Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🙅 Gen Z shuns the spotlight
• 💥 Potential Iran peace deal
• 📚 10 best books of 2026

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.98-minute read (1,059 words).

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“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.”

—Bob Marley (1945-1981)

Gen Z has reportedly given up on its once-universal dream of becoming an influencer, sending major shockwaves through the ring-light and podcast microphone industries.

• Just 5% of US adults aged 18-30 currently want to become influencers, according to a new Yahoo poll.
• It marks a dramatic shift from three years ago, when some 57% of Gen Z told Morning Consult they wanted to be an influencer.

Even celebrities are sounding the alarm. Pop star Chappell Roan and Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu are among the young public stars who’ve spoken out in recent weeks and months about the desire for more privacy and less of the baggage that comes with fame.

Unsubscribing from the creator economy

Experts say young people have become far more aware of the risks tied to online visibility, from permanent digital footprints to harassment and stalking. Would-be influencers also cite challenges standing out from the competition in an internet that’s increasingly filled with bots, deepfakes, AI-generated slop, and combative comment sections.

There’s also the money factor. Creators struggle with unpredictable monthly paychecks, higher taxes due to self-employment, and constant anxiety at the prospect of their income streams drying up at any moment.

• And despite public indications to the contrary, the vast majority of influencers struggle to earn enough to make ends meet.
• In 2023, nearly half of content creators who earned money (48%) made less than $15,000, while just 13% earned more than $100,000, per data from NeoReach.

So, what does Gen Z want instead? Yahoo found entrepreneurship ranked highest for career aspirations (18%), followed by intellectual or professor (17%) and doctor (14%).

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Anyone looking to avoid spoilers to the next season of Love Island may have to invent a time machine to accomplish their goal, per a new Variety report.

Prediction markets have spoiled the results of several recent pre-taped reality TV shows, including the recent finale Survivor 50—often before a single episode of the new season has even aired.

Spoiler alert: results aren’t a secret

Fans who glanced at odds for Survivor 50 on prediction markets like Kalshi or Polymarket before the season began airing saw overwhelming odds (80%+) for a certain contestant, who ended up winning the $2 million prize.

• Kalshi even sent out a push notification moments before the Survivor 50 finale on Wednesday night drawing attention to that contestant’s 97% odds to win.
• In recent weeks, Kalshi users have also correctly predicted the winners of the latest seasons of The Masked Singer and Next Level Chef.

Predictions market officials say traders appear to be acting on spoiler information already circulating online, as opposed to show or network insiders placing large bets.

Zoom out: Americans now trust prediction markets and similar sportsbooks or trading platforms more than some of the country’s best-known companies, according to new data from the 2026 Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings.

Polymarket notched a higher rating in the poll (#45) than dozens of major US companies, including Disney, Verizon, Ford, Target, Uber, and Bank of America. Investment platform Robinhood, which offers prediction market services through Kalshi, ranked #42.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📉 Consumer sentiment falls to new all-time low in University of Michigan’s monthly US index, which dates back to 1952.
• 🚘 Ferrari unveils first fully electric car, named Luce (pronounced “Luchay”); the $640,000 five-seater was designed in partnership with former Apple design chief Jony Ive.
• 📈 US stock futures rose by ~1% across the board last night following reports of progress towards a US-Iran peace deal; markets were closed yesterday for the holiday.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🍿 The Mandalorian and Grogu earns $102 million across the extended Memorial Day weekend; it marks Disney’s lowest opening for a Star Wars film since taking over the franchise in 2012.
• 🏟️ NY Knicks advance to NBA Finals for first time since 1999 after completing 4-0 sweep of the Cavaliers. | Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist overtakes first place at the final moment to win the Indy 500 by just 0.02 seconds, the tightest margin of victory ever. | Princeton wins first NCAA men's lacrosse title since 2001.
• 🎙️ Netflix to launch first-ever daily live show on June 1, when it begins broadcasting The Breakfast Club hosted by TV/radio personality Charlamagne tha God.

No televised debate. No headlines dominating your feed. Behind closed doors, a financial shift could already be underway, and many Americans still have no idea.

Some believe a little-known executive order could reshape how money moves through America and change who benefits most in the years ahead.

The last major reset created massive winners and left others scrambling to catch up.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🚀 SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday; the rocket successfully deployed dummy satellites into orbit but failed to achieve some other goals, before erupting in flames upon splashdown (an expected result).
• 💉 Eli Lilly says its experimental next-gen obesity drug, called retatrutide, helped patients lose up to 30% of their body weight (~85 pounds) after 80 weeks in Phase 3 trial; it’s reportedly the most weight loss ever seen in a medication trial.
• ⛪🤖 Pope Leo XIV issues 42,000+-word papal encyclical warning that AI “threatens to normalize an anti-human vision” and requires regulation, among other things.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: President Trump on Saturday said a peace deal with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz is “largely negotiated” and will be announced shortly; progress toward a deal slowed yesterday, as the two sides dug in over references to the country’s nuclear program and financial relief for Tehran, mediators said.
• 🏛️ Trump admin to require green card holders to return to their home country and apply for permanent US residence there, in change to longstanding policy. | Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigns from the Trump admin after her husband was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
• 🚨 California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency in Orange County due to a leaking toxic chemical tank at an aerospace facility, which has forced 50,000+ residents to evacuate. | Secret Service returned fire and killed a 21-year-old man who approached a White House checkpoint and started shooting on Saturday afternoon.

☝️ Americans across the country held Memorial Day services and celebrations yesterday in honor of fallen US service members.

🤔 Did you know? Horses have no muscles in their lower legs, so their hooves act as "second hearts," with an extensive network of veins to pump blood back to the heart. A horse that can't move risks blood pooling in its hooves, causing tissue death from the hooves up—a key reason why leg injuries are often fatal in horses.

📰 Worth a read: Did the first robot come from the land of Oz?

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• 10 of the best books of 2026 so far
• Every theatrical Star Wars movie, ranked
• Which college majors offer the best long-term return on investment?

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On Friday, we covered how the 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away, but the expected tourism boom in the 11 host cities hasn’t quite matched up to the hype so far, while ticket sales are lagging amid elevated prices.

❓ Our question to you: Do you plan to watch or attend the World Cup this year?

• Yes: 26%
• No: 70%
• Unsure/other: 4%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 562 votes and 75 longform responses.

Guess the definitions of the following Greek/Latin root words:

1. Chor
2. Dent
3. Foss
4. Iter
5. Milit

🪄 John Stessel, aka the “Shelter Dog Magician," uses a disappearing-dog-treat magic trick to help pups get adopted. He posts videos of the dogs in “adopt me” bandanas and vests—and always includes a disclaimer that the pups absolutely spoiled with treats after the magic happens. 

1. Chor = Relating to singing or dance (e.g., chorus, choreography)
2. Dent = Tooth (dental)
3. Foss = Dig (fossil)
4. Iter = Again (reiterate)
5. Milit = Soldier (military)

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