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Good morning,

Better late than never! The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is set to be completed by 2026—within two years—144 years after construction began. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s death.

• Why did it take so long? War, a lack of financing and neglect. Before modern tourism, the work depended on the donations from repentant sinners.

• It will be the tallest church in the world when finished.

• But wait, more work will still need to be done beyond 2026. Further construction on sculptures, decorative details, and a stairway leading to what will be the main entrance is set to take place until 2034.

See you then!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

⚖️ SUPREME COURT HEARS CASE ON MOST COMMON FORM OF ABORTION

Arguments over access to mifepristone, a pill used to end early pregnancies, are set to take place today before the Supremes. It’s a high-stakes case that could impact medical abortions— even in states where abortion remains legal since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

The justices will consider arguments calling for rolling back federal policies that have increased access to the abortion drug. It has become even more popular since the 2022 ruling.

HOW WE GOT HERE
Mifepristone is part of a two-drug abortion regimen for pregnancies through ten weeks of gestation. Medicine abortions now account for about two-thirds of the more than 1 million abortions in the US annually. More than 5 million women have used mifepristone since 2000.

• A group of anti-abortion doctors and advocates filed this case, saying the FDA rushed its 2000 approval of the drug. They also argue the agency has put the health of women in danger by loosening restrictions in how mifepristone is prescribed in recent years.

• Last year, the conservative-majority of the 5th Circuit US Court of Appeals agreed, and ruled to restrict healthcare providers’ ability to prescribe mifepristone.

  • Though a subsequent ruling allowed the drug to stay on the market.

• The Supreme Court is reviewing whether to tighten access to the drug but is NOT reviewing if the FDA approval should be revoked entirely.

THE ARGUMENTS
One side: anti-abortion rights physicians and organizations. Originally, they initially argued that the FDA should not have approved mifepristone in 2000; now they're focusing on the argument that it should not have made it easier to access in 2016 and 2021.

• If court rules in their favor, it would shut down telemedicine access to the medication and could undo retail pharmacies' ability to dispense it.

The other side: the FDA and the drugmaker. They say that the FDA followed proper procedure and the scientific evidence in making its approval decisions. They also argue the other side has not been hurt by the drug and does not have standing.

• The FDA says no matter if a person is seen in-person or over tele-health, there is a less than 1% chance of serious complications.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY:
All three lawyers arguing today’s case are women, a rare occurrence at the Supreme Court. The number of women arguing in front of the court has fluctuated between 12% and 24%, but this term it’s been about 33%.

✈️ BOEING LEADERSHIP SHAKEUP AMID SCANDALS

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will step down at the end of this year as part of a broad management shake-up. It comes after January’s mid-air blowout of a Boeing 737 Max 9 on an Alaska Airlines’ flight, and as the company faces production problems leading to delivery delays.

BYE BYE BOEING
The CEO is joined at the exits by the chairman of the board, Larry Kellner, and Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

• Calhoun took over the company in January 2020 after the board fired his predecessor, Dennis Muilenburg, following two 737 Max jet crashes that killed 346 people.

• He has been trying to convince investors, regulators and airlines over the past few months that the company is still a quality aircraft manufacturer.

• In his announcement, Calhoun said, “The eyes of the world are on us, and I know we will come through this moment a better company.”

WHAT’S NEXT
The board is said to be looking internally and externally for new leadership. The FAA has increased its oversight of Boeing after the Alaska Airlines blowout. The company is not allowed to increase 737 production until the agency is satisfied with the company’s quality control.

🛒 WALMART GOES UPSCALE

Looking for your next date-night outfit? Walmart wants you to think of them. The retail giant, known for selling basics at low prices, is attempting to bring in wealthier shoppers with construction of hundreds of stores and updates to existing ones.

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
Walmart, the largest retailer in the US and around the world, has struggled to compete with chains like Target in attracting a wealthier customer-base. In hopes of luring that demographic, the company looked at higher-income shoppers’ online shopping trends and crowd movement within stores. The findings are being implemented in over 800 of Walmart’s 4,600 stores in the US.

• Physical changes include more lighting and mannequins with displays lowered.

• The product lineup now features blazers, knit beanies, and duck breast (to eat, of course).

DEMOGRAPHICS
Alvis Washington, vice president of marketing for retail brand experience, says the stores with the updates are seeing more sales than those unchanged.

• Last year, Walmart’s largest group of shoppers (18%) had a household income of $50,000-$75,000. Folks making $100,000-$150,000 a year were the second-largest group, accounting for 15% of total visits.

• But, with inflation, shrinkflation, and overall concerns about grocery prices, higher-income customers have been increasingly drawn to Walmart. That $100,000 group helped the company have a strong performance last quarter—driven by their purchases of toys and clothes.

TOGETHER WITH SAFARA

Book Amazing Hotels

The hotel booking platform where every trip helps pay for the next. Safara curates the world's best hotels and rewards you with cashback on every booking. From the former Resy team, backed by Sequoia Capital.

Sign up with this link to get $100 towards your first booking.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in LA and Miami raided by federal officials as part of ‘sex trafficking’ investigation (ROLLING STONE)

📌 NY Court agrees to pause seizure of Trump assets if he puts up $175 million bond (AP)

📌 NBC faces full-on internal rebellion over latest hire (NY TIMES)

📌 Maryland middle school students face hate crime charges, accused of harassing classmate with Nazi salutes, swastikas (ABC NEWS)

📌 Flaco, the famous New York City owl, had pigeon herpes, four kinds of rat poison in his system when he tragically died (NY POST)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Terror suspects appear in court in Russia showing signs of torture and abuse (MO NEWS)

📌 Millions of Americans caught up in Chinese hacking scheme (BBC)

📌 U.S. and U.K. announce sanctions over China-linked hacks on election watchdog and lawmakers (NBC NEWS)

📌 Israel cancels Washington visit after US allows UN Gaza ceasefire resolution to pass (CNN)

📌 North Korea says Japan's prime minister offered to meet with leader Kim Jong Un soon (ABC NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Apple, Google, Meta targeted in EU's first Digital Markets Act probes, in an attempt to reign in Big Tech (REUTERS)

📌 Judge dismisses Elon Musk's suit against hate speech researchers (NPR)

📌 Florida Gov. DeSantis signs social media limits into law (AXIOS)

📌 Trump's Truth Social to start trading under the ticker "DJT" today (CBS NEWS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Rebel Wilson calls Sacha Baron Cohen 'a--hole' named in her book, says she 'will not be bullied or silenced' & he responds (BBC)

📌 14-year old Minnesota chess master wins women’s national title (MPR)

📌 Pete Davidson and Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry will have hotel rooms, 2 restaurants and 6 bars (PEOPLE)

📌 'Yellowstone' star Forrie J. Smith says he was 'kicked off' flight for refusing to sit next to masked passenger (NBC NEWS)

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🗓 ON THIS DAY: MARCH 26

• 1953: The polio vaccine was created by US physician Jonas Salk. He tested the vaccine on himself and his family, and a year later it was given to 1.6 million children in Canada, Finland and the USA.

• 1979: Israel and Egypt signed a peace agreement at a ceremony at the White House, ending three decades of hostilities between the countries and establishing diplomatic and commercial ties. Egyptian president Anwar Sadat would be assassinated because of it two years later.

• 1988: Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror’ reaches #1 on the Billboard charts.

• 1995: Pizza Hut introduced its Stuffed Crust Pizza.