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Good morning readers. Ingrid Andress confessed to being drunk during her botched national anthem performance at the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday. On social media, she admitted, "I’m not going to bulls**t y’all, I was drunk last night," and announced she’s checking into rehab. Comparing her act to infamous performances by Roseanne Barr and Fergie, Andress apologized to the MLB, fans, and the country, adding a cheeky note, "I hear rehab is super fun."

But hey, at least she’s facing the music head-on.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• The newly popular workplace trend: coffee badging

• Headline Hustle: Dow Jones sees its best trading in more than a year, Elon Musk is moving SpaceX and X headquarters to Texas, Chinese billionaire Guo Wengi found guilty on federal fraud charges

• ACT exam is getting some major changes next year

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

WORKPLACE

The new workplace trend making waves: coffee badging

If it seems like employees are just phoning it in these days, you might be on to something. Workplace engagement has flatlined, with only one-third of full- and part-time employees actually engaged in their work, according to a 2023 Gallup poll. The rest are either not engaged or, worse, actively disengaged.

This lack of engagement has led to the rise of “quiet quitting,” where employees do the bare minimum to avoid notice. A new trend capturing this disengagement? “Coffee badging.”

What is coffee badging?

Coffee badging is the practice of showing up at the office for a few hours to “show face,” often involving coffee with co-workers or attending a meeting, and then leaving to work remotely. According to a 2023 survey by Owl Labs, 58% of hybrid employees admit to this practice.

“Employees have become accustomed to the flexibility of working from home and may only come to the office when absolutely necessary,” said David Satterwhite, CEO of Chronus. “It’s just too hard to put that genie back in the bottle.”

Fatigue from constant connectivity since the pandemic has also taken a toll.

• Almost 50% of workers are interrupted at least once every half hour, and nearly a third every 15 minutes, according to Unily.

• Not engaged or actively disengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationwide, Gallup found.

Workers don’t want to spend more time at the office

“The issue isn’t just about employees badging in and out; it’s about what drives this lack of motivation and interest,” Satterwhite said. Research indicates that employees are more engaged when they have opportunities for development, learning, mentorship, and career advancement.

Randstad’s 2024 Workmonitor survey, which included 27,000 workers globally, found that while 56% consider themselves ambitious, 47% are not focused on career progression. Instead, employees prioritize work-life balance, flexible hours, and mental health support.

A deal breaker: 37% of workers would consider quitting if asked to spend more time in the office, and 39% say working from home is nonnegotiable.

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IN THE KNOW

Headline Hustle

📈Dow jumps by more than 700 points, sees its best day in more than a year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged to record highs on Tuesday, rising 1.85% to close at 40,954.48. This marked the Dow's best session since June 2023. The Russell 2000 gained over 3%, while the S&P 500 added 0.64%. Financials and industrials led the rally, driven by hopes of forthcoming interest rate cuts after June’s consumer price index indicated lower inflation. Traders now expect a 100% chance of a Fed rate cut in September, boosting smaller, cyclical stocks.

🚀Elon Musk is moving SpaceX and X headquarters to Texas, citing California’s privacy law as reason why. SpaceX CEO and X owner Elon Musk announced Tuesday that he will move both companies' headquarters from California to Texas. This decision follows California Governor Gavin Newsom's signing of a new law that bars school districts from requiring parental notification of a child's gender identification change. Musk expressed his discontent with the law, stating it was the "final straw" and cited previous legislative actions as reasons for relocating. SpaceX will move from Hawthorne to Starbase, Texas, and X HQ will relocate from San Francisco to Austin.

⚖️Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui found guilty on federal fraud charges. Exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo, was convicted in a US federal court on Tuesday for defrauding his followers of over $1 billion. Guilty on nine out of twelve counts, including racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, Guo faces decades in prison when sentenced on November 19. US Attorney Damian Williams stated Guo ran several fraud schemes to fund his luxury lifestyle.

EDUCATION

The ACT exam is getting a big makeover

Big changes are coming to the ACT college admissions exam, the CEO of ACT announced Monday. Starting in spring 2025, the test will be shorter, and the science section will become optional, according to chief executive Janet Godwin.

The revamp aims to “meet the challenges students and educators face” and follows similar changes made to the SAT, which went fully digital and was shortened by a third earlier this year.

What’s changing?

The core ACT exam will now consist of English, reading, and math, while science will be optional, much like the existing writing section.

• Students can choose from various test combinations, including the ACT plus science, writing, or both. Those who take the science section will receive a standalone score and a combined STEM score with math.

• The core test will also be shortened from about three hours to two, featuring shorter passages and fewer questions — 44 fewer in total.

Additionally, the cost of the exam will also decrease. Approximately 60% of 2023 graduates took the ACT at least once, though average scores have declined for six consecutive years. Despite a movement making college entrance exams optional, some schools have reinstated test requirements, reflecting ongoing shifts in admissions criteria.

Zoom out: “Through this change, we will provide an avenue for students to demonstrate what they know, not how fast they can tell us what they know,” Godwin concluded.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• A jury on Tuesday found Sen. Bob Menendez guilty on all counts in his federal corruption trial, prompting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to call for his resignation.

• The Royal Caribbean cruise line is now offering shorter vacations (like 3-day cruises) to attract more tourists and capture more travel demand.

• JD Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ tops the bestsellers list at Amazon since getting selected as Trump’s running mate.

• Fisker gets the green light to sell North American EV’s for $46.25 million.

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