Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 📝 Companies are increasingly pulling back from DEI initiatives
• 🎮 EA Sports’ College Football 25 is finally here
• 👶 Anti-aging drugs

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.78-minute read (1,274 words).

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“Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing in it.”

–Jesse Owens (1913-1980)

This week, tractor giant John Deere announced plans to eliminate some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, joining a growing number of companies that have taken similar steps in recent months.

A few examples:

• Microsoft eliminated an internal team focused on DEI earlier this month due to “changing business needs,” per a new Business Insider report.
• Last month, Tractor Supply announced it was significantly cutting back on its DEI programs and carbon emission goals, including eliminating all DEI roles at the company.
• Several other large tech companies – including Google, Meta, Snap, and Zoom – have also gotten rid of some or all of their DEI roles over the past year.

Overall, 35% of professionals who started in DE&I roles in 2020 across a range of industries have left the field altogether, according to employment data provider Live Data Technologies.

The arguments: Critics of DEI initiatives, including Elon Musk, podcast host Robby Starbuck, and many GOP lawmakers, argue they incorrectly seek to achieve equality of outcome rather than equality of opportunity. They also contend such programs violate discrimination laws by granting exclusive opportunities and funds to racial or ethnic minority groups.

• Proponents of DEI initiatives, including Mark Cuban and many Democratic lawmakers, argue that maintaining a diverse workforce is a key part of attracting and retaining workers, and typically improves an organization’s performance by driving more innovation, helping to avoid group-think, and better serving a diverse customer base.

Looking ahead… DEI initiatives could soon receive a rebrand in the corporate world. SHRM, America’s top organization for HR professionals, announced last week that it wants employers to drop “equity” from their DEI efforts and instead focus on a new abbreviation: I&D, or inclusion and diversity (in that order).

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at companies?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

Cybercrime is as rampant as ever. A 2023 study showed 9% of Americans 16 and older have been victims of identity theft. Another study showed over $1 billion being paid that year to ransomware gangs – and that’s just the incidents we know about.

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🇬🇧🎤 Taylor Swift’s Eras tour may have killed the chances of a UK rate cut. New government figures show UK inflation held steady last month, instead of declining as economists had predicted. UK officials say the largest upward contribution to inflation came from restaurants and hotels, with some analysts attributing the increases to Taylor Swift’s sold-out 13-show tour of the UK from June 7–30. After the inflation data was released, financial markets downgraded the chances of a UK rate-cut in August (which, coincidentally, is when Swift comes back to town).

🇰🇷 South Korea recognized health benefits for same-sex couples in a landmark decision. South Korea’s supreme court ruled yesterday that the government must provide same-sex couples with health insurance and spousal benefits, even though the country doesn’t legally recognize gay marriage. The decision confirmed a landmark ruling by a lower court last year, meaning the law is now officially in effect.

🇺🇳 The global population is projected to peak roughly five years earlier than expected, per a new UN report. The world’s population is expected to grow by 2+ billion people over the next several decades, before peaking at 10.3 billion people in the mid-2080s, the UN said in a new biennial report. The earlier-than-anticipated peak is largely due to declining fertility rates and an increasingly aging population across the globe. The report found populations have already peaked in 63 countries and territories, including China, Germany, Japan, and Russia.

It’s time to say goodbye to your boyfriend (or husband) for the foreseeable future. EA Sports’ College Football 25, the first collegiate football video game to hit consoles since 2013, is available to the public starting today.

Background: NCAA Football, which consistently ranked among the top-selling video games in the 2000s, wasn’t discontinued eleven years ago due to unpopularity.

Its demise occurred after courts ruled in favor of a lawsuit arguing college athletes – who weren’t explicitly named in the game but were inarguably the inspiration for its featured players, down to skills, jersey number, and skin color – should receive compensation for their likeness (the nerve!).

This led to the game being pulled from the market. But in 2021, a Supreme Court ruling opened the door for collegiate athletes to make money – which eventually resulted in the current NIL (name, image, and likeness) era – making a remake of the game possible.

• College Football 25 has 11,000 named players – and EA Sports was required to get each individual’s approval for inclusion.
• Any athlete who opted in was paid a minimum of $600 plus a copy of the game.

The reviews are in. Consumers who ordered a deluxe version of College Football 25 received access on Monday; that first day, as many as 700,000 people were playing online.

And outside of periodically crashing servers and a NSFW glitch with Colorado’s mascot, you’ll be hard-pressed to find negative reviews (though you can read one here).

Read more reviews for yourself.

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“We know very little about him.”

• Six days later, and we’re no closer to finding any answers about the 20-year-old male who tried to assassinate former President Trump. According to multiple reports citing private disclosures by FBI officials to members of Congress, the suspect had searched for photos on his phone of Trump, Biden, and other lawmakers across the political spectrum. Sources say the list of other lawmakers includes House Speaker Mike Johnson (R), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D), former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani (R), and Fulton County DA Fani Willis (a Democrat who’s prosecuting Trump). The FBI also reportedly disclosed the shooter had searched online for the dates of both political parties’ national conventions, in addition to Trump's public appearances. Additionally, the FBI has reportedly discovered a post on the gaming platform Steam where an account with the shooter’s name and profile picture alluded to July 13 as his “premiere” – though some reports say officials are still trying to determine whether the account and post are authentic.

• ☝️ A team of Chinese scientists built what they say is the smallest and lightest solar-powered drone to date; the vehicle, which weighs just over four grams, can fly indefinitely in sunlight.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Asutra

• 💰 US markets closed down across the board (S&P: -0.8%; Dow: -1.3%; Nasdaq: -0.7%). | 🍿 Netflix reported better-than-expected earnings in Q2, alongside a quarterly gain of 8+ million subscribers (~278 million in total).
• 🚗 Ford is spending $3 billion to expand production of its large Super Duty trucks; the plant at the center of the investment was previously set to make EVs. | 🛻 Tesla's Cybertruck surpassed the Ford F-150 Lighting as America's most popular electric pickup truck in May, per new vehicle registration data.
• 🍺 Bud Light has fallen to America’s third most-popular beer in terms of sales – behind Modelo and now Michelob Ultra – more than a year after a conservative-backed boycott.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏌️ The British Open teed off yesterday, with Englishman Daniel Brown (the world’s No. 273-ranked player) leading the pack at 6-under after the first round. | 🏀 Rookie guard Caitlin Clark set a WNBA single-game record with 19 assists on Wednesday night. | ⚽ Cavan Sullivan, a 14-year-old midfielder for the MLS’ Philadelphia Union, made his pro debut, becoming the youngest player in league history.
• 🙏 Bob Newhart, the Grammy- and Emmy-winning comedian and actor, passed away at 94. | 👋 Donald Glover is saying goodbye to his Childish Gambino stage name.
• 🍎🍿 Apple is in talks to license more films from Hollywood. | 📖 Actor Keanu Reeves is releasing his debut novel; it’s set in the world of the BRZRKR comic series he created (which has sold 2+ million copies).

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with NoNetz

• 🐦‍ Crows have the ability to count out loud like human toddlers by adding one item at a time, per a new study.
• 🚫🚀 NASA is canceling a planned first-of-its-kind lunar rover due to delays and cost overruns; the project has already cost the space agency $450 million.
• 💨 The FDA yesterday authorized tobacco-flavored versions of Vuse vape pens, America’s top-selling e-cigarette brand.

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MISCELLANEOUS

• 🎓💰 A US appeals court filed an order yesterday barring the Biden administration from providing student debt relief with its SAVE Plan. | 🎓💰 Separately, the Biden admin is canceling $1.2 billion in student debt for 35,000 public service workers.
• 🗳️ Former President Obama and House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi are pushing for President Biden to reevaluate his 2024 election bid, per multiple reports.
• 🗣️ Former President Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination for president in a headline speech at the RNC last night.

CLICKBAIT

• 🤔👍 Are Three Thumbs Better Than Two?

🐁📈 Stat of the Day: If you give a mouse a cookie, it’ll ask for a glass of milk. But if you give a mouse a new type of anti-aging drug, it’ll extend their lifespan by ~25%, according to a peer-reviewed study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The anti-aging research is the first to focus on blocking a protein that promotes inflammation, called IL-11, and raises hope among scientists that the novel treatment could achieve a similar life-extending impact in humans.

🤔 Did You Know? The world record for fastest typing speed over a 15-second period is 305 words per minute, held by a 17-year-old known as “MythicalRocket.”

📰 Worth a Read: Could people turn Mars into another Earth? Here’s what it would take → (The Conversation)

Our weekly news quiz is live. How well did you pay attention this week? Let’s find out.

Earlier this month, Mindy Williford, who goes by "Superglamp" on social media, returned to her SUV from hiking in the Colorado mountains to find little hoof prints all over the vehicle. 

• "Those are hoof prints! There was a goat on my car," Williford said in a TikTok video. "That is hilarious, and it went all the way on the top here too."

🐐 Mindy was bummed to have missed the spectacle herself... but fortunately, wildlife photographer Michael Ryno captured the moment and posted it online, catching Mindy's attention along with the official Subaru account.

Below are three lists of ingredients. Your job is give us the completed dish they make.

☝️ Recipe #1:

• White rice
• Green/red bell peppers, halved
• Butter
• Garlic
• Ground beef
• Salt
• Pizza sauce
• Italian seasoning
• Pepperoni
• Mozzarella cheese

✌️ Recipe #2:

• Cooking spray
• Flour
• Cornmeal
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Olive oil
• Sugar
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Lemon extract
• Lemon zest
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Whipped cream

3️⃣ Recipe #3:

• Cooking spray
• Vegetable oil
• Ham steaks
• Yellow onion
• Green bell pepper
• Frozen shredded hash browns
• Sharp pepper jack cheese
• Salt & pepper
• Eggs
• Whole milk
• Sour cream
• Hot sauce
• Cheddar cheese

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☝️ Recipe #1: Pizza stuffed peppers

✌️ Recipe #2: Lemon olive oil cake

3️⃣ Recipe #3: Denver omelette hashbrown casserole