Good morning. In this edition:

• 📝 President Trump: 100 days into office
• 🛻 A barebones EV truck for $20k
• 🪙 Sea treasure

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.59-minute read (1,221 words).

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

Tomorrow marks 100 days since President Trump assumed office for his second term—a traditional early milestone for measuring progress in each presidency.

Catch up quick

To date, President Trump has enacted 127 executive orders aimed at reshaping wide swaths of the federal government. They include enhanced immigration enforcement and significant reductions to the government’s ~2.3 million-person workforce—carried out with the help of DOGE, a new initiative led by Elon Musk. Among other things, Trump also withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords and the WHO, and renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.

Over the following weeks, Trump began focusing on two main areas of his international agenda: 1) enhanced tariffs on US trading partners, and 2) ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

1. In early February, Trump first announced sweeping tariffs on most goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. He also later unveiled “reciprocal” tariffs on all US trade partners. After a series of delays, both tariff plans took effect in early April—and were promptly delayed again for another 90 days.
2. Trump has met several times with Ukraine and Russian leaders about ending their war, including a contentious White House meeting featuring Ukrainian President Zelensky and VP JD Vance. The latest US-proposed peace deal was rejected by Ukraine, though both sides have expressed openness to a deal in recent days.

Trump’s agenda has faced significant legal pushback. Since January 20, federal and state judges have issued at least 122 rulings that have at least temporarily paused some of the Trump admin’s initiatives, per the NY Times. These include blocking Trump’s efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship, fire some federal employees, and freeze up to $3 trillion in federal funding, as well as ordering the Trump admin to facilitate the release of a Maryland man whom Trump officials wrongfully deported to El Salvador.

What do the polls say? Trump recorded the second-lowest average approval rating for any post-World War II president over his first quarter (45%), above only Trump’s own approval rating from his first term (41%), according to Gallup. The data, which is echoed by other recent polls, shows Trump performing relatively well in some areas, like immigration, but poorer in other topics like economic leadership.

📊 Flash poll: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job President Trump has done over his first 100 days in office?

• Approve
• Disapprove
• Unsure/other

Disappointed with your expensive night guard from a dental office? Whether it's uncomfortable, worn out, or you dread paying for another one, Remi offers a smarter solution:

• 📨 They mail you an impression kit that takes just five minutes, you send it back then receive 2 custom night guards—for 80% less cost than dental offices
• ✅ Remi uses dental-grade FDA-cleared materials, and is backed by a 45-night guarantee to fit comfortably

Don’t let teeth grinding cause headaches and ruin your sleep and smile. Join 350k+ happy smiles and try Remi instead.

Secretive startup Slate, reportedly backed in part by Jeff Bezos, last week unveiled the creatively named Truck, a no-frills EV pickup starting around $20,000 if the federal EV tax incentive is still in place when the Michigan-based company begins production in late 2026.

The Truck—which at this pricepoint would be ~$5,000 cheaper than any other EV sold in the US—is a minimalist creation likened to the flip phone of electric cars that comes with two seats, hand-crank windows, and 150 miles of range (with the option for up to 240). And make sure to pack your JBL Pill. There’s no infotainment system—meaning no radio, Bluetooth, or speakers.

A blank Slate by design

Everything about Slate’s manufacturing process is centered around reducing cost.

• Not needing metal stamping or paint jobs—the company will instead offer wrap options—saved the startup $350 million-$500 million, CEO Chris Barman told WIRED.
• Slate also plans to manufacture the trucks in Indiana, per TechCrunch, allowing it to avoid auto tariffs.

The secret weapon: Buyers can add 100+ accessories to the Truck, including a modular roof that transforms it into a five-seater SUV. Installation can be done either as a DIY project (aided by the not-yet-created Slate University) or by professionals at Slate’s (also not-yet-existent) service centers.

Interested? You can reserve one for a refundable $50 deposit on the company’s website.

Good news for those who want to catch up on the news and watch Impractical Jokers at the same time: YouTube TV announced it’s rolling out multiview streaming, which allows users to have up to four programs running at once in a splitscreen.

So what? The move makes YouTube TV the first TV provider to offer multiviewing with content options other than just sports. The feature will start with a small group of popular channels and expand in coming months.

There’s more: To honor its 20th birthday, YouTube announced multiple new features:

• More creators will have the option to “voice-reply” to comments on their videos later this year.
• Users will be able to create personalized radio stations that match the music to a description of their mood.
• 4x playback speed is rolling out for Premium subscribers on mobile devices.
• Coming to the TV viewing app: Easier navigation, quality tweaks, and streamlined access to comments, info, and more.

One fun thing: The company also shared multiple Easter eggs to look out for sitewide.

Big picture: An average of 20 million videos are uploaded daily to YouTube, with videos on the platform receiving 2.5+ billion likes and 100 million comments per day. YoutubeTV already ranks as the largest aggregate TV content source in the US—and the company is expected to surpass Disney as the #1 media company in revenue by the end of 2025.

Upside is helping 30M+ users earn cashback on gas, groceries, and at restaurants.

• 📱 Step 1: Claim the offer
• 💳 Step 2: Pay as usual
• ✅ Step 3: Either check in or scan your receipts
• 💵 Step 4: Earn cash back

Rewards include up to $0.25 per gallon on gas, and an average of 8-10% cashback on groceries and dining.

They don’t call it The Golden State for nothing.

With a 2024 nominal GDP of $4.1 trillion, California surpassed Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, according to new data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis—trailing only Germany ($4.7 trillion), China ($18.7 trillion), and the rest of the US combined ($25.1 trillion).

• California’s economy accounts for ~14% of US GDP, with the real estate, finance, and tech sectors among the top contributors, per the state’s Public Policy Institute.

However…Its ranking may be like the NFT craze—short-lived. The IMF projects that India’s GDP will overtake California’s in 2026.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📊 US markets rose across the board last week (S&P: +4.6%; Dow: +2.5%; Nasdaq: +6.7%). | 25% of buy now, pay later users are funding grocery purchases with the loans, up from 14% in 2024, per a new Lending Tree survey.
• 💉 Novo Nordisk scored a legal victory against compounding pharmacies; the ruling opens the door for FDA action towards those making cheaper versions of Wegovy and Ozempic.
• 🤖 Chinese tech company Huawei is reportedly testing a new AI processor it hopes will rival Nvidia’s high-end chips.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with MTE

• 🎥 Sinners earned $45 million in its second weekend at the domestic box office, beating out Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith re-release ($25.2 million) and The Accountant 2 ($24.5 million).
• 📲 Instagram Edits, Meta’s newly released video creation app, recorded 7+ million downloads in its first week.
• 🏈 The NFL draft held rounds 2-7 over the weekend, with new Patriots DB Kobee Minor earning the title of Mr. Irrelevant. | 🏆 NBA Playoffs: OKC clinched a 4-0 sweep of Memphis, while all other First Round series are still ongoing. | NHL Playoffs: All eight First Round series are still ongoing.

*From our partners: 🪫 Had enough of energy crashes and jitters?... MTE delivers sustained focus and energy with 11 clinically-proven superfoods, nootropics, and adaptogens. Caffeine-free, supports gut health, recovery, and long-term wellness. No crash, no compromise. 500k packets sold and tastes great. Save 20% on MTE with code DONUT.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🐛 A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey—earning the nickname “bone collector”—was discovered on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
• 🧠 Listening to your favorite music prompts the brain to release opioids, per a new study; the process is linked to how often someone feels pleasurable chills while listening to music.
• 💰 Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-implant company, is reportedly raising capital at a $8.5 billion valuation.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

in partnership with Meru Health

• 🇨🇦 Canada is holding national elections today to determine control of Parliament and the office of Prime Minister.
• 🧑‍⚖️ The FBI arrested a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade US immigration authorities while he was in court for a different case. | Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was sentenced to 7+ years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
• 🙏 Virginia Giuffre, who prominently accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, died at age 41; her family says she died by suicide.

*From our partners: 💚 12-week program shown to be 67% more effective than traditional therapy… With daily practices, a biofeedback device, and unlimited chat support with a licensed therapist, Meru Health delivers lasting results versus endless counseling. 94% of members report improvement after completion. Learn more about Meru Health here.

☝️ Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday drew ~250,000 attendees, including kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, cardinals, archbishops, and more; the conclave to select a new Pope is expected to begin sometime between May 6-11.

🤔 Did You Know? There are an estimated 3+ million shipwrecks resting undiscovered in the world’s oceans, carrying a collective $60 billion—$100 billion worth of sunken treasure.

📰 Worth a Read: Three factories, $355,000, and the maddening quest to make a clear beverage can

🖱️ Clickbait: Play the classic game Snake—but on a map of the world

Monday: The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will visit the White House

Tuesday: National Zipper Day

Wednesday: 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end

Thursday: It's gonna be May; International Workers’ Day

Friday: US “de minimis” shipping exemptions officially end

On Friday, we covered how President Trump has ramped up efforts to reach a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war—but in recent days, talks have stalled amid disagreements over what that deal should look like.

❓ Our question to you: On the whole, do you support or oppose the terms included in the US-backed proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

• Support: 23%
• Oppose: 58%
• Unsure/other: 19%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 2,398 votes and 248 longform responses.

💍⛷️ Forget walking down the aisle…One bride decided to ski down a mountain to her wedding ceremony–dress and all–on Mont Brévant in Chamonix, France.

🐶🏄 The 13th annual Brevard Humane Society Dog Surfing Festival was held last weekend in Florida. See the wave-riding pups (video).

🪿🐥 🐥 🐥 A wild family of geese were rescued from the rooftop of a swanky hotel in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood after the tiny goslings couldn't safely fly down.

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

1. Plumb
2. Ras
3. Solv
4. Test
5. Veter

k

e

e

p

s

c

r

o

l

l

i

n

g

1. Plumb = Lead (e.g., plumber)
2. Ras = Scrape (abrasion)
3. Solv = Loosen (dissolve)
4. Test = Witness (testimony)
5. Veter = Old (veteran)