Hello, N2K’ers!

This week’s world-famous News Haiku™ competition is about the jobs numbers. Send me a haiku on the subject by noon today and we’ll let you, our readers, choose between the top three on Friday.

Now let’s talk about the news you Need2Know?

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

News You Need2Know

• Apple rally leads Wall Street higher

• Afghan girls are coding their way to a future

• App helps shoppers like you save money, cut waste

• X’s ex-CEO gets new gig at weight-loss drug firm

• What’s ahead for Disney?

What’s the stock market up to, eh?

$SPX ( ▲ 0.81% ) $DJI ( ▲ 0.59% ) $NDX ( ▲ 1.01% )

Companies mentioned in today’s newsletter*

$AAPL ( ▲ 4.23% )  $SHOP ( ▼ 1.61% )  $MCD ( ▼ 0.84% )  $ANET ( ▼ 0.61% )  $SMCI ( ▼ 3.71% )  $DIS ( ▼ 0.22% )  

Apple rally leads Wall Street higher

Wall Street climbed nicely yesterday, with Apple $AAPL ( ▲ 4.23% ) taking center stage. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7%, and Apple’s stock alone contributed nearly half of the S&P 500’s gains, rising 5.7%. The stock’s rally was fueled by the company’s announcement of a $100 billion increase in U.S. investments over the next four years.

“The market seems to believe that we’re in a pay-to-play world where companies can buy their way into tariff exemptions by making commitments to invest in the U.S., even if those investments fall far short of actually re-shoring manufacturing,” investment analyst Craig Moffett told the Wall Street Journal.

The market’s performance wasn’t solely driven by Apple. Shopify $SHOP ( ▼ 1.61% ) saw staggering growth, with its stock jumping 19.7% after it reported stronger-than-expected revenue. McDonald’s rose 3.4% $MCD ( ▼ 0.84% ) , credited partly to its “Minecraft” movie meal promotion, which became a bit of an ahem, goldmine, for the company. Meanwhile, Arista Networks $ANET ( ▼ 0.61% ) leaped 18% after delivering impressive profits and forecasts. On the flip side, Super Micro Computer $SMCI ( ▼ 3.71% ) tumbled 19.3% following earnings that fell short of expectations. Similarly, Disney dipped 2.4% $DIS ( ▼ 0.22% ) cespite exceeding profit forecasts, as its revenue underwhelmed analysts. More on the company below 👇🏻

Amid rising fears over tariffs and economic uncertainty, market optimism remains steady due to potential Federal Reserve rate cuts in September.

Song of the day: Emily Hines, ‘All of Our Friends’

Nashville songwriter Emily Hines released “All Of Our Friends” on August 1, the third single from her debut album “These Days.”

“Goddamn it feels good to be with someone who wants you around,” the song begins. “I’m slim on friends, I’m new in town.”

Apart from sounding like the soundtrack to my life, what’s it all about?

“I wrote this song in a guy's bedroom while he was working in the other room,” Hines told a music review site recently. “Fresh out of college, I was naïve and earnest, putting everything under a microscope. I’d fallen in love a little too quickly and felt the familiar nausea of an intimacy hangover. The lyrics are mostly questions I knew better than to ask out loud." 

The familiar nausea of an intimacy hangover, eh?

Afghan girls are coding their way to a future

Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the lives of women have drastically narrowed, with a cascade of restrictions stripping them of their rights to education, employment, and public spaces. Yet, against these odds, some women have found ways to dream beyond the confinement. One glimmer of hope? Computer programming.

"I believe a person should not be bowed by circumstance but should grow and get their dreams through every possible way," said a 24-year-old pharmacology student forced to abandon her education due to the Taliban’s ban on schooling beyond primary levels. Through a free online computer coding program, she found more than a new skill. “The new skills helped me regain my confidence and clarity in my direction,” she told the AP.

These courses are part of Afghan Geeks, an initiative founded by Murtaza Jafari, a former Afghan refugee now living in Greece, making him an Afghan Geek Greek. Jafari, who himself learned coding as a teenager under difficult conditions, launched the program as a way to "give back to the community." His classes not only teach coding but provide mentorship to help women secure remote internships in a country where nearly all professions are banned for them.

Others, like 20-year-old Zuhal, are also paving the way. She co-founded Vision Online University, a platform that offers over 4,000 Afghan women online courses ranging from psychology to public speaking. "I shouldn’t give up. I should do something for the girls of my country,” she said, describing the reasons for starting the school.

Today on the ‘gram: A robot directs traffic

Post of the day: ‘That ferret had potential’

Quote of the Day

App helps shoppers like you save money, cut waste

Food waste is a monumental problem, with "40% of all food we make [finding] its way to a landfill," according to Jordan Schenck, CEO of Flashfood. His company is tackling this issue head-on, offering a simple yet impactful solution: an app that connects consumers with surplus, nearing-best-by food from retailers at up to 50% off.

Flashfood's model is a win-win. Retailers, facing the grim reality of "perfectly good food" ending up in landfills, find an effective way to sell it. As Schenck explains, they "partner with anyone to essentially take what would have been nearing its best by or is in surplus and give them the ability to then sell that at a really awesome discount." This also directly addresses the societal challenge of food insecurity, providing "really affordable access" to essential groceries like meat and produce, especially as prices rise. You may remember a survey a couple of days ago showing the majority of Americans are concerned about food prices rising.

Beyond savings, Flashfood is promoting healthier eating. Schenck notes that "70% of folks that shop with us find themselves eating healthier," with 65% consuming more fruits and vegetables.

Looking ahead, Flashfood is embracing innovation. They're launching AI features for "informed dynamic pricing" and enhanced "searchability functions" to improve the shopper experience. Schenck envisions Flashfood as a "global business" within three years, believing that this "consumer movement unlike anything we’ve seen before" will revolutionize how we view and access food.

Should you check your 401(k) today?

👍️ 

Yes.

X’s ex-CEO gets new gig at weight-loss drug firm

It turns out that working for Elon Musk for a couple of years is good for your resume. Linda Yaccarino, former CEO of social media platform X, has got a new job as CEO of eMed Population Health, a digital health company focused on drugs for weight loss and diabetes.

“The healthcare industry has been disrupted by technology, but not yet completely transformed by it,” Yaccarino said in a statement, emphasizing eMed’s mission to leverage digital channels and integrate technology, lifestyle, and data in new ways.

Yaccarino has proven her ability to navigate complex markets and drive impactful partnerships, talents she showcased as the head of NBCUniversal’s global advertising business and during her tenure at X. According to eMed, she is a “highly sought-after leader” ready to embrace “fearless tenacity” in reshaping healthcare.

Good luck in your new gig, Linda!

What’s ahead for Disney?

Disney's third-quarter earnings call offered glimpse into a media giant in strategic flux, as discussed by analyst Seth Schachner. The company’s results underwhelmed investors yesterday, but its forward-thinking moves could be positive, Seth said.

A standout development is the new alliance between ESPN and the NFL. As Seth said: “ESPN's about to launch a standalone sports app. It's gonna have a ton of great stuff in it. But they're now gonna have one of the NFL's assets in it, the NFL Network... And what's really striking to me is that the league is actually getting a piece of ownership, a little equity interest, 10% in ESPN.” This groundbreaking equity swap, he noted, “reminds me of stuff that I saw even back in the days of early music when rights holders would swap for stakes in things like Spotify.”

The parks division continues to be a robust performer, with Seth highlighting that “Visitation is up even with some of the pricing pressures.” Despite concerns about pricing, he believes Disney remains a leader, with new parks like the one in Abu Dhabi expanding its global footprint.

On the streaming front, the decision to integrate Hulu into Disney+ is a significant strategic play. The consolidation aims to bolster Disney's streaming offerings against competitors. With CEO Bob Iger's vision and smart acquisitions, Disney continues to “set up for the future,” Seth said, strategically positioning itself for sustained growth.

Poll of the Day: Groceries for 50% off?

Poll results: You don’t love tech stocks

We asked: Do you think there'll be a downward correction in tech stocks in the next six months?

You answered:

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes, I think there's a bit of a bubble in the NASDAQ (291 votes)

 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ No, I agree that the fundamental valuations of these tech firms are strong and set to keep rising for another year (160)

451 Votes via @beehiiv polls