Good morning readers. Ever imagined Spielberg's E.T. trying to crash a Mexican Congress hearing? Well, that sort of happened. At a political hearing last week, Jaime Maussan, a Mexican journalist with a flair for the extraterrestrial, presented what looked like a toddler-sized X-Files episode: two mini 'bodies' boasting triple-fingered hands and stretchy skulls. But spoiler alert: they're just cobbled-together human and animal bones. Crowdfunded in 2017, these phony figures are the brainchild of a band of faux experts aiming to score big with otherworldly tales. When truth meets fiction, it seems even aliens can't escape the fake news wave.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• Out with the old, in with the new: UAW embraces new strike strategy

• Headline Hustle: streaming movies on Tik Tok, Texas AG Paxton dodges impeachment, Starlink controversy

• The tug-of-war with streaming in Hollywood

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

AUTO

The UAW’s calculated plan of attack

While most of us are grappling with weekend planning, the United Auto Workers (UAW) are creating ripples across Detroit's automobile landscape. Why? The UAW’s recent simultaneous walkouts at three major assembly plants mark a strategic upheaval in its 88-year legacy.

New face, new game

Shawn Fain, UAW's new mastermind, isn’t your traditional union leader. Elected via a revolutionary direct-vote method following a series of scandals that would put any political drama to shame, Fain is all about shaking things up. Think Billie Jean King's crusade for equal pay, but in the auto world. Gone are the days of backroom discussions and handshakes with car magnates. Fain’s taken the battles to Twitter and Facebook, discussing strategies as openly as one would tweet about their lunch.

Why the shift in strategy? Just look at the UAW’s recent past: corruption scandals, convictions, and leadership that seemed to be in bed with Detroit's auto moguls. But Fain saw beyond the storm, identifying the post-pandemic supply-chain vulnerabilities of automakers as the perfect backdrop for a new era of negotiations. The strategy? A "rolling, slow-burn" approach to strikes that keeps auto giants on their toes, much like Coco Gauff's unpredictable serves. But with every new strategy, there's the ripple effect. The union members find themselves in the spotlight, torn between the old school approach of past strikes and the appeal of a more dynamic, disruptive approach.

Looking ahead…Fain's brazen style and the UAW’s pivots could redefine the dance of negotiations, not just for automakers, but industries nationwide. As we've seen, when game-changers enter the court, or in this case, the factory floor, the rulebook often gets a rewrite. Buckle up folks; it's going to be a thrilling ride.

Headline Hustle

🎥 Streaming movies on Tik Tok. In a world where TikTok's algorithm is the new TV guide, Hollywood is grappling with a new kind of piracy. Users are posting bite-sized clips of TV shows and films, racking up followers and views, but not necessarily dollars. While these posts violate copyright laws they also give studios a new audience. Some streaming providers, like Peacock, are even testing the waters with full episodes. But these aren't open experiments, they're clandestine acts, often leaving viewers on cliffhangers. As we scroll through our feeds, we're not just watching videos, we're witnessing a new era of content distribution.

🧑🏽‍⚖️ Texas AG Paxton dodges impeachment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has dodged the impeachment bullet, acquitted of all charges in a trial that has left the GOP more divided than a pizza at a Super Bowl party. Despite the victory, Paxton's legal battles are far from over, with a felony securities fraud trial and an FBI investigation still on the horizon. But for now, he's back in the saddle as Texas' top lawyer, a role he's managed to hold onto through scandal, criminal charges, and even an impeachment.

🛰️ The Starlink controversy. Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO and part-time peacekeeper? That's the question three Democratic Senators are asking, following claims that Musk disrupted Starlink satellite communications during a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian warships. While Musk argues he was merely denying a request to provide Starlink over Crimea, the Senators are calling for a Congressional probe. It's a high-stakes game of he-said, she-said, with global implications.

MEDIA

Hollywood’s streaming struggle

As you lay back this weekend to binge that latest series, consider this: Hollywood's bright stars are picketing, not for glitz or glamour, but for AI protections, equitable wages, and a slice of the streaming pie. Five months, and the drama off-set might just overshadow on-set affairs.

Streaming isn’t a fresh storyline

Circa 2007, Netflix turned the page with its direct-to-consumer service, challenging the media's age-old economic playbook. Legacy bigwigs like Disney, Warner Bros., and Paramount, joined the game with content-loaded platforms, trying to out-Netflix Netflix. But streaming's subscription saga diverged from the traditional ad-fueled narrative. As high costs shadowed revenues, Netflix saw a dip in its subscriber count, rethinking strategies from ad-additions to stiffer price tags.

Cue a consumer-driven migration from cables to clicks. The backdrop? Recession whispers and licensing landslides, combined with a zealous race to create more, more, and more content. Those revenue-rich residuals from yesteryears? Steamrolled by streaming’s up-front payments.

So where's the silver lining? Old is gold, it seems. Classic strategies like ad-boosts and content licensing, are re-entering the scene. It's not just about subscriber stats anymore; it's the bottom line that's stealing the spotlight. As actors and writers up their ante, media giants might just have to re-script their contracts.

In the end, as the credits roll, remember: the streaming saga is still unfolding, and Hollywood, as always, promises a sequel.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

50 cent cheeseburgers at Micky D’s. McDonald's is flipping 50-cent double cheeseburgers for National Cheeseburger Day, while Wendy's hands them out for a penny.

Disney Chief Information Officer departs. Disney's Chief Information Officer has bid adieu to the company, marking the second departure of a C-level executive in less than three months.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ousts founder Jann Wenner. In a swift response to controversy, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has ousted one of its founders, Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine fame, from its foundation board. This move came hot on the heels of a New York Times interview where Wenner made remarks that were deemed sexist and racist.

X unveils government ID verification. X, the social network previously known as Twitter, has rolled out a government ID-based account verification feature for its paid users. This move aims to curb impersonation and offers perks like "prioritized support."

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