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Good morning,

Woof woof, the most popular dog breeds are out for 2023. The French Bulldog keeps its crown for the second year in a row.

The Labrador Retriever came in second, after holding the American Kennel Club’s top spot for 31 years—until those Frenchies’ shortened snouts took the lead in 2022. Rounding out the top five: Golden Retriever (#3), German Shepherd (#4) and Poodles (#5).

*Only purebred dogs are featured on the list… so no "doodle” mixes. 

Happy Friday Eve!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

Mo News Podcast: A daily conversation about the news that matters.

🚗 US ISSUES NEW RULES TO DRIVE ELECTRIC CAR SALES

In a move aimed to speed up US electric vehicles sales, the Biden administration finalized the toughest-ever emissions limits on passenger vehicles and light trucks yesterday. The White House goal could lead to EVs accounting for 56% of all new cars sold by 2032, though that is a bit lower than previously more ambitious goals.

ARE GAS GUZZLERS GONE?
Not totally. The new rules are NOT an EV mandate or ban of gas cars. Instead, the standards are for carmakers’ entire fleet in years 2027-2032. In theory, cars that are higher emissions would be averaged out with low or zero-emission cars.

• The shift to EVs will impact cars, SUVs, and some pickup trucks— and will shift the entire market to be more green.

• If a company can’t meet the new standards, they can buy credits from other carmakers. But if credits aren’t available, companies may be forced to reduce sales of gas-powered cars.

CONCERNS FROM CARMAKERS
When the EPA targets were released a year ago, which would require 60% of new car sales be fully-electric by the 2030 model year, automakers warned Biden that consumers and infrastructure (think charging stations) wouldn’t be ready for that.

Lowered the bar: The EPA’s updated rule slows the rollout… so that by 2030 around 31%-44% of new car sales will be electric. And by 2032, the target is now 56%.

• The current pace: Last year saw more EV sales than ever before. But the 1.2 million cars sold last year only accounted for 7.6% of the total US car sales.

Many in the car industry say the standards are still “aggressive.” John Bozzella, president of the industry’s top lobbying group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, says that automakers are committed to a transition to EVs, “but pace matters” as the market and supply chain will need “a chance to catch up.”

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, said they would comply, but “serious challenges around affordability, charging infrastructure and supply chain will need to be addressed before this mandate is realized.”

WHY TARGET CARS?
Transportation is the single largest carbon emission source the US generates. The new regulations are estimated to avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions over several decades—equal to about a year’s worth of USA CO2 emissions. The Biden administration is also pushing investments for battery and EV manufacturing.

However, the US is also expected to use more and more electricity in the coming years. Notably, the electricity to charge EV’s continues to be propped up by fossil fuels—putting the Biden administration’s climate goals at risk.

💰 UBER & LYFT TO LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS OVER DRIVER PAY DISPUTE

After city officials in Minneapolis set a minimum wage ordinance for rideshare drivers, Uber and Lyft pulled their service from the city. Now, the City Council is rethinking the plan.

THE PLAN TO PAY
The ordinance requires companies to pay drivers at least $1.40 per mile, 51 cents per minute and $5 per ride. And if a rider cancels, drivers would still get 80% of that cancellation fee.

• The City Council passed the ordinance March 7, the mayor then vetoed it, then the Council voted to override that veto.

  • The mayor said the raise was too much, citing a state report that shows drivers need 89 cents per mile and 49 cents per minute to make the state’s minimum wage.

• In response, Uber and Lyft said they would leave Minneapolis on May 1st when the rule goes into effect. The City Council is now reconsidering the move. Though, the companies haven’t said if they would still pull-out if the minimum is lowered.

PUSH FOR HIGHER PAY
Uber and Lyft drivers across the US protested on Feb. 14 for higher wages and safer working conditions.

• Justice for App Workers, the union representing more than 130,000 rideshare drivers and delivery workers, said “Uber and Lyft pay rideshare drivers poverty wages so low they’re below the minimum wage in some states, forcing drivers to work up to 60-80 hours a week in mobile-sweatshop conditions just to be able to pay their bills.”

• In an effort to boost pay transparency, Lyft said last month that drivers will receive at least 70% what riders pay— and that, on-average, gig-workers get 88% of what’s paid.

• Washington state passed a law in 2022 that required rideshare drivers to make minimum wage. And late last year, Uber and Lyft settled a New York wage theft case, agreeing to pay a combined $328 million and instating an “earnings floor” that guarantees drivers get paid minimum wage.

🙂 THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH: NOT THE US (OR DISNEY WORLD)

The US took a nosedive in terms of happiness this past year, and is no longer in the top 20 happiest countries around the world. (But look at Costa Rica’s rise!)

Who’s causing the ☹️? Gen Z.

HAPPINESS REPORT
According to Gallup’s 2024 World Happiness Report, Americans fell to 23rd place in happiness, down from 15th a year ago (out of 143 countries).

• Coming in at #1: Finland. Denmark follows, with Iceland, Sweden, and Israel rounding out the top 5.

  • What do these Nordic countries have that others don’t? Researchers say social support and healthy life expectancy.

• It’s the US’s all-time low since the ranking began in 2012, and is fueled by a drop in happiness among younger adults.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS
The rankings are based on a sample of about 1,000 people in each country who are asked to rate their current lives on a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best).

• Globally, young people between ages 15-24 report higher life satisfaction than older adults, but this gap is narrowing in Europe— and quite the opposite in the US.

• Americans 30 years and younger ranked 62nd globally in terms of well-being, while Americans over 60 years old ranked 10th on the happiness scale.

• What’s going on with Gen Z? Less face-to-face socialization, researchers suspect, which social media hasn’t helped. Money concerns, loneliness, and anxiety about the future and world events are also noted.

A positive note: The report finds that millennials and younger Americans have been increasingly charitable since the pandemic, which includes things like helping a stranger and volunteering.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 California passes $6.4 billion plan to address mental health and homelessness (NY TIMES)

📌 US will start helicoptering citizens out of Haiti (GUARDIAN)

📌 Trump is having trouble finding a nearly $500 million bond, and he is getting frustrated (NBC NEWS)

📌 Supreme Court hears case of Texas grandmother thrown in jail after criticizing city government (FOX NEWS)

📌 Four former Mississippi officers sentenced to 40 years in racially charged torture cases (CNN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 UK launches probe into reported breach of Kate Middleton’s medical records (TIME)

📌 Mike Johnson confirms House GOP considering asking Netanyahu to address Congress (TIMES OF ISRAEL)

📌 US Justice Department exploring Julian Assange guilty plea deal to end 14-year legal drama (CNN)

📌 Protesters in Cuba demand food and electricity as shortages bring hardship (NPR)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 2024's 'Dirty Dozen' list finds the 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides—and tips for enjoying them safely (CNBC)

📌 Hermès sued in California over claims it only sells Birkins to ‘worthy’ customers (GUARDIAN)

📌 Gene editing tech could disable and cure HIV, suggests promising lab experiment (NEW SCIENCE)

📌 A new type of bacteria was found in 50% of colon cancers. Many were aggressive cases (NBC NEWS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Banksy's urban tree artwork defaced with white paint (BBC)

📌 Richard Simmons shares he has been diagnosed with skin cancer (CNN)

📌 Husband of Christine Quinn, former 'Selling Sunset' star, arrested after alleged assault with deadly weapon (NBC NEWS)

📌 Shohei Ohtani's interpreter accused of stealing millions from Dodgers superstar to gamble, per report (CBS SPORTS)

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🗓 ON THIS DAY: MARCH 21

• 1965: Martin Luther King Jr. begins the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in a nonviolent protest of voting rights; US Army troops and Alabama National Guardsmen escorted the marchers across Edmund Pettus Bridge where Bloody Sunday took place two weeks before.

• 1980: President Jimmy Carter announced that the US would boycott that summer’s Olympic Games in Moscow after the Soviet Union refused to comply with a deadline to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

• 2000: NSYNC released its third studio album “No Strings Attached,” which included the song “Bye Bye Bye.”

• 2006: Twitter was launched and founder Jack Dorsey sent the first Tweet, “just setting up my twttr.”