Greetings N2K reader!

Ramy Zane won last week’s world famous news haiku competition™ about new limits for a rent algorithm that prosecutors say lets landlords drive up prices, with this beauty:

Congratulations, Ramy.

“I’d like to thank my local tenants’ union,” he said.

Here’s your celebratory gif!

And here’s how you voted on the competition:

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ The numbers show us | Collusion is everywhere | Costing all renters — Bob Andersen (72)

 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ New algorithm. Will it help renters buy more | than ramen noodles? — Margaret Lea (96)

 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Housed in computers | Algorithm's needs simple | No rent required — Jim Chumbley (38)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Price by force or code | freedom bends, and renters bear | every shattered choice — Kristin Lanham (78)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 All we ask is this: Add an algorithm for | Raising salaries — Remy Zane (161)

445 Votes via @beehiiv polls

This week’s world famous news haiku competition™ is about the New York Times taking the Pentagon to court in a battle over the First Amendment. Send me your entry — to our spiffy new email address, haiku at cheddar dot com — by noon ET today for consideration by your Cheddar peers! And now for something completely different!

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

News You Need2Know

• I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille, and my $72 …

• Bad Bunny beat Taylor Swift for Spotify’s most-str …

• Is your company destined for a heart attack?

• Job cuts keep climbing as 2025 workforce woes pile …

• NYT takes the Pentagon to court

• Poll of the day:

• Don’t miss the Sunset gift guide!

What’s the stock market up to, eh?

$SPX ( ▲ 0.19% ) $DJI ( ▲ 0.22% ) $NDX ( ▲ 0.31% )

Companies mentioned in today’s newsletter

$NFLX ( ▼ 2.89% )  $WBD ( ▲ 6.28% )  $SPOT ( ▲ 0.71% )  $NYT ( ▲ 1.11% )  

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille, and my $72 billion

Give me old Hollywood any day. Give me a disillusioned screenwriter getting sucked into the delusional world of a fading starlet and, ultimately, drowning in her swimming pool…

The fog rolled in thick and suffocating, just like the zeroes on the biggest media deal Tinseltown town had ever seen. Seventy-two billion dollars. A number that tastes like stale cigarette smoke and desperation. Cold coffee was my only witness as I listened to Christopher Zara, news director at Fast Company, lay out the grim calculus of it all. The merger: Netflix swallowing the history of Warner Brothers, a hundred-year-old studio, bones and all.

“No, I mean the word bonkers comes to mind,” Zara told Cheddar. “The thing that stands out to me the most is the size and scope of this.” 

That’s right. Old Hollywood, the one where the pictures had grandeur and the moguls had class and the popcorn had butter, is being boxed up for the streaming shelf. The Intellectual Property — the DC Comics universe, Harry Potter, Friends, all more property than intellect — going behind a new velvet rope.

“I see a universe where they keep it all under lock and key behind a Netflix subscription,” he said. A lock and a key. The public, the average Joe, they’ll pay. They always do.

“I don't hold out a lot of hope that this is gonna be ultimately cheaper for consumers,” Christopher said. “It never is in the end.”

The screen keeps getting bigger, or maybe smaller, but the air keeps getting thinner. It’s all a big shuffle, a dark joke where the price of a ticket rises faster than a flash flood in a basement apartment, and a dreamer like me is left on the curb, watching the old empires drown in an unending downpour of “content.” It’s insane. Absolutely, gloriously insane. I’m off for a swim. I’m keeping my shoes on.

Song of the Day: Depeche Mode, ‘Ghosts Again,’ live in Mexico City

My first proper boss, a photographer, went to school with Depeche Mode and is still best mates with their songwriter, Martin Gore. They all grew up in Basildon, a new town in Essex. Vince Clark from Erasure was also in their class. Like, what?! I keep telling him to write a novel about those years. Imagine the sense of possibility and positivity. This track is from their new album of live material from the world’s rock stadiums. They’ve still got it, baby!

Bad Bunny beat Taylor Swift for Spotify’s most-streamed artist

Bad Bunny has once again claimed the title of Spotify’s $SPOT ( ▲ 0.71% ) most-streamed global artist of 2025, earning a staggering 19.8 billion streams worldwide. The Puerto Rican superstar edged out music heavyweights Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and Billie Eilish, who rounded out Spotify’s top five.

This marks Bad Bunny's fourth time as Spotify’s top global artist, following his reign in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Though Taylor Swift took the top spot in 2023 and Bad Bunny fell to third in 2024, the (checks notes) reggaetón artist reclaimed his crown after an exceptional year. The success of his hit album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (“I should have taken more photos”) (released in January) and his celebrated “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” (“I don’t want to leave here”) residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, helped propel him back to the top. The album also ranked as the most-streamed globally in 2025.

Spotify’s U.S. rankings told a different story, with Taylor Swift dominating as the most-streamed artist, followed by The Weeknd, Drake, and Billie Eilish. Bad Bunny landed in fifth place.

The Grammy-winning artist is already gearing up for another monumental moment as he is set to headline the Apple Music Halftime Show at the 2026 Super Bowl in California. Congratulations, BB!

Quote of the Day

Is your company destined for a heart attack?

The modern workplace is broken. That's the stark message from Bob Chapman, a former CEO and now the author of “Everybody Matters,” who says the focus on short-term financial returns is destroying the human spirit.

"Right now eighty-eight percent of all people feel they work for an organization doesn't care about them," Chapman said, citing a terrifying statistic: "There's a 20% increase in heart attacks on Monday mornings when people have to go back to work." He argues that a focus on pure economics has led to a "poverty of dignity," where people are "used and then discarded."

Chapman’s philosophy is simple yet radical: "Our product is our people." He believes that business can be "a force for economic and human vitality, not just economics." This care extends beyond the office, as he notes the way leaders treat employees "will affect the way they go home and treat their spouse and their kids."

For job seekers, his advice flips the script: "I want you to interview them and show that you actually care about the way you're gonna be treated, not just the salary and the benefits."

Should you check your 401(k) today?

👍️ 

Yes, markets are still rising!

Job cuts keep climbing as 2025 workforce woes pile up

Speaking of feeling “used and then discarded,” the U.S. job market continues to be a rollercoaster ride, as fresh data highlights both encouraging and concerning trends.

Employers announced 71,321 layoffs in November, marking a 24% increase from last year and the highest total for the month since 2022.

Despite rising layoffs, there’s a surprising silver lining: Unemployment claims reached a three-year low, dropping from 218,000 to 191,000 at the end of November. Although it’s normal for initial claims to be quite volatile during the holiday season.

Meanwhile, private payroll processor ADP reported the economy shed 32,000 private-sector jobs in November, with losses concentrated among small- and medium-sized businesses. Consumer sentiment reflects this uncertainty. 69% of Americans are expecting unemployment to rise — a stark contrast from last year’s optimism.

NYT takes the Pentagon to court

The New York Times $NYT ( ▲ 1.11% ) has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, alleging that newly imposed media rules violate freedom of speech and due process rights outlined in the (checks notes) Constitution of the United States. The new rules, introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, restrict press access by allowing him to unilaterally determine which reporters can receive credentials, effectively banning mainstream outlets such as The Times, CNN, and The Washington Post, from the Pentagon. The case was filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington.

“This policy is an attempt to exert control over reporting the government dislikes,” stated Charles Stadtlander, spokesperson for The Times. The restrictions have left conservative outlets as the primary voices in the Pentagon press room, and many larger organizations have been forced to report remotely. The Pentagon, however, defended the policy as "common sense" rules to protect sensitive military information, dismissing criticism from traditional media. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson remarked, “The American people don’t trust these propagandists because they stopped telling the truth.”

The Times argues that the restrictions suppress journalistic independence and create a chilling effect on reporters. The Pentagon Press Association praised the lawsuit, calling it “an effort to step up and defend press freedom.” 

Poll of the day:

Don’t miss the Sunset gift guide!

Need the perfect gift? Or even a pretty good one? Sunset’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide has you covered! With beautifully curated selections, there’s something for everyone on your list. Cozy up in the luxurious Flock Robe ($165) or add charm to any table with the Otto Napkin ($20). For the chefs, the Little Zipper Pot Holder ($35) is as stylish as it is practical. Nature lovers will adore the Case Study® Ceramics Birdhouse ($75) or the stunning Ceramics Small Cylinder with Stand. Want to give experiences? Share joy with the Sunset Box ($69.99) or a subscription to Sunset Magazine ($29.95). Shop now for thoughtful, unique gifts!

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