Good Morning. The Iran war just reached into Iowa cornfields, and farmers are making a costly bet that could backfire badly.
But first, make sure to follow us on Instagram for posts like Jordan Peterson’s most recommended books (forwarded this email? Join 523k readers).
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TOP STORY TODAY
Iran War Harvest
American farmers are slashing corn acres and pivoting to soybeans this planting season as Middle East fighting drives fertilizer and diesel costs sharply higher. U.S. growers plan to plant 84.7 million soybean acres in 2026, up 4% from last year.
Soybeans pull nitrogen from the air and need far less fertilizer than corn, which is now projected to lose growers roughly $150 per acre. Urea fertilizer prices have jumped from $520 a ton in January to more than $850 a ton.
Ninety-four percent of farmers say their financial situation has worsened or stayed flat year-over-year. Many are betting on leftover soil nutrients, expanding cattle herds where prices are climbing, and waiting on checks from a $12 billion federal farm bailout.
Shutdown Ends
President Trump signed legislation yesterday ending the longest federal department shutdown in U.S. history, restoring funding to most of the Department of Homeland Security after 76 days. The House passed the Senate bill by voice vote with little fanfare.
Funding lapsed February 14 after Democrats objected to bankrolling ICE and Border Patrol without reforms like mask bans and warrant requirements. Talks collapsed, leaving the Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA scrambling as repurposed payroll funds neared depletion within days.
Lawmakers settled on a two-track plan, reopening most of DHS now while funding immigration agencies for three years through budget reconciliation. Trump wants that package on his desk by June 1. ICE and Border Patrol kept operating throughout, backed by prior appropriations.
The Apprentice Returns?
Amazon executives have held early internal talks about reviving "The Apprentice," the reality show that helped launch Donald Trump into national fame. Discussions began last year around Trump's second inauguration, with Donald Trump Jr. floated as the potential new host.
Amazon inherited the show through its 2022 MGM acquisition and re-released the original series on Prime Video in March 2025. The talks follow Amazon's $40 million deal to distribute the "Melania" documentary, with the first lady reportedly receiving more than 70% of proceeds.
The reboot is not in active development, and the Trump family has not been approached. The original series ran 14 seasons on NBC starting in 2004, spawning spinoffs with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Martha Stewart.
TOGETHER WITH INCOGNI
Unknown number calling? It’s not random…
The BBC caught scam call center workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking.
One worker bragged about making a quarter of a million dollars from victims in the US and UK. Another admitted to targeting seniors on purpose, forcing one woman to give up her last $100 on Christmas Day.
And here’s the disturbing truth: scammers don’t pick phone numbers at random. They buy your personal data from data brokers—your phone number, your email, even details about your lifestyle. That’s how they know exactly who to target.
Once your data is out there, it’s not just spam calls. It’s phishing, impersonation, and even identity theft.
They delete your personal info from everywhere on the web
They monitor and follow up automatically
They keep erasing your data as new risks appear.
You can’t stop scammers from existing. But you can make sure they don’t have your information to work with.
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TODAY’S LIFE ADVICE
Train Like Henry Cavill (Sort Of)
Bench-press vanity won't save your knees. Cavill's trainer Dave Rienzi built The Witcher routine around the posterior chain because one bad pirouette with a heavy sword ends a career.
Steal these principles:
Romanian deadlifts with 4-second negatives, 2-second pause. Time under tension, not max weight.
Hyperextensions on the glute ham, hands behind head. Squeeze 2 seconds at the top.
Oblique static holds for sword endurance and explosive control.
Alternating dumbbell curls with static holds for forearm grip.
The good news: You don't need a movie deadline. Just outwork yesterday's you.
Why Most People Never Make It
Warning: Effort does not equal outcome. Price's Law says the square root of any field does half the work. Out of 100 employees, 10 carry the team. Out of 100 posts, 10 will matter.
The good news: You can join that square root, but only by playing the long game:
Explore early. Publish the "bad" posts.
Track everything. Look for patterns after 50+ outputs.
Identify your √n skills. Double down ruthlessly.
Cut the rest without guilt.
You can't predict which seed becomes the oak. But you can plant enough to find out.
Curious which 2.3% of your work actually matters? The full breakdown is here.
TRENDING
5 Stories
▲ Netflix launches TikTok-style Clips feed serving show snippets, podcasts, and live events in app revamp across 9 countries
▲ Kentucky Derby field set for tomorrow with Renegade favored at 5-1 from inside post; Baffert chases record seventh win
▲ Chinese cars flood Ciudad Juárez dealerships 5 miles from El Paso, with EVs starting at $17,000 despite U.S. ban
▲ Tessellations meltdown as Silicon Valley's $44,500 gifted school spirals into lawsuits and breakaway after Meta exec pulled six students
▲ Prediction markets blocked for senators in unanimous vote after candidates fined and Army sergeant charged over Maduro bets
TOGETHER WITH NATIVE PATH
The Simple Way to Stop Peeing at Night.
Waking up multiple times a night to use the bathroom isn't just frustrating—it's robbing you of the deep, restorative sleep your body needs. And it's not something you just have to live with.
Many women over 50 accept frequent nighttime urination as an inevitable part of aging. But recent research shows there's a natural solution that can help you sleep through the night again, without prescription medications or invasive procedures.
Fun Links
100 years since “Birth of weekend” [Blog]
The science behind urinal etiquette [Blog]
Cookbooks turned into narrative writing [Blog]
Best (and easiest) breakfast for fat loss [Video]
Everything you need to know about basil [Blog]
Most overlooked button your thermostat [Blog]
How to change your goofy Gmail name [Guide]
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