NPR said yesterday it’s leaving Twitter, but, unlike your friend who can’t stop drunk tweeting at Mr. Peanut, it’s not because the media company is “protecting its peace <3.”

In case you’ve been protecting your own peace and are just tuning in, Twitter slapped a “state-affiliated media” tag on NPR’s account last week. NPR objected to the loaded label that equated it to news sites notorious for spreading government propaganda, like China Daily and Russia Today. After the pushback—and a reminder that NPR receives less than 1% of its $300 million annual budget from federally funded grants—Twitter changed the tag to “government-funded media.”

But that wasn’t enough

NPR will keep its 52 accounts live but will not post new content to the feeds. The media organization said in a statement yesterday, “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility.”

NPR isn’t lamenting a John Denver-style goodbye. Most news outlets don’t gain much from Twitter. One NPR reporter found that less than 2% of NPR’s website traffic comes from Twitter, which is pretty standard across the industry. Meanwhile, Twitter kinda needs headlines to fuel exhausting discourse.

And Twitter is not just losing NPR’s content stream: PBS also confirmed yesterday that it had stopped tweeting on April 8 after it too received a “government-funded” label on its main account and has no plans to log back in.

How is Musk taking it? He called NPR “hypocrites” for leaving the site over the label and tweeted, “Defund @NPR.”

Meanwhile, at HQ…based on a BBC interview with Musk on Tuesday, both he and the energy at Twitter seem a little chaotic (and not just because he joked that his dog was the company’s CEO). Musk said he sometimes sleeps at the office, confirmed he only bought Twitter because he felt like he had to, and would sell the site to the right buyer.—MM

Juul agrees to pay $462 million over its marketing. In its largest settlement yet, Juul agreed to shell out the cash to resolve claims by New York, California, four other states, and the District of Columbia that it intentionally geared its e-cigarettes toward young teens. The vape company is working to move past its legal woes, and according to the New York Times, Juul has so far coughed up nearly $3 billion total to end similar claims from 47 states and territories, plus thousands of individuals and local governments—and there’s still an ongoing trial in Minnesota.

And then there were two. Both Democrats who were expelled from Tennessee’s Republican-controlled state legislature last week for participating in gun reform protests have been returned to their seats—at least until a special election takes place. “You can’t expel hope,” Justin Pearson said after the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted yesterday to return him to the statehouse. His ouster, along with that of fellow Black lawmaker Justin Jones, while a white representative who also joined the protests was allowed to stay, has prompted accusations of racism.

It’s just Max now. Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed it’s combining HBO Max and Discovery+ into one mega streamer called simply Max. The company also announced some of what the new service will offer, including a Harry Potter series, a new Game of Thrones prequel, and DC Comics content. The single-named service has some catching up to do: Netflix gets five times as many monthly viewers as HBO Max, according to Bloomberg.

Elon Musk may have been a bit distracted lately from the goal of convincing you to make your next car an electric one, but someone else is picking up the slack: President Biden. To address climate change, the Biden administration proposed rules yesterday to remake the US auto industry into one much more focused on EVs.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposals seek to spur the biggest changes to the sector since Henry Ford debuted the Model T. They’re designed to make sure 67% of all new passenger cars sold in the US are electric by 2032—that’s up from just 5.8% of new cars last year, according to Kelley Blue Book data.

How would the rules get rid of gas guzzlers? They don’t actually require car companies to make and sell more EVs. Instead, they slap super strict restrictions on tailpipe emissions, forcing companies to turn to EVs to comply.

Yeah, but…revamping the auto industry could prove harder than driving up a steep hill in fifth gear. Major automakers have already started to invest big money in EV production, but they’ve said that juicing sales will require factors beyond their control, like better charging infrastructure and battery supply chains. And drivers aren’t necessarily on board: In a recent poll, 47% of Americans said they weren’t likely to pick an EV for their next car.—AR

Big news for America’s pastime: You can now buy beer in the eighth inning at select MLB games.

Historically, MLB teams cut off alcohol sales in the seventh inning, partly so people had more time to sober up before driving home after a game. But with the sport changing faster than you can say “Cracker Jack,” the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers are trying something new.

Baseball is getting faster, so games (and the amount of time concession stands are open) are getting shorter. Thanks to the implementation of the pitch clock, which regulates time between pitches, the average game time is down 31 minutes, according to the Associated Press.

The downside to a shorter game? Less time to enjoy a Bud Light Tall Boy. Rick Schlesinger, president of business operations for the Brewers, said extending the alcohol cutoff to the eighth inning reflects “the fact that the games are shorter.” However, it’s hard to say if this is about making up for lost revenue. Minor League Baseball teams used a pitch clock in 2022 and saw shorter game times but no drop in concession sales.

Zoom out: Baseball’s popularity has declined significantly in recent years, and both making the game faster and extending alcohol sales are efforts to bring in new fans.—CC

Stat: Chihuahuas may have reached their peak cultural relevance in the early aughts with Paris Hilton’s Tinkerbell, the Taco Bell dog, and the Beverly Hills Chihuahua film trilogy (yes, there were three), but a tiny one is making a play for the spotlight in a Frenchie-fied world. And we do mean tiny: Pearl, who’s just 3.59 inches tall and 5 inches long—making her about the size of a dollar bill—was deemed the world’s shortest dog by Guinness World Records this week. And, despite being shorter than a popsicle stick, she’s “a bit of a diva,” according to her owner.

Quote: “Pizza Rat may live in infamy but rats and the conditions that support their thriving will no longer be tolerated in New York City.”

NYC has found its rat czar, a Department of Education employee named Kathleen Corradi, who declared her vendetta against the city’s rodent population yesterday. She’s got a history of chasing Remy and friends away: She’s already helped almost 70% of city schools with persistent rat problems reach their compliance goals. And she’s ready to take her talents to a bigger stage. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me—and a lot less rats,” she promised at an event announcing her appointment to the $155k-per-year job.

Read: What happens when influencers go back to a 9-to-5. (The New York Times)

• Donald Trump is suing his ex-attorney Michael Cohen for $500 million, claiming breach of contract.
• Richmond, Indiana, was evacuated Tuesday after a fire at a plastics storage facility sent huge clouds of toxic smoke into the air.
• JPMorgan told its managing directors they must come into the office five days a week, ending the hybrid model for higher-ups as the bank prepares to open a new Manhattan headquarters.
• Prince Harry will attend his father’s coronation next month, but Meghan Markle will stay in California with their children—and we’re sure childcare is the only reason for this decision.

Horse not included: Watch these equestrians kick reflexively as horse jumping spectators.

Score some digits: Test out the new math game from the New York Times while it’s still free.

Go beyond the goooooal: Looking for soccer, er, football analysis? Check out this YouTube channel.

Neighborly California man fills pothole: OK, fine, it’s Arnold Schwarzenegger…and it might have been a service trench.

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Whatever your situation, TaxAct helps make filing your taxes simple and easy. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to spot which headline is fake in this edition of 3 Headlines and a Lie:

1. College athletics pays off: Those who pay for student-athletes to attend university receive tax breaks
2. Pay to play: Pro athletes are taxed in most cities and states they visit, even for a day
3. You lose, you lose: Gambling losses are not tax deductible
4. NY scores big: New York received $693m in tax revenue from sports gambling in 2022

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Technology is great…until it’s used against you. Learn how to fight back by watching our recent Tech Brew event on cybersecurity. Check it out.