Plus: Major Companies Scale Back Pride Month Celebrations

Good afternoon,

Gen Z is setting itself apart from millennials in yet another way — this time at the bar.

Unlike older generations, Gen Z is choosing not to open a bar tab and instead buy drinks one by one.

In this morning’s editorial meeting, all five Gen Zers agreed we buy drinks individually vs. the millennials who said they always open a tab.

The New York Times did a deep-dive on this trend, revealing it hurts bars that have to pay fees for each card swipe.
- Instead of paying approx. $4.30 in fees for a single $100 transaction, bars would pay about $7 if that same amount is spent across 10 transactions.
- The Times attributes the single-swipe trend to Gen Z consuming less alcohol and using Apple Pay (since some people don’t carry physical cards to leave with bartenders). But I think we have not been thinking about the fees our favorite watering holes need to pay.

Have a good one! From, a converted bar tab opener
Lauren
Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Man Who Tried To Light Jews On Fire In Colorado Charged With Federal Hate Crime

Federal prosecutors charged Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman with a hate crime on Monday after he allegedly threw two lit Molotov cocktails at a march in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday that was aimed at raising awareness about the 58 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. He was also charged with 16 counts of attempted murder in the first degree.

Twelve people were injured. The oldest victim, age 88, is a Holocaust survivor.
- The survivor was at the march with her daughter. A friend, Chany Scheiner, told 9NEWS, “Her life wasn’t easy, but she is just a bright light.”

It comes as antisemitic incidents in America have increased since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war. In late May, two Israeli embassy aides were murdered in D.C. outside a Jewish Museum, and in April, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home was targeted in an arson attack.

MORE ON THE ATTACK
Soliman, 45, who arrived in the U.S. in 2022 and overstayed his tourist visa and work authorization, admitted he’d been planning the attack for a year. He said he was targeting a “Zionist group,” and said he would attack them again, according to the FBI affidavit.

At the scene, Soliman began throwing Molotov cocktails at the crowd, shirtless, while yelling “How many children killed?” and “End Zionism.”
Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell said Monday that Soliman tried to purchase a firearm prior to the attack, but was unable to because he is not a U.S. citizen. Soliman told the FBI he learned how to make the explosives on YouTube.
- Officials say they recovered at least 16 unused Molotov cocktails at the scene, as well as “a backpack weed sprayer, potentially containing a flammable substance,” near the suspect after his arrest.

More on suspect: Soliman lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children. He applied for asylum in September 2022, and was granted a two-year work authorization in early 2023, which expired earlier this year.

LARGER TRENDS
More than 9,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded across the U.S. in 2024 — a 5% increase from the year prior and record high since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking in 1979. Over the past 10 years, there’s been a nearly 900% increase in incidents. Additionally, note the observation in the video clip above from former national security official John Miller about the disturbing trend of recent attackers waiting for the police to take responsibility for their attacks.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE WATCHING

Companies Scale Back Pride Month Celebrations

It’s June, which means it’s Pride Month. For several years, that’s meant a big marketing push for national brands who adorn their merchandise and logos with the Pride rainbow flag to signal their support for LGBTQ+ Americans.

This year, it’s looking like those displays will not be as prominent. Some 39% of companies say they plan to scale back public Pride Month engagement this year, according to a survey of more than 200 corporate executives by Gravity Research.

The change: Consumer brands are worried about provoking right-wing customers and activists, or facing repercussions from the Trump administration, which has threatened to investigate private companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

BEEN HERE BEFORE?
In recent years, conservative activists organized boycotts of brands that promoted and sold Pride Month-related products. Target moved its Pride displays from the entrances to the back of stores after conservative activists confronted employees and vandalized displays.

The backlash against Target was largely driven by allegations that it was marketing swimwear designed for transgender people to children. As of last year, Target scaled back its Pride collection to “select stores.”
Bud Light is still struggling after conservative blowback over a social media campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Criticism from the left: Some in the LGBTQ+ community also turned away from Target and Bud Light, after the companies changed course amid conservative pressure. Companies have faced criticism for “rainbow-washing” – using Pride promotions to signal support for the gay community without making meaningful commitments.

WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
Half of Americans say they are comfortable with Pride merchandise in stores, according to a recent GLAAD-Ipsos poll.

Despite the LGBTQ+ community representing a massive customer base — with an estimated $1.4 trillion in purchasing power in the U.S. and $3.9 trillion globally — business leaders this year appear eager to steer clear of the nation’s culture wars.
In Washington, D.C., which is hosting WorldPride — the world’s largest LGBTQ+ gathering — business owners worry that Trump administration policies have deterred sponsors and visitors.

This comes as LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with more than 9% of adults now identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or another non-heterosexual orientation — up from 3.5% in 2012, when Gallup first began tracking this data.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 China says US has 'severely violated' tariffs truce (BBC)

📌 Supreme Court won't hear challenge to Maryland assault weapons ban (ABC)

📌 Largest ever ICE operation results in nearly 1,500 undocumented people arrested in Massachusetts (FOX)

📌 Trump asks the Supreme Court to clear the way for federal downsizing plans (AP)

📌 Tulsa mayor proposes $100M reparations plan for descendants of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (FOX)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Climate activist Greta Thunburg sailing to Gaza with activists to challenge Israel’s blockade (MO NEWS)

📌 Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian warplanes was a serious blow to the Kremlin’s strategic arsenal (AP) Russia and Ukraine fail again to agree ceasefire but commit to prisoner swap (BBC)

📌 Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland's presidential election (NPR)

📌 American agricultural products have been vanishing from Chinese stores and restaurants due to tariff uncertainty. (NBC)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 CDC says all international travelers should get measles vaccinations (AP)

📌 Disney lays off hundreds of employees across film, TV and other units (CBS)

📌 Exercise ‘better than drugs’ to stop cancer returning after treatment, trial finds (GUARDIAN)

📌 Bill Gates says most of the $200 billion he's pledged to donate will go to Africa (CBS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Diddy's Lawyer Accused of Harassing Witness in Trial (NEWSWEEK)

📌 Marc Maron to end his 'WTF' podcast this fall, citing burnout (NBC)

📌 Hailee Steinfeld marries Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (CNN)

📌 Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa & more sign open letter for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention (BILLBOARD)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Mt. Etna, a volcano on Italy’s island of Sicily, erupted Monday, prompting tourists to flee as a plume of high-temperature gases, ash, and rock rose into the air.

Mt. Etna draws about 1.5 million visitors a year and is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, with 14 eruptions reported in recent months. But there hasn’t been an eruption of this magnitude since 2014, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory.

Mo News Senior Producer Sari Soffer Sukenik was there this past week – we’re just glad she’s back home safely!