Hello, N2K’ers!

The subject of this week’s world famous News Haiku^TM competition is that Delta $DAL ( ▲ 1.56% ) and United Airlines $UAL ( ▲ 1.04% ) are being sued by passengers who claim they were duped into paying up to $100 extra for window seats that did not have [checks notes] windows. “When consumers [book] a window seat,” said attorney Carter Greenbaum, “they reasonably expect the seat will have a window, not a windowless wall.”

Got a poetic take on this news story? I should hope so! Email me your haiku by Thursday at noon ET and get ready for glory.

Meanwhile, last week’s winner is Morgan Davis, who has this to say about Sam Altman’s suggestion that we “might be in an AI bubble”:

Congratulations, Morgan! That’s poetry. Your fellow Cheddar readers said so! Here’s your celebratory billionaire-themed gif!

Now, let’s talk about the news you Need2Know?

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

News You Need2Know

• How you can become a Hollywood insider

• RFK Jr. defends vaccine claims in heated Senate he …

• Goldman Sachs invests $1B in T. Rowe Price

• Waymo will test driverless taxis in San Jose

• Sorry, Starlink: JetBlue chooses Amazon for WiFi

What’s the stock market up to, eh?

$SPX ( ▼ 0.0% ) $DJI ( ▼ 0.16% ) $NDX ( ▲ 0.55% )

Companies mentioned in today’s newsletter

$DAL ( ▲ 1.56% )  $UAL ( ▲ 1.04% )  $GS ( ▼ 1.14% )  $TROW ( ▼ 1.38% )  $GOOG ( ▲ 2.51% )  $AMZN ( ▲ 0.46% )  $JBLU ( ▼ 1.8% )  

How you can become a Hollywood insider

To most people the film industry is impenetrable, but even if you can’t channel your inner Seth Rogen and land a job as a Hollywood boss like in Apple TV’s hit satire The Studio, you can still have a modest impact on Hollywood today. 

Anyone can sign up to attend a test screening before a movie is completed. Visual effects are rough, color hasn’t been corrected, and the score is built up of snippets of music from other movies. The previews help filmmakers and studios gauge how audiences feel about an upcoming release and of course, figure out how to make more money out of the film by making tweaks. All that assumes the thing isn’t a complete turkey from start to finish, of course. Remember Disney’s 2013 remake of “The Lone Ranger” starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp? Me, either. 

Ads on social media, flyers distributed at the movie theater, or emails alert people to these screenings. You can also Google “test screenings near me” and you’re on your way, baby!

Once you and the at-capacity crowd are settled in your seats, the movie begins. When it ends, you fill out a survey explaining your feelings on the film. You rate the movie, every character, and every performance on a scale of five. You’ll list your three favorite and least favorite scenes, and judge the pacing of the movie on the Goldilocks scale: was it too fast, too slow, or just right? 

The most important questions are “would you recommend this movie to people?” and “would you recommend seeing it in the theater?” 

After all the surveys are completed, a portion of the audience will be asked to remain in their seats. They are the focus group, who are recorded and more thoroughly interrogated. They receive some compensation in the form of a $12 million mansion in the Hollywood hills, or a gift card or movie passes. Usually it’s a gift card or movie passes, but I’m holding out. 

Filmmakers might make changes to the film after a test screening, as they did, for example, with 1982’s Bladerunner, insisting that a voiceover added a more positive ending so that the female love interest didn’t “expire” weeks after it ended. Test audiences for Back to the Future also insisted on knowing whether Doc’s dog Einstein survived a test run in the DeLorean time machine instead of, er… disappearing. 

More typically your input from the test screening will be used to craft the movie’s marketing campaign. Favorite scenes appear in trailers, enticing audiences to have the great time you (hopefully) did. 

Join me at a test screening soon, and start saving for a cravat and a director’s chair.

—Grant Keller

Song of the day: David Byrne, ‘Everybody Laughs’

“Everybody’s going through the garbage, looking for inspiration.”

That’s the chorus lyric in David Byrne’s first single in seven years. I must say, I absolutely love it. And if you’ve been reading Need2Know for a while, you know exactly where my inspiration originated.

RFK Jr. defends vaccine claims in heated Senate hearing

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced an intense Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, answering pointed questions about his controversial vaccine policies and the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The three-hour session revealed not only partisan divisions but also fractures among Republicans who previously supported his confirmation.

Kennedy, known for his skepticism toward vaccines, has made a series of contentious decisions during his seven months in office. These include dismantling a vaccine advisory panel, restricting access to COVID-19 vaccines, and canceling $500 million in grants and contracts for mRNA vaccine development. Perhaps most controversial was his decision last week to fire CDC Director Susan Monarez, a move attributed to disagreements over vaccine policy.

Kennedy seemed unrepentant under fire, saying, “I’m not taking vaccines away from anyone.” He also accused Democrats of “making stuff up” regarding his record. However, his actions have drawn scrutiny even from GOP members who initially confirmed him. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a pro-vaccine Republican, suggested Kennedy had gone back on pledges he made during confirmation. When Kennedy courted their votes, he promised repeatedly and in writing to do nothing that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines. Cassidy, a physician and a fierce proponent of vaccination, agonized publicly over whether to vote to confirm Kennedy and in the end decided to do so.

“Effectively, we’re denying people vaccine,” Cassidy said Thursday, noting that pharmacies may no longer offer Covid shots now that Kennedy has announced they are not recommended for healthy children and adults under 65.

“You’re wrong,” Kennedy shot back, without offering evidence to refute the senator. After the hearing, Kennedy was described repeatedly as “Microwaved Mel Gibson” on Twitter, which doesn’t seem very nice.

Today on the ‘gram: No invite for Elon?

Post of the day: Oh, dear…

Quote of the Day

Goldman Sachs invests $1B in T. Rowe Price

Goldman Sachs $GS ( ▼ 1.14% ) is aiming to tap into the lucrative retirement savings market by acquiking a significant stake and partnering with T. Rowe Price $TROW ( ▼ 1.38% ) to provide private market products to retail investors. Following the announcement, T. Rowe Price shares surged nearly 16%.

The move strategically positions Goldman to access T. Rowe Price’s retirement-focused client base. Michael Ashley Schulman, Chief Investment Officer at Running Point Capital Advisors, told Reuters: “Goldman did not buy a friend; it bought a fast lane into 401(k) distribution, since two-thirds of T. Rowe’s assets come from retirement accounts.”

Should you check your 401(k) today?

👍️ 

Yes.

Waymo will test driverless taxis in San Jose

Alphabet’s $GOOG ( ▲ 2.51% ) Waymo continues expanding its autonomous ride-hailing operations, announcing plans to test driverless robotaxis at San Jose Mineta International Airport starting this fall.

The initiative follows Waymo’s successful launch at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in 2023. Currently operating in major U.S. cities like Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, Waymo continues to grow its driverless footprint.

Sorry, Starlink: JetBlue chooses Amazon for WiFi

Amazon’s $AMZN ( ▲ 0.46% ) Project Kuiper has achieved a major milestone, securing JetBlue $JBLU ( ▼ 1.8% ) as its first airline partner to provide in-flight satellite internet. Starting in 2027, JetBlue flights will offer passengers high-speed Wi-Fi powered by Kuiper’s broadband satellite constellation, marking a significant challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink, which currently dominates the satellite internet market for airlines.

Marty St. George, JetBlue’s president, expressed excitement about the partnership. “Our agreement with Project Kuiper marks an exciting leap forward for us as the hands-down leader in onboard connectivity,” he said in Amazon’s announcement. “Whether it’s binge-watching a favorite show, staying connected with loved ones, or wrapping up a work project, we’re always looking for ways to make our customers' time in the air as connected and productive as they want it to be.”

While Project Kuiper is still in its early stages, Amazon has launched 102 satellites out of its planned 3,200 into low Earth orbit over the last four months and aims to accelerate deployment rates.

Poll of the day: RFK OK?