Good morning readers. In what can only be described as a thirst for profits, a 23-year-old woman from California was arrested for swiping $2,500 worth of Stanley Quencher cups. She stashed 65 of these coveted insulated cups in her car without paying and made a run for it. But she just didn’t get to far. These stainless-steel tumblers, once a staple for hikers and construction workers, have become a status symbol, sparking chaos in stores and a resale market with some colors fetching over $200. In 2022, a 150,000-person waitlist formed for Quenchers, and sales tripled, turning hydration into a high-stakes game.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• Amazon Labor Union (ALU) faces an uphill battle

• Headline Hustle: Trump wins 2024 New Hampshire primary, Sweden joins NATO, Hamas agrees to release Israeli hostages for agreement on ceasefire

• How did giving someone the middle finger start?

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

BUSINESS

ALUs in the trenches but not backing down

Like a meteoric rise followed by a precarious hover, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), once a beacon of grassroots success in unionizing Amazon's Staten Island warehouse, now teeters on the brink of survival. Nearly two years after its landmark victory, the union is embroiled in leadership chaos and financial woes, struggling to ink its inaugural labor contract with the e-commerce behemoth.

The ALU's wallet is running on empty

Described as "pretty much broke," the union's funding has plummeted since its heyday in 2022, when donations flowed and net assets soared. Without a labor contract with Amazon, the ALU can't collect mandatory fees from workers, further straining its finances. To add salt to the wound, established labor organizations that initially backed the ALU have either slashed or halted their donations.

Their initial triumph in Staten Island hasn't been a stepping stone to greater success.

• Efforts to unionize other Amazon facilities have hit a wall, thanks to high employee turnover, fears of reprisals, and Amazon's staunch anti-union stance.

• Experts in labor matters hint that unionizing a behemoth like Amazon could be a marathon, not a sprint, taking years to materialize, if at all.

Amazon, for its part, isn't rolling out the welcome mat for unions. The tech giant argues that unions could stifle beneficial business initiatives, preferring to engage directly with its workforce. The company has spared no expense in hiring labor consultants to thwart union efforts and has utilized its advantages in unionization contests, including mandatory meetings and access to accurate workforce information.

But the ALU isn’t without its critics. Chris Smalls, the union's charismatic president and the face of its early victories, faces accusations of prioritizing personal fame over the union's foundational goals. A leadership election looms, potentially recalibrating the union's trajectory.

Big picture: The stakes are high, not just for the ALU, but for the broader labor movement's quest to find a foothold in large, union-resistant corporations.

Headline Hustle

🇺🇸 Donald Trump wins decisive 2024 New Hampshire primary. In the fiercely contested New Hampshire GOP presidential primary, Donald Trump emerged victorious, securing 55% of the vote against Nikki Haley's 44%. This win, following his triumph in Iowa, propels Trump closer to a nomination rematch with President Biden. Despite the loss, Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, remains determined, emphasizing the race's continuation with many states yet to vote. Trump's New Hampshire win, while significant, also revealed weaknesses, including diminished support from independent voters compared to 2020. The upcoming primaries, especially in South Carolina, will be crucial for Haley to maintain momentum against Trump's growing support within the Republican Party.

🇸🇪 Sweden joins NATO. Turkey's parliament has greenlit Sweden's NATO accession, ending a diplomatic standoff and paving the way for a historic alliance expansion amid Russia's Ukraine aggression. This approval, following Finland's entry, leaves Hungary as the last hurdle. The move bolsters NATO's European presence and eases U.S.-Turkey tensions, potentially unlocking a significant F-16 deal. Sweden's bid, a departure from its neutral stance, reflects strategic shifts in response to regional security concerns and intensifies NATO's military footprint from the Baltic to the Arctic.

🤝 Hamas open to releasing Israeli hostages for ceasefire. Hamas offers a breakthrough in the Gaza conflict, proposing to release Israeli hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. This shift from their comprehensive peace demand comes amid fierce fighting in Gaza's Khan Younis. The proposal includes freeing civilian women and children captives, with around 130 hostages remaining. Despite Israeli skepticism, mediated talks continue. The war has devastated Gaza, causing mass displacement and shortages. The U.S. supports an extended ceasefire, aiming for hostage release and increased humanitarian aid.

LIFESTYLE

The origins of ‘flipping the bird’

If you've ever raised your middle finger in frustration or defiance, you may be surprised to learn that you share a peculiar connection with ancient Greeks who had an equally cheeky way of expressing themselves. The notorious middle finger, often used today as a resounding "f**k you," had its origins in a much more ribald and playful context in classical society.

The history behind the middle finger

Around 2,500 years ago, those mischievous Greeks devised the middle finger as a phallic gesture to offend, taunt, and, quite literally, poke each other. While it may not have conveyed the same explicit message as it does now, historians believe it was a saucy reference to male anatomy.

In the world of ancient Greece, proudly displaying a middle finger was typically a joke, an insult, or even a suggestive proposition. References from that era suggest that middle fingers were used to prod or poke various body parts, from nostrils to, well, more intimate regions.

Interestingly, it wasn't until the 1960s that the "finger" became the "bird." Birds had long been associated with taunting, so when the middle finger regained popularity, it became a wordless version of displeasure used by Brits and other Europeans.

So, next time you raise that middle finger…remember that you're carrying on a tradition that dates back to the Greeks, and perhaps you're just keeping it a little more classical than you thought.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• Alphabet has severed its contractual relationship with Appen, the AI data firm instrumental in training Google's chatbot Bard, Google Search, and other AI products.

• Netflix is increasing its investment in live programming by acquiring WWE wrestling rights, contributing to its fast-growing customer base.

• A Canadian judge ruled that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's use of extraordinary powers in 2022 to end a protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates in the capital was a violation of the country's constitution.

• Companies continue to cut jobs in 2024: eBay lets go of 1,000 workers, SAP cuts 8,000 jobs, Wayfair lays off 13% of its workforce, and the LA Times lays off 20% of its staff.

• Johnson & Johnson has tentatively agreed to pay approximately $700 million to settle an investigation by over 40 states into its marketing of talcum-based baby powder, according to a J&J executive.

• Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will meet with U.S. senators this week to discuss the 737 MAX 9 grounding amid inquiries from United Airlines about their orders for MAX 10 jets worth billions of dollars.

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