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Hello, N2K’ers!

The winner of this week’s world famous News Haiku^TM competition is Lodro Rinzler. The subject, you’ll recall, is that Albania has hired an AI-generated “Minister” to root out corruption. You voted for this beauty as the winner:

Lodro says thanks very much for voting for him, and promises to “spend all the money in one place.”

Now, let’s tell Lodro what he’s won! That’s right… it’s this creepy robot gif:

Next week’s competition theme is: Robert Redford has died at 89. Email me by Thursday at noon ET with your entry, and I’ll be sure to judge it with the reverence it deserves.

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

News You Need2Know

• Judge tosses Trump's NYT lawsuit

• Why’s it so hard to find a job right now? The data …

• Amex jacks the price of its Platinum card

• Uber’s gonna deliver your takeout by drone

• Google will let you share your ‘Gems’

• Poll of the day: Critical mass

What’s the stock market up to, eh?

$SPX ( ▲ 0.49% ) $DJI ( ▲ 0.37% ) $NDX ( ▲ 0.72% )

Companies mentioned in today’s newsletter

$NYT ( ▼ 0.12% )  $DIS ( ▼ 0.96% )  $RATE ( ▼ 0.63% )  $AXP ( ▼ 0.16% )  $JPM ( ▲ 0.5% )  $UBER ( ▲ 4.02% )  

Judge tosses Trump's NYT lawsuit

Donald Trump’s tumultuous relationship with the press is taking center stage after a judge threw out the president’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times $NYT ( ▼ 0.12% ) . On the other hand, Trump also suggested revoking broadcast licenses for TV networks critical of his administration following ABC’s $DIS ( ▼ 0.96% ) suspension of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday dismissed Trump’s lawsuit with some sharp words.

“As every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective — not a protected platform to rage against an adversary,” wrote Merryday, who was appointed to the federal bench by former President and CIA Director George H.W. Bush.

“A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner,” the judge continued.

The ruling delivered a blow to Trump’s long-standing feud with the media, which he frequently labels “fake news.” Adding fuel to the fire, Trump floated the idea of pulling FCC licenses for networks he claims are critical of him. Speaking on Thursday to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I have read someplace that the networks were 97% against me, again, 97% negative, and yet I won and easily, all seven swing states,” referring to his 2024 election win.

“They give me only bad publicity, press. I mean, they’re getting a license,” Trump said. “I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”

Song of the day: Tune Yards, ‘Crawling Up’

Tune-Yards have surprise-released their new EP ‘Tell The Future With Your Body’, from which this is a nice song. Led by duo Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, who have this to say about their efforts: “We match the overconfidence of backwards tyrannical overlords with the confidence of mid-career artists in the zone. May we release our cultural fear and grief with a breath of fire!”

Enjoy!

Why’s it so hard to find a job right now? The data knows!

The U.S. job market is facing unprecedented challenges, leaving millions of Americans struggling to find work despite historically low unemployment figures. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 million job seekers have now been out of the workforce for over 27 weeks — about a quarter of all unemployed Americans.

Analysts point to economic uncertainty fueled by President Donald Trump’s policies, including tariffs and restrictive immigration measures. Joseph Brusuelas, global economist at RSM, told ABC News that tariffs have “pushed economic uncertainty to the highest level in years.” Mark Hamrick with Bankrate $RATE ( ▼ 0.63% ) described the current climate as a “slow hire, slow fire economy.”

AI tools have also reduced opportunities in entry-level roles, further limiting prospects for job seekers. Additionally, restrictive immigration policies have decreased the available labor supply, putting employers in a precarious position. “We’re deporting lots and lots of working immigrants, and that just stirs the pot even further,” Michelle Holder, labor economist at John Jay College, told ABC News.

Today on the ‘gram: “Cool” “glasses,” “bro”

Post of the day: Fly the friendly skies

Quote of the Day

Amex jacks the price of its Platinum card

Right after Chase $JPM ( ▲ 0.5% ) raised the fees and benefits of its Sapphire Reserve credit card, American Express $AXP ( ▼ 0.16% ) has unveiled a major refresh of its Platinum card. What a surprise!

The changes combine a higher annual fee with “significantly enhanced benefits” to capture the attention of the top 10% of American consumers, who drive half of all U.S. consumer spending.

Beginning January 2, 2024, the card’s fee will increase from $695 to $895 — roughly 29% higher. But to offset the increase, cardholders will gain access to $3,500 in annual perks, more than double the previous amount.

For consumer Platinum cardholders, the updated perks include credits for Uber, Lululemon, and Resy, along with enhanced hotel and streaming benefits. Business Platinum users will also enjoy $3,500 in credits, including savings for purchases at Dell Technologies and Adobe.

“We spent an enormous amount of time around, how do we make this as easy as it can be for card members to understand, access and unlock all these great benefits,” said Howard Grosfield with American Express.

Some, however, are critical of the rising cost of premium cards. Some users might downgrade to lower-tier offerings if they don’t actively maximize the benefits, they say, but I say never underestimate the shame of losing a status symbol. It’s what keeps America running under capitalism.

Should you check your 401(k) today?

👍️ 

Yet again, yes!

Uber’s gonna deliver your takeout by drone

Uber $UBER ( ▲ 4.02% ) is once again venturing into the skies with drone delivery for its Uber Eats service. The company has partnered with startup Flytrex to bring back limited drone food deliveries in the United States. The collaboration marks a renewed commitment to exploring the potential of aerial delivery, with a focus on speed, convenience, and innovation.

Uber had previously tested drone deliveries but had put those trials on pause. I can only imagine how terribly those trials must have gone. Tikka masala all over the highway. You know?

Google will let you share your ‘Gems’

Google $GOOG ( ▲ 1.15% ) has taken its Gemini AI technology a step further by letting users share their custom AI assistants, known as Gems, with friends, family, and coworkers.

This means that you need to keep your cool now when your family, friends, or coworkers say, “Can I share my gems with you?”

Because it’s not that exciting after all. That’s the headline.

These Gems are personalized AI chatbots tailored for specific tasks — such as learning coaches, brainstorming assistants, career guides, coding partners, and more — previously limited to individual use. Now Gems can be shared as easily as files on Google Drive, which we hear is much easier than sharing files via Microsoft’s Sharepoint.

"If multiple coworkers were using a similar type of custom Gemini assistant, they could just share the same resource instead of each making their own version that could have slight inconsistencies." The ability to share Gems is not only time-saving but also improves collaboration for group activities like family vacation planning or collaborative writing projects.

I briefly considered trying to share a Gem to do a “collaborative writing project“ with my editor here at N2K just to see how he reacted. Then I realized it might end badly, with my death, and so I kept it to myself. [Thx. —ed.]

Poll of the day: Critical mass