Good morning. Today the Tax Man cometh, so make sure to file a return or an extension if you haven’t already. The penalties for missing the deadline aren’t pretty... but here’s something that is: the discounts and freebies that come with the end of Tax Season.

See? Adulting has treats, too.

In today’s edition:

• 🔍 The House approved a controversial spying bill
• 📰 Google and California are at odds over the news
• 🤔 Are presidential debates happening this election cycle?

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.60-minute read (1,224 words).

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

“Deliberately seek the company of people who influence you to think and act on building the life you desire.”

–Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)

On Friday, the House voted 273-147 to renew authorization for a controversial US spy program that some lawmakers consider crucial to national security, and others say represents a violation of Americans’ privacy rights.

Some quick background: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows federal agencies to monitor the phone calls, texts, emails, and other online communications of any foreign citizen living abroad without first obtaining a warrant, which is required by law for any US citizen.

• Additionally, some US communications can be included if Americans are in contact with foreign individuals under surveillance.
• The data collected under Section 702 is stored in a searchable database, which US intelligence agencies can use as part of other investigations.

The database is where many of Section 702’s opponents take issue. Privacy advocates, progressive Democrats, and hard-line Republicans argue that US agencies should need a warrant to access communications in their database involving Americans. They also say the current system is ripe for abuse, citing recent disclosures that found the FBI improperly accessed FISA data to monitor George Floyd protesters, participants in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, and a sitting US senator.

• On the flip side, the White House and intelligence officials say Section 702 is a crucial tool for disrupting terrorism, drug trafficking, cyberattacks, and other serious crimes.
• They also warn that adding a warrant requirement every time officials need to access data involving Americans would significantly reduce the FISA program’s effectiveness.

👀 Looking ahead… The bill to renew Section 702 of FISA for an additional two years is expected to pass the Senate, and be signed into law by President Biden sometime before Section 702 expires this coming Friday.

📊 Flash poll: Do you support Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act?

• Yes
• Yes, but with a warrant requirement for Americans’ data
• No
• Unsure/other

Working with a tight-knit community of local farmers in Greece, OLYRA is bringing the power of ancient Greek grains to snackers across the globe. Their Raspberry Fruit Filled Breakfast Biscuits are a fan favorite, and it’s no surprise why…

• ❤️ Soft-baked and filled with a luscious raspberry jam
• ✅ 100% organic, non-GMO, and made from real fruit
• 😋 Low sugar, high fiber deliciousness

All for less than $6 per box, OLYRA has tons of awesome flavors to try – and awesome savings when you bundle together.

Save 20% on OLYRA with code DONUT20.

🇮🇷🇮🇱 Iran launched a series of airstrikes at Israel, though the vast majority were shot down. Iran’s military launched over 300 drones and missiles on Saturday in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria last month that killed several top Iranian military officials. It marks Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israeli soil. US and Israeli officials said only ~1% of the drones and missiles landed in Israel, causing minor structural damage and no reported deaths, while the others were shot down before reaching Israeli territory. In a phone call following the airstrikes, President Biden told Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that the US won't support any Israeli counterattack against Iran.

🇺🇸🇨🇺 A former US ambassador and career official was sentenced for serving as a secret agent of Cuba for decades. Manuel Rocha, who served for 40+ years in a variety of foreign service positions including US ambassador to Bolivia, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring to act as an agent of Cuba during his tenure. Rocha’s 15-year prison sentence came six months after his espionage was discovered, with federal officials still investigating the extent of the damage caused by his actions.

🇰🇷 South Korea’s opposition party won parliamentary elections. The main opposition Democratic Party won 175 of the 300 seats in South Korea’s parliament, with the 67% voter turnout marking the highest in a parliamentary election in over three decades. The vote was largely seen as a referendum on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose approval rate has stayed below 40% for most of his two years in office.

Residents of the Golden State may soon find out if no news is, in fact, good news. On Friday, Google began removing California news websites from some users’ search results, in response to pending legislation that would require the tech giant to pay news orgs for linking to their content.

The bill, which passed the state's assembly last year with bipartisan support and currently sits in the state’s senate, is framed by advocates as a way to stop the loss of journalism jobs. California has lost more than 100 news orgs in the past decade, according to Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, the bill's author.

Yes, but… This goal could be a tightrope to walk. Google is responsible for ~40% of all news publishers’ traffic, according to SimilarWeb. And the tech giant claims linking to news content helps sites grow free of charge.

• Should the company not play ball with legislators, then all that traffic goes to zilch – somewhat reminiscent of the Facebook algorithm changes of 2014 and 2018 that caused visits to news sites to tank (along with their revenue).

The playbook: Google previously opposed similar media payment measures abroad, including in Spain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand…before ultimately cutting a deal and acquiescing to demands.

📰📉 Zoom out: Large tech platforms are rethinking if the news juice is actually worth the squeeze. Meta has been actively retreating from the news distribution business, with its most recent move to get rid of the “News” tab in the UK, France, and Germany.

And it doesn’t have to be just one. With the unique ability to customize frames, Pair offers hundreds of options, allowing you to switch up your style at any time for a fraction of the price.

• 😎 Prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses available for women, men and kids starting at just $60
• 🌸 Tons of classic and seasonal styles to choose from
• 🤝 Awesome collabs with partners like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Van Gogh

Everyone deserves eyewear they feel great in. So for every pair purchased, Pair will also provide glasses to a child in need.

Enjoy 10% off your first pair of base frames by using code M6ATB36907N1.

💬 Quoted… “If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high.”

• In a joint statement published yesterday, a dozen major news outlets – including the Associated Press, Fox News, and CNN – called on President Biden and former President Trump to commit to participating in debates this election season. While both candidates have so far resisted debating their rivals in the Democratic and GOP primaries, they haven’t officially ruled out facing each other on the debate stage, with Trump on Thursday saying he’s willing to go head-to-head with Biden “anytime, anyplace and anywhere” starting immediately.

📉 Stat of the Day: Homicide rates in cities across America are falling at the fastest pace since the late 1990s, bringing them close to levels they were at before a historic jump during the Covid pandemic. Overall, homicides decreased by an annual rate of ~20% across 133 of America’s largest cities over the first three months of 2024, according to crime-data analyst Jeff Asher.

🤔 Did You Know?... The Philippines are named after the 16th-century Spanish King Philip II, while the term “Filipino” comes from the Spanish spelling of the king’s name (“Felipe”).

📰 Worth a Read: Inside Amazon’s Push to Crack Trader Joe’s—and Dominate Everything → (WSJ)

• ☝️ A series of ancient frescoes were recently uncovered at Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried in an eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD; archaeologists say they’re among the best-preserved frescoes ever found at the ancient site.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Masterblend

• 💰 US markets closed down across the board on Friday (S&P: -1.5%; Dow: -1.2%; Nasdaq: -1.6%).
• 🎟️ StubHub is reportedly aiming for an IPO sometime this summer at a valuation of at least $16.5 billion.
• 🪙⚖️ Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried appealed his 25-year prison sentence for fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering related to the crypto exchange’s $8 billion collapse.

*From our partners: 🔥 Get a powerful new gummy formulation for 4/20… Get a powerful and uplifting sensation with Masterblend Gummies from Binoid. Utilizes a new formulation and texture for maximum potency. Save 40% on Masterblend, plus another 30% with code DONUT30.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏌️ World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the 2024 Masters, earning the second major golf title of his career (and second Masters trophy in three years).
• 🍿 Civil War led the domestic box office with $25.7 million, marking the highest opening weekend in production company A24’s history.
• 🏀 The NBA regular season finished up yesterday; see the full playoff bracket here.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Niphtio

• 🌌 The world’s top cosmologists – aka those who study the large-scale properties of the universe – are meeting in London this week to review findings that suggest our conventional view of the universe is flawed.
• 💥🔭 The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered the origin of the biggest known cosmic explosion since the Big Bang.
• 🚀 NASA unveiled its Clipper spacecraft that will set out later this year on a journey to Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, in a hunt for signs of extraterrestrial life.

*From our partners: 📚 The free browser extension helping students study for exams… Niphtio lets you organize your countless tabs with just one click and easily search them up later. Install Niphtio for free on Chrome or Firefox.

MISCELLANEOUS

• ✈️ Oakland officials voted to rename its airport San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, drawing ire from San Franciscans due to the city’s similarly named San Francisco International Airport.
• 🎓 The Biden administration announced plans to cancel an additional $7.4 billion in federal student-loan debt for ~277,000 borrowers who meet certain criteria.
• ⚖️ Former President Trump officially goes on trial today in a New York case accusing him of directing an illegal scheme to pay off porn star Stormy Daniels; it marks the first instance of a former president standing for a criminal trial. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right)

CLICKBAIT

• 🥚🥔☕ Foods that don’t deserve bad reputations, according to dietitians.

Monday: Tax Day; the 128th Boston Marathon also takes place, as does the WNBA Draft

Tuesday: The 2024 Paris Olympic flame is lit in Greece

Wednesday: Senate hearing featuring Boeing whistleblower

Thursday: National Exercise Day

Friday: India begins two-day national elections; The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, debuts

On Friday, we covered a new law from the Biden administration aimed at preventing unlicensed dealers from selling firearms, which represents ​​the largest expansion of background checks for gun purchases in 30+ years.

❓ Our question to you: Do you agree with the Biden admin’s move to expand background checks for gun purchases?

• 👍 Yes: 71%
• 👎 No: 21%
• 🤷 Unsure/other: 8%

Click here to read some of the best longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 3,818 votes and 415 longform responses.

If you wandered down to Daytona Beach, Florida, last November, you may have seen a peculiar sight: more than 80 men lined up side by side with their beards tied together.

This wasn't just a casual beach meet-up. The men were there as part of the National Beard and Moustache Championships, organized by Beard Team USA, in an attempt to claim multiple world records. 

🤯 The results are in: The men were successful in their feats; Guinness World Records recently announced their official record titles of longest beard chain, longest mustache chain, and longest partial beard chain. 

• When all was said and done, the beard chain measured a whopping 195 feet, 3 inches – almost equal to the wingspan of a Boeing 777, or two blue whales laid end-to-end.

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

1. Bull
2. Caps
3. Crisp
4. Ed
5. Feder

👆 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 who you think would like the DONUT. Once you hit each milestone, you'll get an email with a link to claim your prize.

Start referring.👇

1. Bull = Bubble (e.g., ebullient)
2. Caps = Case (capsule)
3. Crisp = Curled (crispate)
4. Ed = Eat (edible)
5. Feder = Treaty (federation)