Borderless

By Wing Assistant
Jun, 2024

IN THIS ISSUE

2 Min Read

🦸‍♂️🔥 UnitedHealth CEO Faces Tough Congressional Heat Amid
Cyber Crisis

🐄🚫 Florida Says ‘No Moo’ to Lab-Grown Meat: Bovine Bliss or
Beef Blunder?

⚖️🧊 Justice Served Cold: DOJ Wants a Live Nation-Ticketmaster Breakup!
🕺💥 Israel rejects ceasefire in conflict with Palestine
🌐🔁 SoftBank to Test Anger Translator Using New AI Tools
🔋🏆 Tesla’s Battery Bet: 4680 Cells to Out Price Giants by Year-End
🍏🕵️‍♂️ Apple’s Safari 18: AI-Powered Browsing and Content
Erasing Announced

🏈🎄 Netflix Scores a Touchdown with NFL Streaming Starts
As Soon As Christmas

Welcome to a new edition of Borderless. The newsletter where you get, well, news but more importantly news that matters for business owners, managers, and professionals from all walks. This month’s newsletter takes you all across the globe, serving readers a taste of geopolitics, regular politics, business and latest in tech.

🦸‍♂️🔥 UnitedHealth CEO Faces Tough Congressional Heat Amid Cyber Crisis

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty is set to endure a double round of congressional roasting over a past cyberattack on its servers. Beyond seeking insights into the privacy slip-up, Congress is gearing up to question whether UnitedHealth has grown too beefy, risking anti-trust scrutiny. With a throbbing market cap of nearly $450 billion and looking at a $24.7 billion dive into profits next year, UnitedHealth stands as the 18th largest company in terms of market cap. 

🐄🚫 Florida Says ‘No Moo’ to Lab-Grown Meat: Bovine Bliss or Beef Blunder?

Last May, Florida declared itself a no-fly zone for lab-grown meat as Governor Ron DeSantis inked a bill banning the futuristic chow. During a presser in Hardee County, DeSantis championed traditional agriculture, casting lab-grown meat as the moo-not of meat products. ‘Take your fake meat elsewhere,’ Santis declares, beefing up support among farmers and cattlemen.

Wilton Simpson, agricultural bigwig, went as far as blending food security with national security, suggesting a week without groceries could unleash chaos worse than an overturned salad bar. With cultivated meats currently legal in just the U.S. and Singapore, and Italy heading the European ban-wagon, Florida’s stance has ignited fiery debate across the nation about food innovation versus traditional farming. Stay tuned to see if other states will fork over similar bans or choose a different menu.

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⚖️🧊 Justice Served Cold: DOJ Wants a Live Nation-Ticketmaster Breakup!

The Department of Justice, backed by 30 States and district attorney generals, has launched a legal war against entertainment giant Livenation , accusing it of strangling competition, exploiting consumers, and inflating ticket prices.

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Holding over 70% of ticket sales for major US concert venues and managing 265 North American venues, Live Nation is under scrutiny for allegedly coercing venues into using its Ticketmaster service under threat of retaliation. The catalyst? A ticketing fiasco during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, igniting a Senate inquiry and accelerating DOJ’s investigation. Live Nation has dismissed the charges as ‘baseless’, citing a mere 1.4% net profit margin and blaming external factors like artist popularity and scalpers for high prices.

💥 Israel rejects ceasefire in conflict with Palestine

In the latest tableau of the Middle East’s ongoing geopolitical ballet, Israel has responded with a firm ‘not enough’ to Hamas’s acceptance of a ceasefire proposal, facilitated by Qatar and Egypt. Despite the release of 33 Israeli hostages, Israel remains committed to its military offensive in Rafah. The region is still a hotbed for violence as Israeli forces conducted strikes, even as negotiators regroup for discussions. With international eyes trained on Rafah, hostilities persist, blending the grim realities of warfare with the tangled intricacies of peace negotiations. Amidst calls for a ceasefire from global leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, both sides remain locked in a standoff that has significant humanitarian and regional implications.

🌐🔁 SoftBank to Test Anger Translator Using New AI Tools

SoftBank, Japan’s 3rd largest telcom provider aims to chill out irate callers with AI software that turns angry voices into calm, conversational tones. As Japan tackles service industry harassment, this tech offers a Zen-like shield for call center workers.
With Trials starting soon, promising smoother customer interactions and fewer employee meltdowns, Softbank aims to roll out their anger translator by 2026 . Because let’s face it, nobody enjoys being yelled at—especially by someone demanding an apology on bended knee!

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🔋🏆 Tesla’s Battery Bet: 4680 Cells to Out Price Giants by Year-End

In the electric car world, Tesla is taking charge with a bold power play! Expected to roll out its 4680 battery cells cheaper than those of behemoth suppliers like LG and Panasonic by the end of this year, Tesla is sparking financial excitement. The company’s 4680 production has accelerated, with a 20% increase over the last quarter, promising to fuel the demands of its upcoming Cybertruck.

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 Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, is confident that these nickel-based cells, boasting higher energy-density for longer-range EVs, will outprice competitors soon. 

🍏🕵️‍♂️ Apple’s Safari 18: AI-Powered Browsing and Content Erasing Announced

 In Apple News, the tech giant is beta-testing Safari 18, a version that packs an AI punch with its new ‘Intelligent Search’ feature. Expected to debut alongside iOS 18 and macOS 15, this smart cookie of a browser could reconfigure the way we scour the internet, summarizing hefty articles into bite-sized delights with the help of Ajax, Apple’s own language-learning model.

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🏈🎄 Netflix Scores a Touchdown with NFL Streaming Starts As Soon As Christmas

It might not be too long until ‘Netflix and Tackle’ becomes a thing as  the streaming giant just snagged the rights to air exclusive NFL games on Christmas Day, starting December 25, 2024. Netflix, previously on the sidelines in the game of streaming live sports, has entered a three-year pact to broadcast NFL showdowns, beginning with a double-header featuring Chiefs at Steelers and Ravens at Texans.

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Motivated by reports revealing that a staggering 71% of viewers who signed up for NFL games on Peacock remained subscribed weeks after games ended, debunking myths of post-game subscription abandonment, Netflix’s early play could dampen the recent stream of subscription-hopping.

And that, my friends is a wrap. Keep an eye on your inbox, same time next month for more exciting news and perhaps a few gifts from us to you. Until then keep soaring!