related bills signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul yesterday. - [JetBlue]( upped its offer to buy Spirit Airlines to try to convince the board to reject a competing bid from Frontier. - [Mercedes-Benz]( is recalling nearly 1 million older vehicles globally over faulty brakes. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Brew Mini: “Bill & ___ Excellent Adventure” (four letters) is your sample clue for today’s puzzle. [Play it here](. Tennis champions trivia The “Big Three” of men’s tennis (Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic) have won 62 of the last 75 Grand Slams dating back to 2003. Can you name the 11 other players who’ve won major titles during that period? If you get all 11 please let us know, because that’s next-level tennis knowledge. [How Katie increased her net worth to $600k](#) You can increase your net worth without day trading, or making fancy or skilled moves. [Find out how Katie did it here](. Don’t miss out on more from the Brew: [Meet the creator of vegan cookie dough that celebs love]( Do you spend hours in Excel? Check out and follow Excel Dictionary on [Instagram]( and [TikTok]( to get tips to make your work easier. 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=a905682a]( ANSWER - Andre Agassi - Juan Carlos Ferrero - Andy Roddick - Marin Čilić - Gastón Gaudio - Marat Safin - Juan Martín del Potro - Andy Murray - Stan Wawrinka - Dominic Thiem - Daniil Medvedev ✤ A Note From eToro Securities trading through eToro USA Securities, Inc. Member of FINRA and SIPC. Crypto Trading through eToro USA LLC, not FDIC insured. � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman](, [Max Knoblauch](, and [Matty Merritt]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? 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