Good morning. In today’s edition:

• ⚽ World Cup woes
• 🏘️ Mortgage rates jump
• 🤔 Hooters says bring the kids

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.96-minute read (1,053 words).

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“Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.”

–Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away, but the expected tourism boom is currently looking a little more “pregame warmups” than full-on kickoff frenzy.

For the past few years, the 11 host cities across the US have prepared for a wave of international visitors expected to fill hotels, restaurants, and local businesses throughout the tournament’s 39-day run.

• FIFA-backed projections estimated the World Cup could generate $17.2 billion in US economic activity and create roughly 185,000 jobs along the way.
• But early signs suggest demand hasn’t quite matched up to the hype.

Getting priced out of bounds

Hotel bookings are coming in softer than expected, according to early data. Close to 80% of hotels across all US host cities say their bookings were “tracking below initial forecasts” as of earlier this month, per the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Some host-city hotels are still charging $300+ per night, pushing many traveling fans toward cheaper Airbnbs or hotels outside downtown areas.

At the same time, World Cup ticket prices are finally dropping after months of admission costs that approached the “luxury vacation package” range.

• Average group-stage ticket prices have dropped 23% over the past month, falling from a peak of $737 to around $550.
• The World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium is still comfortably sitting in “maybe just watch from home” territory, with resale get-in prices still above $7,000

Part of the challenge comes down to economics. Fans traveling internationally are not only paying for tickets, but also navigating expensive flights, transportation, taxes, and hotel stays during peak summer travel season. Even some longtime World Cup travelers say they’re planning to stay far outside host cities to keep costs manageable.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the tournament is headed for empty stadiums, but early signs suggest many fans are drawing a line on cost, even for such a highly anticipated sporting event.

Looking ahead…The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 in Mexico City and runs through July 19, with 104 matches spread across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

📊 Flash poll: Do you plan to watch or attend the World Cup this year?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

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Here are five stats from this past week that made our team go “whoa.” Hopefully you will, too.

🙅 70% of Americans say they don’t want data centers in their local area, a stronger aversion than people have to local nuclear power plants (53%), per new Gallup polling.

⛰️ Kami Rita Sherpa recently completed his record-extending 32nd summit of Mount Everest, while Lhakpa Sherpa—aka “The Mountain Queen”—also set a new record for women with her 11th summit.

⛽ Gas prices in all 50 states are now above an average of $4/gallon, with the overall national average at $4.56/gallon. Both figures represent the highest Memorial Day weekend prices since 2022.

🤖 The share of AI-generated online news articles, blog posts, and listicles has held near 50% for more than a year, after skyrocketing between 2023-25.

😬 Billie Eilish’s concert film, directed by James Cameron, earned just $800,000 in its second weekend at the box office after opening to $7 million. It’s the second-biggest such drop ever, at -89%, per Rotten Tomatoes.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏘️ Average 30-year mortgage rate rose from 6.36% last week to 6.51% this week, the highest figure in nine months; experts say rates will likely rise further in the coming weeks.
• 💻 US government to take equity stakes in nine quantum computing companies, including IBM; move is tied to $2 billion in CHIPS Act grants.
• 🚘 Stellantis unveils new strategic plan to invest ~$70 billion in the company over five years; the automaker plans to introduce 60+ new vehicles and conduct major refreshes of 50 models.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🙏 Nascar legend Kyle Busch dies at 41 following a sudden hospitalization for severe illness; he won more races across NASCAR’s three national series than any other driver—including a win this past Sunday—along with two Cup Series championships.
• 🎟️ Spotify to start setting aside two concert tickets for some artists’ top fans to purchase before tickets go on general sale; new “Reserved” feature unveiled during investor day.
• 📺 Emily In Paris to end with its upcoming Season 6; production is now underway in Greece. | 🎥 Cannes Film Festival ends on Sunday; over 70 feature films premiered at this year’s festival.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🌀 NOAA's Atlantic hurricane forecast suggests this June-November will see 8-14 named storms, 3-6 hurricanes and 1-3 major hurricanes; those figures are below average due to a possibly record-setting El Niño.
• ⚱️ Great Pyramid of Giza was specifically designed by Ancient Egyptians to withstand earthquakes, helping explain why it’s the only surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, new study finds.
• 🚀 SpaceX now plans to hold a key test launch of its newest Starship design—the most powerful rocket ever built—as early as this evening, after last night’s launch was scrubbed at the last minute.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🗳️ Democratic National Committee releases what it says is the full, unredacted draft of its autopsy of the 2024 presidential election, which was previously withheld by the DNC.
• 🏛️ Congress delays votes on $72 billion reconciliation package to fund federal immigration agencies, after some GOP lawmakers object to Trump admin’s new $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and propose bill amendments to enact guardrails.
• 🗽 Trump-appointed federal committee approves the President’s plan to build a new 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C.

👆Temple University scientist Sasha Eisenman has spent the past decade studying a cluster of tiny white flowers growing in New Jersey wetlands. The horticulture professor says one of them is a completely new, previously unidentified plant species, despite having 200+ known relatives. She officially named the flower Triantha × novacaesariensis, which is Latin for “New Jersey.”

🤔 Did you know? Wild giraffes only sleep for ~5 minutes at a time, with a grand total of about half an hour per day. They sleep in short bursts, typically while standing up, so they can be ready to run from predators at any given moment. Giraffes in captivity, however, have been known to sleep for up to 9 times as long (~4.5 hours/day).

📰 Worth a read: Why is nearly every person right-handed—but not every ape and monkey?

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• Hooters says bring the kids
• How do erasers actually work? It’s surprisingly complicated
• Coming back to your senses from a screen-based life

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How well did you pay attention this week? Find out here.

1. A gym charges a $15 sign-up fee plus $12 per month. If you stay a member for 5 months, how much do you pay in total?
2. What is the value of (18 ÷ 3) + (4 × 5)?
3. A number is chosen at random from the numbers 1 through 20. What is the probability that the number is both even and a multiple of 3?

🍦 An ice cream truck owner sparked a snowball of kindness after a video of her giving a young boy with no money a free scoop of ice cream went viral. Donations to an “ice cream fund” soon poured in from around the world, raising enough cash to keep free treats flowing to sweet-toothed kids all summer.

1. $75
2. 26
3. 3 out of 20

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