Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 📲 Landmark social media verdict
• 🤧 Sneezy season is back
• 📫 First-ever USPS surcharge

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.13-minute read (1,098 words).

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"Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude."

–Hilary "Zig" Ziglar (1926-2012)

A Los Angeles jury dealt a major blow to Meta and Google yesterday in a closely watched social media case, finding both companies liable for designing their products to get young users addicted.

Catch up quick: The seven-week trial featured testimony from the plaintiff, 20-year-old Kaley G.M., alongside major execs like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

• Kaley said years of near-constant social media use—starting at age six—fueled severe body dysmorphia, self-harm, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
• She also argued the platforms were designed to keep her hooked, pointing to relentless notifications that made it hard to log off.

Meta and YouTube argued their platforms aim to give users something useful, not addict them, and pointed to existing safety features aimed at minors. Both plan to challenge the verdict, with YouTube arguing the case “misunderstands” how its platform works.

In the end, the jury sided with Kaley and awarded her $3 million in compensatory damages, plus an additional $3 million in punitive damages. Meta is responsible for 70% of the total, with Google covering the rest.

Why it’s a big deal

For decades, Section 230 has largely shielded social media companies from liability over user-published content. This case took a different route, targeting the design of the platforms themselves instead of what users post.

The favorable outcome for Kaley is expected to set a precedent for the 3,000+ other similar lawsuits against Meta, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok that are currently pending in California courts.

Zoom out: More than 40 state AGs have filed their own cases accusing social media companies of designing addictive platforms that harm minors. One such case in New Mexico received a verdict this week, with Meta ordered to pay $375 million for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children.

It marks the first time a state has won a trial against a major tech company for harming minors, per New Mexico AG Raúl Torrez.

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It's time to stock up on Claritin and Flonaze: pollen season is back, and getting longer and more intense in many parts of the country.

Experts say 2026 could bring one of the worst seasons on record for the ~25% of Americans with seasonal allergies, with rising pollen production fueled by shifting climate patterns.

The season already began a week ahead of schedule in parts of the US Southeast, with early starts for allergy symptoms also expected in the Southwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest.

An ongoing trend

North American pollen seasons have lengthened by ~20 days since 1990, and now range from ~4.5 months in the US South to ~8 months in the Northern Rockies and Plains. Overall, pollen concentration in North America has increased by 21% over the same period.

There are a few explanations. Warmer weather and fewer freeze days are extending growing seasons across the US, giving plants more time to bloom and release pollen. Higher carbon dioxide levels over the years have also boosted pollen levels and intensified allergy symptoms.

On the bright side, there’s at least one seasonal perk. Parts of the US will gain three or more hours of daylight between the recent spring equinox and the summer solstice on June 21.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📫 US Postal Service to impose first-ever surcharge on packages and express mail to cover rising costs of fuel and transportation; 8% surcharge will begin on April 26, with current plans to phase it out on Jan. 17, 2027.
• 💰 Meta targets $9+ trillion valuation by 2031—up from ~$1.5 trillion currently—in new stock option program for top executives.
• 🥩 JBS, world’s largest meatpacker and America’s biggest beef processor, reports $617 million adjusted operating loss for its beef business over the past year due to cattle shortage.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏀 North Carolina fires men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis after five seasons; analysts say potential replacements include the Chicago Bulls’ Billy Donovan, Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, and Michigan’s Dusty May. | ⚾ MLB Opening Day action continues today, with 26 teams taking the field for the first time.
• 🎶 Celine Dion to make concert comeback in Paris this fall following her four-year battle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
• 🎥 Stephen Colbert to co-write upcoming Lord of the Rings movie following the cancellation of his TV show.

Gym memberships, therapy apps, meditation subscriptions; wellness routines costs money.

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You get unlimited talk, text, and 5G on T-Mobile's network, but you get cash back for setting healthy screen time boundaries through using less data. Users report 17% less screen time on average, and switching over takes 5-10 minutes with eSIM (any phone 2018+). If you don't love it, Noble refunds you.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🚀 NASA unveils ambitious plan to spend $20 billion through 2033 to build a base on the Moon; NASA plans for semi-permanent occupation on the Moon, where astronauts will conduct R&D for eventual flight to Mars. | NASA’s Artemis II mission is on track to launch the first crewed moon mission since the Apollo era as early as April 1.
• 🏛️🤖 President Trump appoints major business leaders to gov’t science and technology council that’ll weigh in on AI policy and other issues; group includes Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and Oracle’s Larry Ellison.
• 💅📲 College student develops prototype nail polish that turns a fingernail into a touch-screen stylus, in research presented at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: Iran rejects Trump admin's 15-point proposal for negotiations (via intermediaries), per Iranian state TV; White House confirms US is negotiating to end the war, but declined to say with whom talks are being held; US and Israel have badly damaged or destroyed most of Iran’s facilities that build missiles, drones, and warships, per US Central Command; around 290 US service members have been injured and 13 have been killed in the conflict.
• 🗳️ Democrat Emily Gregory wins special election to flip vacated Florida House seat, defeating Trump-backed GOP opponent by ~2.4 points; the district, home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, voted GOP by a 19-point margin in the 2024 House race.
• 🌐 Supreme Court rules internet service providers aren’t liable for customers who infringe on copyright; suit was brought by Sony Music, which unsuccessfully argued Cox Communications should be liable for users pirating music online.

👆A surprise downpour sent floodwaters ripping through a Honolulu neighborhood earlier this week, dumping up to 4 inches of rain/hour in parts of Oahu and triggering flash flooding that swept away cars and swamped homes. Forecasters say the chaos came from a lingering winter storm system called a “Kona low,” and warn the crazy weather isn’t done yet.

🤔 Did you know? Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White has worn a different outfit on every single episode since her debut in 1982, totaling over 8,000 unique outfits to date.

📰 Worth a read: How dogs became the new babies

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• Want to sleep deeper? Vivid dreams might help
• AI lie detector: how to spot machine-written text
• The 11 most memorable moments in pop diva history

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Yesterday we covered how ICE agents are assisting at airports amid the ongoing DHS shutdown, with lawmakers locked in a standoff over Democrat-proposed changes to enforcement of immigration laws.

❓ Our question to you: In general, which side do you agree with more in the ongoing debate over funding the Department of Homeland Security?

• Democrats’ side: 72%
• Republicans’ side: 23%
• Unsure/other: 5%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 635 votes and 85 longform responses.

♂️♀️ Gender gap: Visualizing how American men and women spend their time each day.

👽🪐 Explore the cosmos: Check out the 45 planets most likely to host alien life, according to astronomers.

📖 Read: They’re rich, not famous, and suddenly everywhere: Inside the rise of Americans worth $50+ million.

📰 Tired of boring business news? The Hustle is your answer. They deliver snappy, unconventional business news for people who hate business news, plus free guides on making money with AI, starting side hustles, and more. Join 1.5M entrepreneurs and aspiring founders who read them every day.*

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How many US states touch the ocean?

🔎 When 24-year-old Jacob Bates went missing overnight in a massive Texas park, a family bike ride quickly turned into a race against time. 

As temperatures dropped and search efforts stalled, two strangers stepped in and rescued Jacob using a heat-detecting drone to find the missing autistic man.

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