Good morning. In this edition:

• 🔌 Chinese EV giant unveils five-minute charging
• ⚖️ A case of corporate espionage
• 📸 The first-ever photos of a sunset on the Moon

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.58-minute read (1,219 words).

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“The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.”

–Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

Chinese EV giant BYD this week unveiled a new system it says grants electric vehicles the ability to charge as quickly as conventional gas-powered cars. We live in charged times, indeed.

The specs: The company’s next-gen EV battery and charging system can travel ~250 miles on a single five-minute charge, according to BYD founder Wang Chuanfu.

• By comparison: Tesla’s latest Superchargers add up to 168 miles of range in 15 minutes, while Mercedes-Benz’s new entry-level CLA electric sedan can add ~200 miles in 10 minutes of charging.

BYD’s charging system will first be introduced next month in two new models priced below $40,000. It will also underpin many future vehicles from BYD, China’s largest automaker by market share (15%), which is building 4,000+ ultra-fast EV chargers across China to match its new system.

But…The Chinese EV giant was light on specifics related to its new breakthrough, such as the battery chemistry or size. And the history of EV batteries is full of exaggerated claims from automakers related to charging speeds and driving ranges.

How to charge sales

Should a similar system make it to the US, analysts say it would address some of the major obstacles to widespread EV adoption.

The top three barriers holding vehicle shoppers back from purchasing an EV, according to a recent J.D. Power report:

1. Lack of charging station availability (51%)
2. Time required to charge (49%)
3. Limited driving distance per charge (47%)

The US is home to ~200,000 public EV charging ports. ~75% are Level 2 chargers, which add 20-40 miles per hour of charging, while the other ~25% are Level 3 chargers (or DC chargers) that add 180-240 miles of range in 20-60 minutes.

Big picture: EVs accounted for ~8% of all new cars sold in the US last year (1.3 million total) and ~20% of new cars sold globally, both of which represent record highs.

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Rippling’s believe it or not: The payroll and HR startup, most recently valued at $13.5 billion, this week sued rival and direct competitor Deel (valued at $12 billion), accusing it of corporate espionage.

Let’s make a Deel: In a 48-page complaint, Rippling alleges that its rival cultivated a mole within its Dublin office that fed info back to Deel’s top execs, including details about Deel customers who were discussing a switch away from the company.

Following various leaks, Rippling earlier this month conducted a “honeypot” test to draw out the mole.

• It informed two members of Deel’s senior leadership team, including CEO and co-founder Alex Bouaziz, that Rippling employees were discussing info about Deel in a Slack channel that would be embarrassing if made public.
• Within a few hours, the mole searched for and accessed the decoy channel, per Rippling, who says this proves Deel’s leadership team (or someone acting on their behalf) was running the alleged spy.

Meanwhile…Deel told HR Dive that Rippling is “seeding falsehoods,” trying to shift the narrative with sensationalized claims after being accused of violating “sanctions law in Russia.”

It’s not the first time the pair had beef: Rippling last year launched “Snake Game,” an online game that compares Deel to a snake oil salesman and accuses the company of charging higher fees than Rippling.

It turns out Snow White may not be the fairest of them all. Disney’s latest live-action remake, Snow White, hits theaters this afternoon as one of the company’s most divisive and controversial projects in recent years.

The major disputes:

• Casting Rachel Zegler: Disney’s decision to put Ziegler, who is of Colombian descent, in the titular role drew pushback from some critics, who argue it strays too far from the source material (which describes “skin as white as snow”). Others criticized her portrayal of the original 1937 film in which she referred to the prince as “a guy who literally stalks [Snow White].”
• The Seven “Dwarves”: After actor Peter Dinklage framed Disney’s remake as a “backwards story of seven dwarfs living in a cave together,” the company announced it was making the characters CGI and referring to them as “magical creatures.” But that move was criticized by other dwarf actors, who accused Disney of depriving them of acting roles.
• Political tension: The film drew ire from both sides of the political aisle after both lead actresses – Zegler and Gal Gadot, playing the evil stepmother – expressed opposing views regarding Israel’s war in Gaza. Zegler also received criticism for her strongly worded anti-Trump comments following the 2024 election, for which she later apologized.

Looking ahead…Snow White is projected to earn ~$55 million domestically in its opening weekend. The film currently has a critics’ rating of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cut through the noise with The Knowledge, a distinct take on world events. Each five-minute read delivers sharp analysis and witty insights straight to your inbox. The UK-based team filters hundreds of sources daily, transforming global headlines into positive, engaging stories that 140k+ busy readers actually enjoy.

• "The Knowledge is a fun five-minute read that keeps you topped up in a way that absolutely isn't overwhelming." – Elizabeth Day

Elon Musk’s X is uncovering some of the buried treasure its name usually marks. The social platform has raised ~$1 billion in new capital at a $44 billion valuation – the exact sum Musk paid for it in 2022 – according to a new Financial Times report.

Quite a turnaround: The platform had been valued at ~$10 billion by existing investor Fidelity Investments as recently as late September.

Big picture: X’s revenues have dropped since Musk’s takeover, but it posted ~$1.2 billion in adjusted EBITDA in 2024, roughly flat with the period before Musk’s takeover, according to the FT.

Looking ahead…X has its sights set on becoming what Musk dubs an “everything app.” The company plans later this year to launch a digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment service, and is working to integrate xAI’s artificial intelligence tech into its platform.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📈 US markets rose across the board (S&P: +1.1%; Dow: +0.9%; Nasdaq: +1.4%). | 🏦 The Fed held interest rates steady; signaled two rate cuts are coming this year.
• 🇪🇺 The EU accused Google and Apple of unfair business practices; laid out a series of enforcement actions.
• 🍨 Ben & Jerry’s says its CEO was fired by Unilever over the ice cream-maker’s political stances.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Kalshi

• 💰 Warner Bros. Discovery is in talks to sell its shelved Coyote vs. Acme movie to Ketchup Entertainment for $50 million.
• 🎸 Lollapalooza announced this year’s lineup of 170+ artists.
• 🏀 March Madness: The Men’s First Four concluded yesterday, with 16 games of First Round action set for today and tomorrow; the Women’s First Four concludes tonight, with the First Round starting tomorrow.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🤖📰 An Italian newspaper says it’s the first in the world to publish an entirely AI-generated edition.
• 🪐 Four Earth-like planets – each 20%-30% the size of our world – were recently discovered around one of our Solar System’s closest neighboring stars (~6 light-years from Earth).
• 😴 How science can help keep your afternoon power nap from ruining your day.

MISCELLANEOUS

in partnership with Live It Up

• 🍼 Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with executives of baby formula companies this week; announced a plan to boost regulation of the industry.
• 🏛️🎓 The Trump administration is pausing $175 million in federal funding to UPenn over its transgender athlete policies.
• 🇺🇦🇷🇺🇺🇸 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a partial ceasefire deal with Russia during a phone call yesterday with President Trump; the deal would protect energy infrastructure in both warring countries and provide a foundation for further peace talks in the coming days in Saudi Arabia. | 💥 Israel’s military resumed its ground invasion in Gaza while it launched deadly airstrikes in the area for a second straight day; the Hamas-run health ministry says 400+ people were killed in Israeli airstrikes Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest attacks since the beginning of the recent conflict.

*From our partners: 🙌🥦 Real food, real simple... Super Greens from Live It Up was voted best-tasting out of 39 competitor green powders by Verywell Health. Made with 20+ all-natural superfoods, and just $1.33/serving with free shipping. Save 10% on Super Greens with code DONUT10.

👆 NASA released the first-ever photos of a sunset on the Moon; the photo, taken by the private lander Blue Ghost, shows a glow around the Sun caused by dust particles in the lunar atmosphere.

🤔 Did You Know? Since 2008, the town of Anchorage, Alaska, has hosted the Running of the Reindeer event featuring thousands of participants trying to outrun a herd of reindeer in the snow, oftentimes in costumes, swimsuits, or jockstraps. There’s no winner of the race – it’s all for fun and bragging rights.

📰 Worth a Read: How do we start learning to ‘read’ other people’s minds?

🖱️ Clickbait: $6M gold toilet theft: How thieves pulled off one of the UK’s most bizarre heists

Yesterday we covered how the Executive and Judicial Branches are currently locked in a power struggle related to last weekend’s deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members by the Trump administration, which occurred despite a court order halting the move.

❓ Our question to you: In your opinion, which phrase best describes the current dispute between the Executive and Judicial Branches?

• A normal back-and-forth between government branches: 17%
• A worrying development, but no signs of crisis yet: 28%
• A constitutional crisis: 47%
• Unsure/other: 8%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 2,846 votes and 296 longform responses.

🐡 The blobfish was declared the winner of this year's New Zealand's Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust Fish of the Year Competition. Organizers said the fish received ~300 more votes than the “swimmer-up” orange roughy.

🏆 National Geographic introduced its inaugural National Geographic 33, highlighting 33 people around the globe dedicated to making the world a better place.

🎶 KIDZ BOP officially became the youngest group to headline an arena after their sold-out show at the OVO Arena Wembley in London.

Which mountain, located in the Alps, was originally depicted in Toblerone’s logo?

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Matterhorn