In Other Brews…
FBI Director Wray offered new details about former President Trump’s would-be assassin in testimony before the House Wednesday. Thomas Matthew Crooks Googled “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” the day he registered for Trump’s rally, scoped out the event site three times beforehand and legally purchased the rifle he used from his father in 2023. Crooks’ motive remains unknown.
Go back to your less-anxiety-producing assigned seats. After 50 years, Southwest Airlines is shifting away from open seating to assigned and premium seating as it looks to boost revenue. The change comes after a 51% drop in profit for Q2. CEO Bob Jordan said in an announcement on Thursday that research shows passengers "overwhelmingly prefer" an assigned seating model.
What we call a ‘layup’... The NBA and WNBA announced 11-year, multi-billion-dollar media rights deals with ESPN/ABC, Amazon, and NBC. The three networks will pay the NBA $76B, leaving behind longtime broadcaster TNT (though a legal fight looms). The WNBA will bank $2.2B, likely meaning higher salaries for the female hoopers.
Senator Menendez (D–NJ) announced that he will resign from office effective August 20 after being convicted on all 16 counts in a federal corruption trial. In his resignation letter, Menendez stated he “fully intends to appeal the jury’s verdict.” There will be 50 Democrats and 49 Republicans in the Senate until New Jersey’s governor (a Democrat) appoints his replacement.
Promising trial results showed total HIV protection with twice-yearly injections of the drug Lenacapavir. The drug, commonly used to treat contracted HIV, was 100% effective in preventing HIV across the study’s 5,000+ women and adolescent girls who participated. Experts say the finding is “an important advance,” while noting that similar studies in men are still ongoing.