And a reality check on ending taxes for people making cash tips

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Hey everyone,

If you haven’t heard, there’s a bitter apostrophe battle brewing over the Democratic Presidential ticket: Is it Harris’ or Harris’s? Walz’s or Walzes?

According to the AP Stylebook, you should use only an apostrophe for singular proper names that end in an “s” — aka, Kamala Harris’ speech.

The AP is at odds with the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications that are adding the ‘s to Harris. If she wins in November, Harris would become the fourth U.S. president with a last name ending in S and the first since Rutherford B. Hayes, who was elected in 1876.

For what it’s worth: Merriam Webster Dictionary has chimed in, saying either spelling is acceptable.

Good luck!

Mosheh

PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!

📌 MORE STATES WANT SMARTPHONES OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

As kids head back to school for the fall semester, an increasing number will be told to check their smartphones at the door.

SCREEN FREE: THE NEW NORMAL?
It is one thing that red states and blue states agree on: Smartphones in schools are a distraction. At least 11 states have passed laws or implemented policies that ban or restrict cellphones in classrooms statewide. Florida moved first. Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina have since passed similar measures.

Some of the nation’s biggest school districts — like in California and New York — are next in line. The rules may vary from state to state, but all have the same goal in mind: a distraction-free learning environment.

The iPhone debuted 17 years ago in June 2007 — launching the world into the smartphone era that today’s K-12 students have grown up in. They are posing a difficult challenge for teachers, who fear distraction from devices is contributing to learning loss and leading to bullying and mental health issues.
Worldwide, about one in four countries has implemented bans or restrictions on the use of smartphones in schools.

FIGHTING FOR ATTENTION
A survey taken in the fall of 2023 found 72% of high school teachers think cellphones in classrooms are a “major distraction.” Educators also worry that excess time spent on smartphones can lead to increased anxiety, low self-esteem, and bullying and harassment.

Some research even indicates an impact on grades. In a study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, researchers say students who were allowed to use laptops and cellphones for non-classroom purposes scored half a letter grade lower on exams.

THE FLIP SIDE
One of the major drawbacks, especially for some parents, is the fear that a full ban on cellphones in schools won’t allow their kids to contact them in an emergency. An idea posed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul is to allow kids to bring “dumb” phones (aka flip phones) to school — that let them text and make calls when needed — but don’t have access to the internet.

🎧 Now: Jonathan Haidt, the author of the New York Times-bestselling book ‘The Anxious Generation’ joined the Mo News Interview podcast earlier this summer to discuss how parenting mistakes, smartphones and social media rewired Gen Z brains. We have gotten amazing feedback about the conversation. Listen now: Apple | Spotify

📌 NO TAX ON TIPS: REALITY OR FANTASY?

It’s a rare moment when messaging from both campaigns align. Vice President Kamala Harris echoed former President Trump’s promise to end taxes on tips in recent days. It’s an ambitious goal that sounds attractive to voters — but some say it’s not rooted in reality.

THE APPEAL
Both candidates made their announcement in Nevada, home to some of the most tipped service workers in the country, and a key swing state with 6 electoral votes. But neither candidate outlined exactly how to make it happen.

More than 300K people work in Las Vegas’ leisure and hospitality sector (one of the biggest in the country) where wages tend to be lower than other industries and cash tips are king. Nevada is also, notably, a battleground state that could decide the outcome in November.

IT’S COMPLICATED
The idea is designed to help low-wage workers. Politicians love it (hello, votes). Economists… not so much (high cost to government, low reward for the people it’s supposed to help).

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CFRB) estimates it could cost the government $150-$250 billion over the next decade.
According to a Yale analysis, tipped workers make up less than 3 out of every 100 workers in the U.S.

TIPPING POINT
Regardless of who wins the election, tax policy will definitely be something to watch in the next administration. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts are set to expire, putting it high on Congress’ to do list. And while the White House said on Monday that President Biden would “absolutely” sign legislation ending taxes on tips, it’s the House and Senate who have to first pass the law.

📌 THIRD ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER SURVIVES AFTER TWO FELLOW PROGRESSIVES LOSE PRIMARIES

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., beat back a more moderate challenger on Tuesday, capping off a series of primaries facing progressive House lawmakers known as “The Squad.”

Omar faced a challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels for the second time in as many years. She just narrowly beat Samuels in 2022 by about 2,000 votes. She appears to have won by 8x that amount yesterday—-about 16,000 votes.

THE SQUAD SPLINTERS
Omar is the latest of the progressive ‘Squad’ democrats to face primary challengers from more moderate Democrats. Her victory follows a high-profile defeat by Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri just last week, and almost two months after New York’s Rep. Jamaal Bowman got the boot. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of NY, arguably the most high-profile member of the Squad, easily defeated her primary challenger in June.

TARGETING ANTI-ISRAEL SEATS
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group known as AIPAC, which invested millions of dollars to help unseat Israel’s hyper-partisan critics like Bowman and Bush, did not invest as heavily in to Omar’s race. Like Bowman and Bush, Omar has been a vocal critic of Israel, but was not as heavily targeted by AIPAC because she was seen as much more challenging to defeat.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Tim Walz defends his military record at first solo campaign event (POLITICO)

📌 Biden announces $150 million toward developing technology to better help surgeons remove cancerous tumors (AP)

📌 Plot to steal Elvis’ Graceland goes before grand jury in Tennessee (NBC)

📌 Watch the moment an earthquake shook LA homes on Monday (AP)

📌 House Majority Leader, Rep Steny Hoyer (D-MD), suffered mild stroke Sunday; 85 year old has no lingering symptoms (THE HILL)

📌 U.S. approves $20 billion in weapons for Israel amid threat of wider MidEast war (REUTERS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Biden says Iran is expected to hold off on Israel attack if ceasefire deal is reached on Thursday (TIMES OF ISRAEL)

📌 Russia claims it thwarted Ukrainian plan to expand invasion (NEWSWEEK)

📌 Cancer deaths among men worldwide set to increase 93% by 2050 (AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY)

📌 The world’s largest iceberg is spinning at sea (WASHINGTON POST)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Starbucks CEO replaced by Chipotle boss (ABC)

📌 Meanwhile, Starbucks confirms its changed its iced coffee recipe for the first time in 50 years (PEOPLE)

📌 Home Depot says consumers are dishing out less on home improvement projects which is a warning sign for the economy (CNN)

📌 Mars and Jupiter set to align this week close enough to see with the naked eye (NPR)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Everyone wants to live in a Nancy Meyers home (BUSINESS INSDER)

📌 Tolerance for sour and spicy foods is more about your brain than your palate, scientists say (NBC)

📌 Gen Z loves cassettes. But wait, how do these things work? (WSJ)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: AUGUST 14

1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, ensuring income for elderly Americans and creating a federal unemployment insurance program. 
1945: Japan surrenders unconditionally to end World War II.
2003: The Northeast blackout of 2003 saw widespread power outage affected an estimated 55 million people, including 10 million in Ontario and 45 million in eight US states — the largest blackout in US history.
2016: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100 meter sprint at the Rio de Janeiro Games, becoming the first person to win the event in three consecutive Olympics; he also claimed an unprecedented third straight gold medal in the 200 meters.