☕ Jerry and Judy

Jerry Springer was more than just a TV host... April 28, 2023 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Express Employment Professionals]( Good morning and Happy Friday—the one day of the week when you’re allowed to drink six iced coffees, eat a donut for lunch, and frantically text your friends to make plans. At least, that’s our agenda. —Cassandra Cassidy, Molly Liebergall, Matty Merritt, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 12,142.24 +2.43% S&P 4,135.35 +1.96% Dow 33,826.16 +1.57% 10-Year 3.525% +7.5 bps Bitcoin $29,721.23 +8.43% Meta $238.56 +13.93% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 3:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: A rising Zuck [lifted all boats]( on Wall Street yesterday, as investors celebrated Meta’s return to revenue growth by sending stocks higher across the board. The S&P and Dow had their best trading day since January. - Economy: The US economy entered a 10 mph zone last quarter, slowing to an [annual growth rate of 1.1%]( (way short of estimates). While the growth figures were discouraging and a consequence of the Fed’s interest rate hikes, economists found some bright spots: Y’all won’t stop shopping, resulting in a 3.7% increase in consumer spending. Still waiting on that recession…  MEDIA [Jerry Springer, ‘ringmaster of civilization’s end,’ dies]( [Jerry Springer sitting at a desk]( Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Jerry Springer, the talk show host, politician, and king of mess who pushed the boundaries of television with his eponymous daytime talk show, died yesterday at 79. He leaves behind a legacy of norm-defying, provocative storytelling about people on the fringes of society that laid the foundation for the current reality TV landscape. The Jerry Springer Show, which ran from 1991 to 2018, peaked in popularity in 1998, drawing 12 million viewers and surpassing Oprah’s talk show in the ratings. That year, while Oprah was chatting with celebs like Madonna, Brad Pitt, and Tyra Banks, Springer interviewed three people in interspecies marriages. Just how weird was The Jerry Springer Show? If you thought Dr. Phil’s [“Cash Me Outside”]( episode was strange…you’d better sit down. Examples of guests Springer hosted include [members of the KKK]( [adult babies]( a self-described [kung fu hillbilly]( and a number of folks who came clean about extramarital affairs while on the show. Springer [said]( he only ever interviewed “regular folks, of no fame, little if any wealth, and very little influence,” and he faced many critics who said that in doing so, he profited off the exploitation of low-income people. But Springer defended his approach. When asked in a 2014 BBC interview if he was ashamed of his show, he said, “You could decide only to put well-scrubbed, wealthy people who speak the Queen’s English on television and just do that, but that wouldn’t reflect the whole society.” Springer was a busy guy When he wasn’t breaking up fights on daytime TV, Springer also: - Started as a politician. He was an advisor to Robert F. Kennedy, served as the mayor of Cincinnati from 1977–1978, and ran for Ohio governor in 1982. Luckily, he lost and pivoted to TV. - Inspired a musical. Jerry Springer: The Opera has been running on and off since 2001. - Appeared in a number of other productions, including The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway, [Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]( and most recently, The Masked Singer as a contestant. Of course, for ’90s kids, Springer’s greatest role of all was keeping us company on sick days.—CC   TOGETHER WITH EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS [Help wanted?]( [Express Employment Professionals]( Are you walking the line between “busy” and “totally overwhelmed”? Get some of that precious time back (and lower your stress) by hiring with [Express Employment Professionals](. Whether you’re looking for support on a short-term project or you’re ready to hire full-time team members, Express has your back. Express connects you with the [talented workers]( you need in light industrial, skilled trades, and professional and office roles. The best part is, each Express office is locally owned and operated. They’re rip-roarin’ ready to help local business communities thrive, and they’ll take their time to understand your biz’s unique needs. Give yourself some breathing room. [Start hiring with Express](. WORLD Tour de headlines [Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell]Samuel Corum/Getty Images Powell got punk’d. In January, Fed Chair Jerome Powell had a phone call with a person he thought was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky…but it was just a [prank]( by Russian tricksters, according to footage from Russian state television. In the video, Powell can be seen answering questions about inflation and the economy in ways that were consistent with his other statements—though the Fed said the video appears to have been edited and cannot confirm its accuracy. Powell isn’t the only victim of these pranksters; they also bamboozled their way to speak with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prince Harry. Cigarette smoking hits a record low in the US. Just 1 in 9 Americans smoked cigarettes last year, a [record low]( according to the CDC. Compared to the 1960s, when 42% of US adults smoked cigarettes, it’s a dramatic drop that reflects greater awareness of the health risks of smoking, and economic hurdles like cigarette taxes. But Americans haven’t given up their nicotine addiction entirely. Vaping rose to almost 6% last year, and 14% of teens reported using e-cigarettes in another CDC study. QBs go No. 1 and No. 2 at the NFL draft. On the first night of the NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers [selected]( Alabama quarterback Bryce Young as the first pick, and with the second pick, the Houston Texans drafted Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud. Elsewhere in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens and former MVP QB Lamar Jackson agreed to a [five-year deal]( worth $260 million, making Jackson the highest-paid player in the league. Jalen Hurts—it was fun while it lasted. PHARMA [A new challenger emerges in the weight-loss drug race]( [Eli Lilly manufactures Mounjaro and Trulicity, two antidiabetics with weight loss benefits.]( Cristina Arias/Getty Images Say buongiorno to Mounjaro. The antidiabetic drug made by Eli Lilly that helps patients shed pounds could dethrone Wegovy (the weight-loss version of Ozempic) as the favorite among celebrities and wealthy people on a diet, according to new clinical trials. The results reinforced previous findings that Mounjaro (generic name tirzepatide) can help diabetic and nondiabetic patients lose more weight than people did in past studies of Wegovy. But Mounjaro is currently only approved for diabetes, and prescribed patients could lose steady access to the drug. - Eli Lilly has already struggled through shortages of Mounjaro after a social-media-fueled demand for Ozempic seeped into the rest of the sector. And judging by how quickly Wegovy went to backorder after being officially approved for non-diabetes purposes, Mounjaro will likely also face a frenzy of weight-loss prescriptions that causes more shortages. - Once greenlighted for weight loss, Mounjaro is projected to become one of the highest-grossing drugs of all time with $50 billion in annual sales, driving the weight-loss/diabetes medication industry to what some estimate could be $150 billion per year. Wegovy and Ozempic raked in $10 billion last year for manufacturer Novo Nordisk. The timeline: Eli Lilly expects the FDA to approve [Mounjaro for weight loss]( soon—perhaps by the end of the year. And the company is so confident in its potential “blockbuster” drug that it’s beginning an almost two-year trial this week to directly compare it against Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.—ML   SPONSORED BY PENDULUM THERAPEUTICS [Pendulum Therapeutics]( Unlock more energy. Sugar cravings and crashes are no friend to your body or your to-do list. Fortunately, [Metabolic Daily]( can optimize how you metabolize sugar and carbs. It helps you maintain blood sugar levels so you sustain consistent energy throughout the day. [Use code BREW for 20% off]( your first month of any Pendulum membership. ENTERTAINMENT [Judy Blume’s most famous book finally hits the screen]( [Judy Blume]( Rob Kim/Stringer via Getty The first film adaption of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret [premieres]( in theaters today, and reminding many what it was like to be excited about wearing a bra. The novel, published in 1970, remains the beloved author’s best-selling book, but even today, it’s commonly banned around the country. The story follows Margaret, an 11-year-old girl, as she navigates religion, periods, and toxic friendships in the New Jersey suburbs. Due to its frank discussion of menstruation and puberty, the book (and Blume’s other works) became a substitute of sorts for the sex ed many tweens never had in their classrooms. That’s also why the novel received pushback Are You There God and some of Blume’s other 32 titles were challenged during the first significant wave of banning books from schools in the ’80s. She’s spoken out against book bans, but her work is still being pulled from libraries for its discussion of teen sexuality and other taboo topics. Most recently…Blume’s book Forever was included on a list of 80 books from celebrated authors like Toni Morrison and James Patterson [banned]( last month by a Florida school district. A PEN America report released in September found that 1,648 titles were banned from school libraries in the 2021–2022 school year.—MM   GRAB BAG Key performance indicators [Chart showing the gender/name breakdown of CEOs in the S&P 500] Stat: Currently, [more women CEOs]( are running S&P 500 companies than men named John, a Bloomberg analysis shows. If you’re thinking, “Well, I sure hope so,” this wasn’t always the case—as recently as 2015, the New York Times found that the number of Johns who ran large companies outnumbered the number of women who did. Still, women are significantly underrepresented in the corner office: They account for 8% of S&P 500 CEO positions, compared to their 50.5% share of the US population. Quote: “It’s not a failure; it’s steps to success.” Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo channeled his inner Ted Lasso after his team’s shocking exit from the NBA playoffs Wednesday night. When asked by a reporter whether he considered the season a failure, Antetokounmpo [responded]( “There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful. Some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn. Some days it’s not your turn.” To no one’s surprise, his meditation on success started popping up on LinkedIn. Read: The glorious return of a humble car feature. ([Slate]( QUIZ [Are you there, quiz?]( [Weekly news quiz]( Getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to eating pierogies. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. NEWS What else is brewing - [Amazon]( topped revenue expectations last quarter, but investors got spooked when it warned that growth in its highly profitable cloud unit was slowing. - [New York City’s MTA]( said it would stop posting service updates on Twitter, saying the platform was “no longer reliable.” - [A San Francisco office tower]( that was sold for $300 million in 2019 is now on sale for ~$60 million, reflecting the rough shape of the office sector in downtown SF. - [Here’s how]( the AI race played out on Big Tech’s earnings calls. - [Ethereum]( the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, reduced its emissions by 99.99% after switching its network model from “proof of work” to “proof of stake.” RECS [Friday to-do list] The South Korean president has got pipes: Watch him sing “[American Pie]( at a state dinner at the White House. Hoist the main sail: Find out how an 18th-century sailing battleship works. ([YouTube]( Rating the weather apps: This [website]( shows which weather forecasts have been the most accurate for your area. Looking for a new book? Here is the [shortlist]( for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. You’d love our daily podcast. Every morning, we go deeper into the news stories you read in the Brew with the most relaxed, casual vibe you won’t find in any other news pod. [Check it out](. Your lucky (Way) Day: Wayfair’s sales event of the year—that’s [up to 80% off]( 11k+ products from brands like Cuisinart, Dyson, and Sealy—just got a surprise extension! Everything ships free, so don’t risk furniture FOMO. [Hurry, sale ends tonight]( *This is sponsored advertising content. PUZZLE The puzzle section Jigsaw: Most of us were not cool enough to attend Coachella, but today’s jigsaw puzzle will transport you to the California desert for as long as it takes you to solve it. [Play the jigsaw here](. Friday puzzle Place each number from 1 to 16 into this grid so that the sum of each column is equal to the number at the top of that column, and so that the sum of each row is equal to the number at the beginning of that row. There is only one solution. [Blank grid for the Friday Puzzle]Puzzle a Day AROUND THE BREW [Become a data savvy professional]( [Become a data savvy professional]( The Hangover/Warner Bros. Pictures Data analysis is a necessary skill for most positions these days. The next cohort of our Business Analytics Accelerator kicks off on May 1. [Apply today](. John Deere, the agricultural machinery company, is expanding into space. We know that may sound odd, but there’s a business strategy behind the move. [Read about it here](. Can’t wait for Marketing Brew’s summit next month? Get pumped by watching last year’s sessions with McDonald’s, Vans, and more [here](. 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