🐤 Run for cover

🏦 Markets: It seems like every week is a busy one for investors these days, and this week is no exception. We’ll see a host of earnings reports surface over the next few days, including from Netflix, United Airlines, Goldman Sachs, American Express, and Morgan Stanley.

Then there’s the Federal Reserve, which could reveal some insight into its fiscal strategies as central bankers speak at events this week.

And in the crypto world, this is expected to be the week of the Bitcoin “halving,” which cuts rewards for miners to maintain the digital currency’s scarcity.

⛈️ Weathering the storm: Much of the United States is expected to be inundated with strong winds and potentially damaging thunderstorms this week. Some of the harsh weather began across the Northeast yesterday with more widespread inclement weather expected to impact the Great Lakes, Plains, and Midwestern states today and into tomorrow. In addition to thunder, meteorologists are advising of potential hail and even tornadoes across much of this region. Oklahoma City and Wichita are among those likely to be hit by the system today.

💥 Responding to Iran: After Iranian drones and missiles rained down on Israel over the weekend, the U.S. and other allies stepped in to help intercept them before they hit their intended targets. By most measures, the effort was a success, and President Joe Biden reiterated that America’s support for Israel is “ironclad.” Nevertheless, the White House did draw the line at endorsing an Israeli counterattack. Biden reportedly sought to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any further action on his part was unwarranted.

📺 Hacking the devices: Reports of data breaches are all too common these days, and Roku became the latest to announce such an incident impacting more than half a million of its users. According to the streaming device maker, hackers apparently used the “credential stuffing” method, i.e., inputting stolen passwords used on other platforms, in order to access roughly 576,000 accounts. Roku emphasized the fact that no credit card info was compromised and fewer than 400 cases resulted in unauthorized subscription purchases.

🏊 Lowering the standards: You might assume that a prerequisite for joining any Navy would be the ability to swim. And in the case of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, you’d have been right … until recently. According to reports, the military service has scaled back its requirements and no longer mandates that recruits demonstrate their ability to swim before signing up to serve. According to one source, the concession is the latest “sign of true desperation to increase recruitment numbers” as interest in joining the service declines.

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Concerns about sexism have been raised in just about every aspect of our society … and the athletic realm is certainly not immune. In addition to whether female athletes deserve more compensation than they often receive, there’s another common subject of debate involving the attire they are expected to wear while competing.

That brings us to the Olympics

With the USA Track and Field team preparing to suit up for the Summer Olympic Games, Nike has faced some backlash after revealing the lineup of uniform options available to women on the team. While there are dozens of variations available, one of them has clearly received the most attention.

The most revealing option includes a garment that more closely resembles bikini bottoms, leading some critics to label it an example of sexism. But as skimpy as the uniform might be, is it fair to take it all out on Nike?

After all, the company worked with the team and individual athletes in designing the line of uniforms available, and a statement from USA Track and Field confirmed that “athlete options and choices were the driving force for USATF in the planning process with Nike.”

Olympic athletes weigh in

Defending pole vault champion Katie Moon offered a nuanced opinion, noting that it was “concerning” to see the uniform in question modeled on a mannequin, though she emphasized that the team has many options — including those intended for men.

“When you attack the buns and crop tops saying something along the lines of it’s ‘sexist’ (which if that was our only choice, it would be), even if it’s with the best of intentions, you're ultimately attacking our decision as women to wear it.”

Olympian Colleen Quigley, on the other hand, said that the revealing leotard is “absolutely not made for performance.”

For most Americans, temperate spring temperatures are here and it’s a great time to be outside. In just a few short months, however, much of the nation will be sweltering under oppressive summer heat.

And without legal protections, that means some of the most vulnerable workers — like those in the agricultural industry — could be at risk of heat exhaustion or worse.

A new Florida restriction

Aptly nicknamed “the Sunshine State,” Florida is known for its hot and often humid temperatures throughout the summer months. But that doesn’t mean those who work outdoors in the Florida heat will be getting the relief they’ve been seeking.

Instead, lawmakers passed — and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed — a new law precluding local jurisdictions from mandating protections from the heat.

Specifically, Miami-Dade County had been poised to implement safeguards guaranteeing:

• Regular breaks from the heat with pay
• Reliable access to shade
• Available water during summer heat

But now the roughly 300,000 county residents who work outside are no longer expecting those protections.

The potential ramifications

DeSantis’ decision to sign the new law, which was advanced through the state legislature last month, drew almost immediate backlash. Some academics, including George Washington University epidemiologist David Michaels, predicted dire results.

“It’s outrageous that the state legislature will override the elected officials of Miami Dade or other counties that really recognize the importance of protecting that community of workers,” he said.

With temperatures only trending upward in recent years, concerns about exhaustion, heat stroke, or even death are elevated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed 436 worker deaths between 2011 and 2021 related to heat exposure.

But the governor argued the Miami-Dade provision would’ve only made things worse, asserting: “I think they were pursuing something that was going to cause a lot of problems down there.”

“Pizza Rat” might’ve made for a viral meme a few years ago, but New Yorkers know that his millions of friends across the city have combined to create a real problem. And while the initial response by many locals has been to reach for poison or glue traps, lawmakers say there’s a better way to reduce the rat population without causing unnecessary suffering to the rodents and other wild animals.

Take it from Bob Barker

If you recall the days of “The Price Is Right” as hosted by the late Bob Barker, you remember his daily reminder to have your pet spayed or neutered. Current host Drew Carey has continued that tradition … and now a variation of it is being considered in response to the Big Apple’s rat problem.

Last week, city council members moved to advance a program that would spread rat contraceptives far and wide as a way to reduce the number of rodents while curbing the use of more harmful measures. The proposal came after Flaco, an escaped zoo owl, was found dead after having ingested rat poison.

Local leaders also want to ban glue traps, which kill rats and other trapped animals in a lengthy and some say torturous process.

How would it work?

As you might imagine, it’s not feasible to teach rats to take their birth control pills. But as city councilman Shaun Abreu laid out in his recent proposal, there is a rather straightforward solution.

ContraPest is a product that interrupts sperm production or ovarian function in rodents and is contained in pellets that can be widely distributed in areas where rats are most common.

Jakob Shaw of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is on board, declaring: “This is not a problem we can kill our way out of.”