Good morning and welcome to Friday. Did you know the highest form of self-acceptance is being able to listen to a recording of your own voice without cringing?

If you need us, we’ll be silently weeping in the bathroom.

Some things you’ll know after reading this email:

• 💪 The pound-for-pound strongest animal in the world
• 💰 How much Netflix is spending on content this year
• 📝 What’s in the Biden admin’s proposed Title IX changes

... and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today's news takes 4.67 minutes to read.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

-T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

Yesterday, the Biden administration proposed sweeping changes to Title IX, the landmark 1972 legislation preventing sex discrimination in education.

📝 A deeper dive… Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the new guidelines would extend Title IX’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination to encompass sexual orientation and gender identity.

• They would also reverse some Trump-era Title IX changes concerning students accused of sexual misconduct, but keep others in place, like mandating schools presume a student is innocent until proven guilty.

🏫 Background: Title IX, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago yesterday, applies to all educational institutions that receive federal funding – i.e., the vast majority of public and private high schools, colleges, and universities.

• While its impact has been most visible in women’s sports, Title IX also extends to other areas like hiring, admissions, and cases of sexual assault.

☝️ By the numbers: In the year Title IX was enacted:

• 294,000 girls were participating in high school sports nationwide, including only 700 soccer players.
• 15% of NCAA athletes were women.

📈 Today… those figures stand at roughly 3.4 million and 44%, respectively, including nearly 400,000 high school soccer players (a more than 56,000% increase).

• Over the past 50 years, the share of women earning bachelor’s degrees has climbed from 43% to 57%. For doctoral level degrees, it’s jumped from 14% to 53%.

👀 Looking ahead… The Biden administration’s new Title IX guidelines will now enter a public feedback period of several months, and could be officially enacted as early as next year.

A team of Chinese researchers has developed a fish-shaped robot that can collect and remove microplastic waste from large bodies of water, per a new peer-reviewed study published in Nano Letters.

🐟♵ A deeper dive (lol)… Microplastics are the billions of tiny plastic particles that form through the breakdown of larger plastic objects used in everyday life, such as water bottles, synthetic tires, or T-shirts.

• They’ve been discovered basically everywhere – including in bottled water, fresh Antarctic snow, the bottom of the ocean, and even human blood – and can be harmful if ingested by animals or humans.

🤖 One fish, two fish: To combat this growing problem, scientists at Sichuan University created tiny fish robots that use light from a laser to flap their tails, and have a body that attracts the molecules found in microplastics, causing them to stick as it swims past.

• Just like Wolverine, its body is made from a new self-healing material that can repair itself back up to 89% of its ability and continue absorbing microplastics in the event that it gets ripped or damaged.

✋ Yes, but… The study is just a proof-of-concept, meaning more research is needed before the robo-fish can be deployed in the real world.

🗽 New York’s system for issuing concealed-weapons permits is unconstitutional. In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Court ruled yesterday that the state’s century-old law requiring applicants to demonstrate “proper cause” and “good moral character” is in violation of the Second Amendment. The ruling also calls into question similar systems in at least eight other states plus DC, all of which will likely face legal challenges and could be struck down under new precedent. (From the Left | From the Right)

🏫 Maine can't exclude religious schools from its voucher program. In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Court ruled on Tuesday that a Maine program which pays private school tuition for students without any nearby public schools violated the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause by preventing religious schools from receiving funds. (From the Left | From the Right)

👮‍♀️ Suspects can no longer sue police for not reading Miranda rights. In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Court ruled yesterday that while the Miranda warning – “You have the right to remain silent… etc.” – protects constitutional rights, the warning itself is not a right that would trigger the ability to bring a civil lawsuit seeking damages. (From the Left | From the Right)

👀 Looking ahead… The Court’s decision in a case challenging Roe v. Wade – a draft of which leaked last month in a historic first – is expected before its summer recess at the end of this month.

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Join an inclusive community of over 100,00 driven professionals today with TheFutureParty.

The streaming giant fired around 300 employees yesterday – ~3% of its workforce – as part of a second round of layoffs.

⏩ Driving the move… In a statement, the company said the layoffs were made “so that our costs are growing in line with our slower revenue growth.” The streamer also cut around 150 jobs last month, as well as dozens of contractors and part-time workers.

​​📉 The big picture: In Q1, Netflix reported its first subscriber loss in over a decade, and also said it expected to lose up to 2 million more subs in Q2. This caused more surprise on Wall Street than when Bane walked in the front door, since analysts had previously projected the company would gain 2.4 million subs this quarter.

In recent months, Netflix has announced plans to hike prices for the fifth time in eight years, crack down on users sharing passwords, and introduce a new ad-supported streaming option.

• Shares have dropped ~70% since early January.

🧠🤑 In the know: Netflix recently announced it’ll shell out $17 billion for shows and films this year, roughly in-line with what it spent last year.

• ☝️ Trumpet the bloodhound won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show Wednesday night, becoming the first of his breed ever to take home first prize.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• ⏳ Intel has indefinitely delayed the groundbreaking ceremony for its $20+ billion chip-manufacturing factory in Ohio “due in part to uncertainty around” congressional legislation that includes funding for the chip industry.
• ✓🙅‍♀️🇷🇺 Nike announced plans to permanently close all its businesses in Russia in the coming months.
• 🚭 Juul was officially banned from US markets by the FDA yesterday. (Background from the DONUT)

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🐉❄️ George R. R. Martin is attached to the production of a Game of Thrones sequel that would bring Kit Harrington back to star as Jon Snow; Martin revealed yesterday that its working title is Snow, and the show was initiated by Harrington himself.
• 🤘🏈 Hook ‘Em: QB Arch Manning, nephew of Eli and Peyton and the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2023, committed to Texas yesterday.
• 🏀 Duke F Paolo Banchero was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 1 overall pick in last night’s NBA draft; Gonzaga F Chet Holmgren was taken second by the OKC Thunder, and Auburn F Jabari Smith Jr. went No. 3 overall to the Houston Rockets.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🪐🔭 All five "naked-eye" planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – will be aligned this morning for the first time in 18 years.
• 📱 Instagram is testing a face-scanning AI tool for determining a user's age.
• 🦶 You're twice as likely to die in the next decade if you're unable to balance on one foot for 10 seconds, according to a new peer-reviewed study conducted by Brazilian researchers. (Hard mode: try doing it with your eyes closed.)

EVERYTHING ELSE

• 🎓💰 The Department of Education agreed to cancel $6 billion in student debt for roughly 200,000 borrowers who brought a class-action lawsuit claiming they had been stuck with debts by schools that misled them.
• 📝 The Senate approved a bipartisan gun safety bill in a 65-33 vote; 15 Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in voting yes; House Democrats have said they'll move swiftly to send the measure to President Biden's desk. (From the Left | From the Right)
• 🏛️ The Jan. 6 House committee held its fifth public hearing yesterday, and delayed next week’s sixth and final hearing until July in order to review new evidence. (From the Left | From the Right)
• 💪 #jesspicks gives you weekly inspiration and resources for building your side hustle or passion project without quitting your day job. Come for the tips and stay for the music and TV show recommendations. Sign up free here.*

*Sponsored post

💬 Quoted… ​​“We can’t fail on this. We really have to get inflation down.”

• Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress yesterday that the central bank will be reluctant to shift from its strategy of raising interest rates until inflation is down, even if the US economy enters a recession.

💊 Stat of the Day: Medicare could have saved up to $3.6 billion in a single year if it were purchasing generic drugs as Mark Cuban's online pharmacy does, according to new peer-reviewed research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

🌎 Around the World: Ukraine and Moldova both became official EU membership candidates yesterday, the first step in possible membership sometime in the years to come.

🤯 Did You Know?... The strongest insect in the world is the horned dung beetle, which can carry loads more than 1,100 times its body weight – the equivalent of an average man lifting two 18-wheeler trucks.

📖 Worth a Read: 'Just Stop Buying Lattes': The Origins of a Millennial Housing Myth → (The Hustle)

We bring you the most unusual, off-the-wall, and occasionally laugh-out-loud headlines from this week.

• ​​One in a million pregnancy: Woman pregnant with 2 sets of identical twins → (WJAR Massachusetts)
• This Colorado town might change its name to 'Kush' to celebrate its growing cannabis industry → (CNN)
• Man beats rail strike by paddling to work in a kayak → (Sky News)
• NASA: Give us back our moon dust and cockroaches → (AP News)
• Watch: Oregon man breaks world record for alphabetizing soup → (UPI)

When 5-year-old Jose Muñoz went missing from his family's Texas home, his mother was understandably panicked.

• The youngster, who has Down syndrome, was only missing for 25 minutes when Jasmine Martinez called the police. It was then that she realized the family's one-year-old German Shepherd was missing, too...

Jose was found shortly after, around half a mile away from his home. And glued to his side was the family's sweet dog, who had walked with him the entire way. 

🗯 What they're saying: “The dog knew he had to go with him because he was doing something he was not supposed to do,” said local police Sgt. Ricardo Salas. “Thank God this story ended very positive, we’re very thankful for that!" 

😺🎩 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the coolest, strangest kid’s stories there is – and now there’s a new way for your little one to enjoy it.

🦸 The best protagonist… In Keepsake Tales’ new book Adventures in Wonderland, your child becomes the main character of the story.

⚙️ How it works…

1. Upload a photo of your child
2. Make adjustments until satisfied
3. Select a book (there are other classics like Winnie the Pooh, too!)

Then sit back, relax, and enjoy your custom story with the coolest main character imaginable!😎 Use code DONUT25 at checkout and save 25%. 

Let your child experience the magic of Wonderland with Keepsake Tales.

No, it's just the Great Recipe Game, aka Hungry Hungry DONUT.

How it works: Below are three lists of ingredients. All you have to do is give us the completed dish they make. Easy peasy, lemon squeeze-y.

☝️ Recipe #1:

• Noodles
• Chicken
• Salt & pepper
• Bean sprouts
• Green onions
• White onions
• Cilantro
• Peanuts
• Ketchup
• Fish sauce
• Sugar
• Garlic
• Lime
• Red pepper flakes
• Soy sauce

✌️ Recipe #2:

• Noodles
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• Ground beef
• Tomatoes
• Italian seasoning
• Ricotta
• Mozzarella
• Egg
• Paremsan
• Parsley

3️⃣ Recipe 3:

• Cinnamon
• Egg
• Molasses
• Butter
• Flour
• Ginger
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Sugar

(keep scrolling for the answers)

👆 Check out the referral prizes you can get just for introducing people you know to little old us. 

What to do: Copy your unique link below, then send it to anyone you think would like the DONUT.

☝️ Recipe 1: Chicken Pad Thai

✌️ Recipe 2: Lasagna

3️⃣ Recipe 3: Gingersnaps