Good morning. The end of the world might as well be here as Instagram confirms to test unskippable ads. Meanwhile, X is allowing users to post consensual adult content, as long as it’s clearly labeled as such (that should help a lot).

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Stocks

Stocks: The PSEi index rose on Tuesday, driven by strong performances in blue-chip stocks and positive investor sentiment. Despite mixed inflation data, the market gained momentum following President Biden's announcement of new tariffs on China. Today's release of the consumer price index, a key inflation measure, may influence the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rate cuts. Meanwhile, in the energy sector, Plug Power saw a significant surge after securing a substantial loan from the Energy Department to support its clean hydrogen initiatives.

Business

🤑 A Tale of Two Paychecks: CEO Pay Soars while Workers Struggle

By Tobias Bautista

The bottom line? This pay gap ain't exactly fair. Let's hope things change so everyone can win, not just the folks at the top.

Bigwigs are ballin', while regular folks are barely bawlin'.

CEO pay jumped a whopping 13% last year, leaving workers in the dust with a measly 4.1% raise.

Feeling the pinch? You're not alone. Inflation's a beast, but your paycheck ain't exactly a dragon slayer.

Meanwhile, at CEO HQ... It's champagne showers and golden parachutes. Some CEOs raked in over $160 million!

Companies say they gotta pay big bucks to keep top talent. They're worried their CEOs will jump ship for greener pastures (filled with more money trees).

But here's the thing: The gap between CEO pay and worker pay keeps getting wider. It used to be 40-50 times more, now it's closer to 200 times for some companies!

Are shareholders to blame? They mostly approve these sky-high pay packages. But hey, at least a few companies are listening to the grumbles and changing their ways.

The good news? More women are cracking the glass ceiling and becoming CEOs. But there's still a long way to go before it's an equal playing field. ‍

🚗 Buckle Up! Toyota and other Japanese Car Brands are in Hot Water

by Tobias Bautista

A safety test scandal just went from bad to worse, with Toyota, Mazda, and even Yamaha admitting they messed up big time, with some vehicle shipments getting halted.

What happened? These auto giants submitted wrong or fudged test data to get their cars certified. Think of it like studying for a driver's test with the answer key!

Toyota's in the spotlight: Their CEO, Akio Toyoda (yes, the grandson of the founder!), is facing heat for the whole mess. He apologized to customers and promised to get things right.

The good news? No safety issues have been reported, so you can keep driving your car. But the bad news? Trust in these carmakers is taking a hit.

This whole situation is a bit like a deflated tire: It needs fixing ASAP. Hopefully, the Japanese auto industry can learn from this and get back on track with safety first.

World News

💃 HIStory HERstory is Made in Mexico

By Titus Bautista

Make way for Mexico’s first Female President: Claudia Sheinbaum. She was a former climate scientist and mayor of Mexico City. It’s not everyday that you see a physicist turn into a politician!

She ran under the Morena party. which the outgoing Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (more commonly knows as AMLO) is also a member of. Her opponent, Xóchitl Gálvez, conceded defeat on Sunday night with Sheinbaum winning 59 percent of the total vote.

During her campaign, Sheinbaum promised to continue AMLO’s signature policies during her six-year term in office. It looks like Mexicans wanted some continuity in this year’s elections. AMLO has been one of the most popular world leaders in office today, with the survey agency Morning Consult ranking him 3rd in terms of popularity, only behind India’s and Argentina’s leaders. He has consistently also earned 60 percent approval rating in Mexico.

It’s no secret that Sheinbaum has developed a close professional relationship with AMLO, as she was appointed as his secretary of environment in years past. Critics are skeptical that she could lead on her own with Lopez Obrador stepping down, later this September. Only time will tell. For now, History has its eyes on Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sports

🍺⚡️ The 48th PBA Philippine Cup Finals commence today with Game 1 between SMB and Meralco

By Koby del Rosario

Tonight at 7:30 pm in the SMART Araneta Coliseum, the PBA Philippine Cup Finals will have Game 1 between the always-dominant San Miguel Beermen versus the Meralco Bolts who are vying for vengeance. 

Led by the almighty Junemar Fajardo, slasher Cjay Perez, and sharpshooter Marcio Lassiter, the Beermen charged to the Finals after cruising through the Terrafirm Dyip in the semifinals. In their last game to eliminate the Dyip as well, veteran guard Terrence Romeo supplied a much needed spark with 19 points. Talk about stacks on stacks for a roster.

For the Bolts, it’s been a historic run for them as they find themselves back in the fight for a championship. The MVC-backed team disposed of another potential SMC versus SMC PBA Finals by asserting themselves back in their semifinal matchup against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel through the stellar play of Chris Newsome, Chris Banchero, and company.

It’ll definitely be a banger of an all-Filipino conference finals between the two powerhouse teams.

Check out the full schedule of the 48th PBA PH Cup Finals in the league’s official Instagram page.

News Roundup

• Several flights to and from Cebu have been canceled due to the eruption of Mount Kanlaon in Western Visayas.

• China Coast Guard seizes supplies meant for Ayungin troops

• Former NBA-Champ Alonzo Mourning had his prostate removed and is now cancer free

• China historically planted a flag on the moon and took home some lunar rocks

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Games

🎯 Fun Brain Teasers

• Wordle: guess the random five letter word

• Connections: match four words of the same category

• Strands: word search but it depends on the category

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