Good morning. In this edition:

• 📝 Trump grants a tariff delay to automakers
• 🍸 Kraft Heinz is getting into booze
• 🤔 Friendship tiers, according to science

… and more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.65-minute read (1,236 words).

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“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

–Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

President Trump has granted most US automakers a one-month exemption from newly enacted tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico “so they’re not at an economic disadvantage,” the White House announced yesterday.

The news came one day after the Trump administration’s new 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico took effect.

• Trump’s 30-day tariff pause applies to cars that comply with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which requires vehicles to have a certain amount of parts made in North America.
• This definition covers the Big Three US automakers – Ford, GM, and Stellantis, who the White House says requested the exemption – as well as other domestic companies who import cars from Canada and Mexico.

The market reacts: Shares of major US, Asian, and European automakers rose across the board following Trump’s announcement, with Stellantis (+9%), GM (+7%), and Ford (+5%) all seeing significant closing gains.

A sign of things to come?

In a press conference explaining the move, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is “open” to hearing requests from other industries seeking similar exemptions from tariffs on Canada and Mexico. A Bloomberg report published last night indicates the agricultural industry could be next.

But…Leavitt noted Trump likely won’t allow such exemptions for future tariffs, including his reciprocal trade action scheduled for April 2 that aims to equalize US tariffs with those charged by other nations.

📸 Big picture: Trump and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau spoke yesterday afternoon about potentially easing tariffs, though there was no apparent breakthrough. In a social media post, Trump said he told Trudeau that Canada's efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US aren’t yet good enough.

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Move over Miller Lite – Crystal Light is here. Kraft Heinz, the brand famous for its mustard and ketchup, this week said it’s rolling out its first alcohol product: a new hard seltzer infused with Crystal Light, its powder mix traditionally added to water for flavor.

• The new drink will be available in the Northeast US this month, with plans to expand distribution nationwide next year.

*Turns over can to read ingredient label*: Crystal Light Vodka Refreshers have a 3.8% abv, zero sugar, zero carbs, and 77 calories/can. Marketed as the “lowest-calorie ready-to-drink cocktail on the market,” once launched, they’ll be the first powdered beverage brand to take a leap into the hard seltzer aisle.

The reasons behind the move are crystal clear

A sizable amount of consumers who drink the powder mix already use it as a cocktail mixer (~20%), according to the company. And that’s by design – Crystal Light last year launched a multipack with flavor mixers for consumers to craft their own cocktails.

📸 Big picture: Kraft Heinz is in the midst of five consecutive quarters of declining sales as some of its core food brands, including Lunchables and its famous blue-packaged mac and cheese, struggle. With the RTD launch, the company is trying to take a bite out of a $903 million (and growing) US market – and following in the footsteps of other CPG giants who have also launched RTD cocktails, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Renting an apartment is becoming even more difficult across the country heading into Spring 2025, according to a new report from rental search site RentCafe that puts into numbers what avid Zillow users already know.

The current situation: Last year, developers completed nearly 600,000 new multifamily units, per US Census data. It marked a 34% year-over-year increase and the highest annual level since 1974, with major cities like New York City, Dallas, and Austin seeing the most new rentals.

But despite the historic influx in supply, rental competitiveness has actually increased to start 2025, according to RentCafe.

• That’s in large part because a growing number of renters aren’t moving from their current digs, as elevated mortgage rates and prices keep many Americans from entering the housing market.

Where roofs are on fire: The Midwest ranks as the #1 overall US region in terms of rental competitiveness – hosting 10 of America’s top-20 hottest rental markets – while the Pacific Northwest is the least competitive region.

In terms of individual areas, RentCafe found the hottest markets are:

1. Miami
2. Suburban Chicago
3. North Jersey
4. Lansing-Ann Arbor, MI
5. (Tied) Suburban Philadelphia and Grand Rapids, MI

🏘️ Zoom out: Apartment rents nationwide rose by 0.3% last month, marking the first increase after six consecutive months of declines. Overall, the median US rental price in February ($1,375/month) was 0.4% below the same point last year.

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Alaska’s long-standing Iditarod Dog Sled Race, where mushers navigate a wild trail through blizzards, subzero temperatures, and intense winds, kicked off this week hundreds of miles from where it should have due to a lack of snow. Doggone it.

The lack of white stuff meant the initial course would have had the dogs and sled traveling through mud and rocks instead of fresh pow. So, Iditarod officials went scrambling to move the course, redoing months of preparations over the span of just a few days. The massive effort involved a team of Trail Breakers redrawing and inspecting the new map, replacing ~15,000 markers on the trail, building 19 functional checkpoints for competitors, and working with authorities to reroute supply planes to the new location.

The 2025 trail covers a record-breaking 1,128 miles from Fairbanks to Nome (the usual track is just under 1,000 miles). And only 33 mushers – tied for the fewest ever – are daring to tackle it. Follow their progress and the standings here (it usually takes ~10 days from start-to-finish).

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📈 US markets rose across the board (S&P: +1.1%; Dow: +1.1%; Nasdaq: +1.5%).
• 💉 Novo Nordisk cut Wegovy prices; the weight-loss drug now costs $499/month for people without insurance, down from $650.
• 🏡 The average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.19% yesterday morning, according to Zillow, its lowest point since October.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Kanguro

• 📺 YouTube announced a new “Premium Lite” subscription tier; it allows subscribers to watch most videos ad-free for $7.99/month.
• 🦹 Daredevil: Born Again premiered on Disney+ seven years after the show was canceled on Netflix; the reboot features the same cast of characters and picks up where season 3 left off.
• 🦅 Saquon Barkley signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles; the deal makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. | 🏀 LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points across both the regular season and playoffs.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🤖 OpenAI announced support for a new consortium called NextGenAI that focuses on supporting AI-assisted research at top universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Oxford; OpenAI is providing $50 million in research grants, compute funding, and API access.
• 💻 Apple unveiled new MacBook Air models with a faster processor and $100 price cut.
• 🦴 Early humans were regularly using animal bones to make cutting tools 1.5 million years ago, or ~1 million years earlier than scientists previously thought, per a new discovery.

MISCELLANEOUS

in partnership with The Knowledge

• ⛈️ A large storm system brought powerful winds, blizzard conditions, and severe thunderstorms across the eastern half of the US for a second straight day; at least six deaths have been attributed to the storms.
• 🙏 Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-TX), the former mayor of Houston, passed away due to a medical emergency shortly after attending President Trump’s congressional address Tuesday night. | 🇺🇦🇺🇸 President Trump ordered a pause to US intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
• 🧑‍⚖️ The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to reject the Trump administration’s emergency request to pause ~$2 billion in foreign-aid contracts distributed via USAID. | 🧑‍⚖️ A federal judge extended a freeze on the Trump administration’s changes to NIH research funding. | 🧑‍⚖️ An appeals court allowed the Trump admin to remove the head of the Office of Special Counsel, a top federal ethics watchdog.

*From our partners: 🗞️🧠 Sharp news from sharp minds… Get crystal-clear news coverage in just 5 minutes daily with The Knowledge. They distill global events into stories that matter, with signature wit, commentary, and insight. Join 140k+ subscribers for free.

☝️ Construction recently finished on the last-ever home famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed prior to his death in 1959; the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, dubbed RiverRock, sits ~20 miles outside Cleveland – and is now available for overnight rentals.

🤔 Did You Know? A 2018 study found it takes adults an average of 94 hours spent together to turn acquaintances into casual friends, another 164 hours to transition from casual friends to friends, and an additional 100 hours to become good/best friends (~358 hours in total).

📰 Worth a Read: The mysterious billionaire behind the world’s most popular vapes

🖱️ Clickbait: Lab mice may give 'first aid' to unconscious mates

Yesterday we covered how the Trump administration is facing legal pushback to the agenda it has enacted over the past month-and-a-half.

❓ Our question to you: Putting aside any opinions of Trump’s agenda, do you think his administration has generally operated within the law while enacting the President’s wishes?

• 👍 Yes: 37%
• 👎 No: 56%
• 🤷 Unsure/other: 7%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 1,964 votes and 207 longform responses.

🎤 A railroad station in Harry Styles’ home village of Holmes Chapel, UK, recently unveiled a mural in the star's honor, thanking him for putting their small town “on the map” and increasing tourism.

🏀 “New Bawlins,” a baby with some serious speed skills, delivered a dominant performance in a New Orleans Pelicans Baby Crawl Race. See the adorable baby contestants in action here.

🐾 Animal rescuers in North Carolina successfully saved a deaf and blind 16-year-old dog after it disappeared into a storm drain.

In which year did Hawaii officially become a state?

From tumblers to cozy sweatshirts and everything in between, this is your last chance to stock up on the best. With up to 50% off, treat yourself before they’re gone for good!

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