Presented by: | | That's A Hard 'No' | Greetings to N2K reader Zach, who got in touch yesterday begging us to "stop talking about cheese" and to "pick another topic." I'm afraid that as the purveyor of Cheddar's Need2Know Cheddlines that's going to be a tall order, Zach. | That said, "The Cheese With No Name" retails for £3.15 per 100g in England and got its non-name from the time its maker was too busy labeling all the other cheeses at the farmer's market. By not talking about a named cheese today, hopefully we'll got 50% of the way towards satisfying Zach, although that's as far as we're willing to go. I realize how grating that could be. Brie-lieve me. Etc. | Today's cheddlines you Need2Know | | Cheers! | —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor | P.S. I made an appearance on our 'gram this week — turns out I'm utterly gorgeous and charismatic, as well as a hilarious writer. Who knew!? | | Quote of the Day | | ❝ | | | We need to learn more. And we need to not be afraid. | | | | — Rob Giglio |
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| | Should You Check Your 401(k) Today? | 👎 | (nope) | | Companies mentioned in today's newsletter | $DJT ( ▲ 8.85% ) $CRO.X ( ▲ 0.69% ) $CANVA.P ( 0.0% ) | | Congestion charging seems to be working in NY | | New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has found a lucrative source of income through its new congestion pricing strategy — and the numbers are quite impressive. Since the implementation of tolls on January 5, the MTA has seen a whopping $100 million flow into its coffers in just the first two months of operation. For context, that's a third of what Elon Musk donated to Donald Trump's reelection campaign. | The revenue, which the agency is required by state law to allocate towards $15 billion in essential transit repairs and expansion projects, is generated from a system that levies charges on vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. The tolls, designed both to fund transportation projects and reduce traffic congestion in the city, have had a significant impact on the flow of traffic and the MTA's financial health. | The initiative, which appears to be meeting its commitments, has already shown practical benefits, with reports citing a reduction in Manhattan's traffic congestion. Travel times have plummeted between 10% to 30% for all entries into the congestion-priced zone. In addition, bus speeds have increased by 4% over the past month. | Despite the financial success, the future of the congestion tolls is on shaky ground. | On orders from President Trump, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently wrote to the MTA telling them to halt the congestion pricing program. An active federal lawsuit filed by the MTA seeks to challenge Duffy's order to stop the tolls. The MTA's efforts have also found an ally in New York Governor Kathy Hochul. | The months to come will undoubtedly be crucial in determining whether this initiative will survive the political storm it faces, but for now it serves as a visible testament to what innovative city planning and a green approach to governance can achieve. | | | ADVERTISEMENT | | | Meet your gut's new best friend, Metabolic Daily. Formulated by PhD scientists and loved by doctors and even Halle Berry, Metabolic Daily is a 4-in-1 probiotic that improves your metabolic, digestive, and gut health while supporting a healthy weight. Pendulum is disrupting the probiotic industry by developing next-generation keystone strains like live Akkermansia muciniphila which is critical for gut health. Need 2 Know readers get 20% off their first membership order here - no code needed. | | | Trump Media shares rise on news of new ETF | | Trump Media & Technology Group's $DJT ( ▲ 8.85% ) stock rose 10% as markets responded positively to the announcement of an innovative partnership with Crypto.com $CRO.X ( ▲ 0.69% ) to launch a series of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that blend cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Cronos with traditional securities, showcasing a "made in America" ethos. | The surge is particularly noteworthy considering Trump Media's previous market challenges. Before this uptick, the share price struggled, reflecting a 34% decrease since the beginning of the year. | Expected to roll out later this year across the U.S., Asia, and Europe markets, these ETFs signal Trump Media's foray into the fintech space, leveraging the rising interest in cryptocurrencies while maintaining a focus on the American market. | The stock's previous performance peaked during the period leading up to the election, with its valuation surpassing that of the venerable New York Times, but this has not remained the case. As of Tuesday morning, the New York Times stood with an $8 billion valuation compared to Trump Media's $5 billion. Not that I'm sure he'll be obsessing over the difference in the middle of the night, or anything. | | | From @cheddar |  | cheddar762K followers | |
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| | | Canva's AI tools used billions of times | | | We talked about Canva's $CANVA.P ( 0.0% ) "customer obsession" with Rob Giglio and the integration of AI into the design platform. | "How do we use data and our product to get very personal with customers?" Rob asked. "If you do it with data and automation and AI, you can do it at scale."
AI is a significant part of Canva's strategy. Giglio emphasized: "We use AI to make things that customers want to do faster and easier and in many ways more." He also mentioned Canva's "AI Impact team," where everyone is encouraged to learn and experiment with AI, fostering a culture of innovation.
75% of Canva's customers are going to be introducing AI into their own workflows, so "we've all got to get on this game. We've got to better. We need to learn more. And we need to not be afraid," Giglio said.
"There's a statistic that we share, which is over 10 billion instances of AI use in the Canva tool," Giglio noted. Features like background removal, image generation, presentation development, and copywriting are powered by AI. Canva continues to expand these capabilities.
When discussing the role of AI in creativity, Giglio said, "It's a catalyst. I think creativity starts with the prompt in some cases. It starts with idea that there's a problem that someone's trying to solve or a creative challenge they're trying to deliver against. And that's in the mind of the creator." He emphasized that AI should make it "easier and faster to get to outcomes, to solve problems and to create expression," rather than replace human creativity.
Looking ahead, Giglio teased the Canva Create event in Los Angeles on April 10th, promising "infotainment at its finest" and the rollout of "amazing new tools." He also advised users to "go wide" with Canva, exploring the platform's breadth, which encompasses both productivity and creativity tools. "If you're only using it for productivity, you're missing the opportunity to use it for creativity. And if you're only using for creativity, you should use it for productivity." | Got that? | | | How Tiger Woods took golf indoors | | Golf is changing. It's no longer just about manicured greens and hushed whispers and losing to my father-in-law. Now, I can do all of those things INDOORS. | Hoyt McGarity with investment firm 8AM Golf shed light on the transformation, including discussing the excitement surrounding Tiger Woods' TGL, an indoor golf simulation. | "I'm pretty excited about it," he said, emphasizing the "big bet" TGL represents. He also noted a challenge: "Can the athletes hold a televised show? They're used to playing golf competitively. They're not used to being miked up and actually carrying a production." This, he believes, will determine TGL's success — "if the players can be fun, engaging with the fans, engaging with a product."
The conversation shifted to the broader entertainment space in golf, including ventures like Topgolf and T-Squared, a concept involving Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake. McGarity explained that these initiatives have "brought a whole new eyeball to the game," using an expression that I really wish he hadn't. 👁️ | He pointed out the inclusivity of the new platforms: "Women is way up. Like a lot of people were playing golf back in the day, but you always felt like it wasn't inviting."
COVID-19 played a pivotal role in the evolution. "It was the one sport everyone can go out and do and feel safe doing it. And so it exploded," he said.
Another innovative concept is Threes, a par three entertainment space. McGarity explained, "People love par three golf. It's shorter, it's more inviting, it's family friendly."
You can also gamble on it. I'm surprised Hoyt didn't mention that. But you totally can. | Golf! | | | You have permission to skip alcohol, says Ghia | | At South by Southwest, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Mélanie Masarin, the founder of Ghia, the non-alcoholic aperitif that's shaking up the social scene.
Mélanie's panel at SXSW focused on social loneliness, a topic close to her heart and the driving force behind Ghia. She shared, "A lot of people that don't drink or don't want to drink at any given time may feel excluded from the social occasion. That's why I created Ghia in the first place." | Ghia aims to provide an inclusive option, allowing everyone to feel part of the celebration, whether they're drinking alcohol or not. Of course another way to feel like that is to share a cigarette, but we won't go into it.
Dry January is always a significant period for Ghia. "It's not just a month where, of course, our sales are really high, but it's a month that it gives people the permission to be trying out," she said. The "shield" of Dry January allows people to explore alternatives and realize they can still enjoy social gatherings without alcohol. Interestingly, 92% of Ghia customers identify as drinkers seeking moderation, showing that the desire for balance is widespread.
A recent survey revealed that 49% of Americans plan to drink less in 2025, a statistic that doesn't surprise Mélanie. "We're seeing like a huge cultural shift," she said. As more people opt for alcohol-free options, the social conditioning around alcohol is changing. "If people around you are not drinking and you're still having fun together, then you're gonna find this permission to do it too."
When asked about her message to those curious about limiting their alcohol intake, Mélanie said, "Just remember that alcohol isn't the life of the party and that you're the life for the party, and things will get better."
But if you're not the life of the party? Maybe don't use booze to try to be! Thanks for sharing your perspective, Mélanie. | | | | Want more Cheddar? Watch us! | Search "Cheddar" on Samsung, YouTube TV, and most other streaming platforms. | N2K is the tip of of the cheeseberg for financial news, interviews, and more. | |
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