Rolling out the news you want

Welcome to the BLUNT Newsletter, your direct access to pop culture that is short and to the point.

Quick Look:

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces sexual assault allegations in a lawsuit from a former MTV’s Model Mission winner.

Energy Department says it will release 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve in 100,000 barrel increments to lower gas prices this summer

Middle East turmoil: Spain, Norway and Ireland to recognize a Palestinian state.

CANNABIS

The DEA is now taking public comments on the Biden administration’s proposal to reschedule cannabis.

The California Assembly approved a bill to legalize cannabis cafes, addressing concerns that led Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto a prior version, focusing on smoke-free workplace protections.

A study revealed that most psychiatric patients received cannabinoids for pain, with doctors noting symptom improvement in at least 75% of cases.

US NEWS

Powerful tornadoes struck western Iowa on Tuesday, leading to fatalities and severe damage in Greenfield, located about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines. Former state representative Clel Baudler reported, “There is basically nothing left.” Iowa experienced around 20 tornado reports within 24 hours. The storms are part of a larger system affecting a 1,500-mile area from Texas to western Vermont, leaving nearly 200,000 homes and businesses without power, with more outages expected.

Billionaire Rob Hale surprised graduates at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with $1,000 cash envelopes!

Wendy’s introduces a $3 breakfast deal, targeting inflation-weary consumers and competing with rivals like McDonald’s.

WORLD NEWS

Kenya is deploying 1,000 officers to Haiti for a UN mission combating severe gang violence. Funded mainly by the US, this effort comes as Haiti’s main airport reopens after three months.

A 73-year-old man died and 71 were injured from severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight, causing an emergency landing in Thailand. The Boeing plane dropped 6,000 feet unexpectedly. The deceased, Geoff Kitchen, suffered a heart attack during the incident.

American pleads guilty to bringing ammunition into Turks and Caicos a day after lawmakers press for US citizens’ release

SPORTS

Jaylen Brown's 3 rescues Celtics in Game 1 thriller vs. Pacers. NBA Western Conference Finals kick off tonight (8:30 pm ET, TNT) with the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NHL Eastern Conference Finals begin tonight (8 pm ET, ESPN) with the New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers.

WNBA star Caitlin Clark has achieved a historic milestone not seen since Michael Jordan by signing a multiyear deal with Wilson, the league’s official basketball supplier. She is the first female athlete to have her own collection with the company.

Florida QB Jaden Rashada sues team, coach for $14 million over NIL bait-and-switch.

The National Football League will launch a program aimed at increasing the number of minority- and women-owned businesses that work with the league.

POP CULTURE

SAG-AFTRA backed Scarlett Johansson against OpenAI’s AI chatbot “Sky,” which resembled her voice. After Johansson’s legal challenge, OpenAI removed the voice, clarifying it belonged to another actress. This underscores concerns about unauthorized use of artists’ likenesses.

Los Angeles police are investigating source of ketamine that contributed to "Friends" actor Matthew Perry's death.

Peloton pauses the use of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ music on its platform Peloton has paused using music by Sean “Diddy” Combs on its workout class platform as he faces accusations of sexual misconduct and illegal activity.

BUSINESS

Pixar lays off 14% of workforce—175 employees—as Disney reduces content output for streaming and prioritizes theatrical releases

Comcast unveils $15 per month streaming bundle including Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+ for Xfinity TV and internet customers

Volvo debuts self-driving version of its heavy truck, designed for long-haul transport; production-ready vehicle is certified at the fourth level of autonomous safety standards

Bitcoin broke $70,000. The Ether cryptocurrency was also up yesterday on speculation that the Securities and Exchange Commission would approve spot Ethereum ETFs this week.

US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.2%) with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching new records; Nvidia's stock rises 0.6% in advance of earnings report today.

Quote of the Day:

"We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions"

-Stephen Covey

That's all for now! We hope you enjoyed this edition of the BLUNT Newsletter. Have a fantastic rest of your day!