Crown & Chaos

Kicking It Off: CEO Shuffle at Morning Brew

The business world just got a shake-up as Austin Rief, co-founder of Morning Brew, announced he’s stepping down as CEO after 10 years. He’s moving into an Executive Chairman role, handing the reins over to Robert Dippell. A decade in, Morning Brew has gone from a simple newsletter to a media powerhouse—kind of like how we turned a radio show into an all-out rock empire. Respect.

💰 MARKET MAYHEM

📉 S&P 500 – 6,051.97 (-0.27%)
📉 Dow – 44,368.56 (-0.51%)
📈 Nasdaq – 19,649.95 (+0.03%)
📈 Bitcoin – $97,879.29 (+1.67%)
📈 CVS – $63.22 (+14.95%)

Wall Street took a dive after inflation data came in hotter than expected. CVS, on the other hand, flexed hard with an earnings beat, sending its stock soaring.

🚨 Inflation Update: Egg prices spiked 15.2% last month. If your wallet is crying at the grocery store, you’re not alone.

🌍 WORLD CHAOS: TRUMP, PUTIN & UKRAINE

President Donald Trump says peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will start “immediately” after a call with Vladimir Putin. He also phoned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called the conversation “meaningful.” Buckle up, because this could go in any direction.

Meanwhile, Marc Fogel, an American teacher arrested in Russia for bringing medical marijuana, is back in the U.S. after a prisoner swap. In exchange, Russia gets Alexander Vinnik, a crypto guy with a sketchy past.

And in corporate chaos, Chevron is cutting 9,000 jobs, because oil prices are low, and shareholders still want their profits.

🎸 CHAOS PICKS: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

Time to stir the pot! This year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees include:
🎤 OutKast (Hip-hop legends with rock energy)
🎶 Mariah Carey (Not rock, but neither was Madonna)
🔥 Phish (Jam band royalty)
…and a few more names that will have the rock purists foaming at the mouth.

🚨 GOVERNMENT CHAOS: TRUMP PAUSES ANTI-BRIBERY LAW

President Trump just put the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act on hold, meaning U.S. companies won’t face penalties for bribing foreign officials—for now. Critics say this could open the floodgates to shady deals, while Trump argues that it evens the playing field with other countries. Either way, corporate America just got a lot more interesting.

💸 ZELLE MOVES $1 TRILLION IN 2024

Venmo who? Zelle processed over $1 trillion in transactions last year, making it the king of money transfers. That’s a whole lot of "I’ll pay you back later" texts finally getting settled.

🤘 WORD OF THE DAY: "PAYDIRT"

(noun) – A big win or success.
🎸 Example: “When your favorite band plays that song live, you’ve hit paydirt.”

Credit: Chaos Army Member David Monaey. Want to submit next week’s word? Send it here!

🔥 CLOSING CHAOS

Appreciate every single one of you rocking with us. Whether you're streaming the show, blasting the newsletter, or just here for the sarcasm, you’re the real MVPs. Now, go forth and spread the chaos.

📢 ICYMI: The Rock King Power Lunch airs at 11 AM CST, and the Rock King Radio Show melts faces at 6 PM CST—tune in, or live with regret.

Until tomorrow, keep it loud, keep it chaotic.

—Bobby D

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