Hello and happy Monday to everyone in Copenhagen, which has been named the world’s happiest city, edging out Zurich and Singapore to the top spot. Today we’re exploring:

Have feedback for us? Just hit reply - we'd love to hear from you!

TOGETHER WITH

A record 1 in 8 cars sold in America is now a hybrid, estimates show

When the leadership of the world’s largest car manufacturer makes a prediction about the future of driving, it’s probably worth paying attention. However, despite warnings from Akio Toyoda — Toyota Motor’s former CEO and current chairman — that full-battery electric vehicles would only ever get to a 30% market share, much of the industry has continued to drive full-throttle into an expensive, electrified future.

Increasingly, Akio Toyoda is looking like he might have a point.

Hybrid theory

As America’s enthusiasm for full-battery electric vehicles slows, the humble hybrid is gathering speed. Estimates from Wards Intelligence, reported last week by the US Energy Information Administration, revealed that 12.4% of the light-duty vehicles sold in America over the last three months were hybrid EVs. Just 7.1% were full-battery electric (BEV) and 2.1% were plug-in hybrids (PHEV).

The remainder (78%) were traditional internal-combustion engine vehicles, confirming that America remains a long way from fully embracing electric. Tesla, the country’s bestselling EV producer, reported a decline in deliveries last quarter, with sales in Europe continuing to come under pressure.

Toyota, on the other hand, while still facing the wider industry pressures like tariffs and higher material costs, has held on to its crown as the world’s largest car manufacturer, selling 10.8 million vehicles last year. Just over 1% of those were full BEVs, while nearly 40% were hybrids of some description.

Read this on the web instead

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched nearly 400 Starlink satellites in May

When Tesla’s Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, he was looking to work towards eventually building a sustainable human settlement on Mars.

Fast forward 23 years later and no one is living on the rusty red colored planet, but SpaceX has become the world’s largest internet satellite company, launching another 398 Starlink satellites in a “massive May” for the company.

That’s a record month for SpaceX, coming hot on the heels of a public rocket explosion, and it takes the total deployed satellite tally to more than 8,800, some 7,600 of which are still actively whizzing around Earth, per data from satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell. SpaceX’s fleet also accounts for roughly ~40% of all satellites launched since Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, was fired into the orbit all the way back in 1957.

Unlike most communications satellites, which are typically larger and at higher altitudes, Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites zip around the planet at relatively low altitudes — allowing faster transmissions between satellites and terminals. As SpaceX has grown its unique constellation, it has enabled service coverage even in areas where traditional internet has been limited, like Ukraine’s battlefields or areas hit by natural disasters.

Unsurprisingly, that offering has become a core part of SpaceX’s commercial value, with Musk noting that “Starlink internet is what is being used to pay for humanity going to Mars,” in a recent update to employees at SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas.

Now serving more than 5 million customers, Starlink’s revenues are estimated to have reached some $6.6 billion in 2024. That figure is expected to rise rapidly in the coming decade — a key underpinning of why the company is valued at an eye-watering $350 billion, despite (literally) burning billions of dollars in launching rockets into space.

Read this on the web instead

Remove your personal data from Google and ChatGPT

Ever searched for your personal information on Google or ChatGPT? You might be surprised to see how easily people can get hold of your sensitive info….

Your name, phone number, and home address are just the beginning. Anyone can dig out details on  your family members and relationships, SSN, health records, financial accounts, and employment history.

Incogni's unlimited plan puts you back in control of your online privacy, protecting you from harmful scams, identity theft, financial fraud, and other threats to your privacy. 

Use code CHARTR today to get an exclusive 55% discount on Incogni’s unlimited data removals service — and peace of mind about your privacy. 

The Weather Channel is America’s most trusted news source

As trust in the media has fallen in recent years — particularly among younger generations — more Americans are turning to different channels like podcasts and social media to fill out their news diets in the modern age.

But one legacy brand seems to be weathering the storm of polarization.

A YouGov survey from May found that the most trusted source of news in the US in 2025 is The Weather Channel, boasting a 49% net trust score this year. That’s up 6% from the same poll in 2024, and significantly ahead of public service broadcasters BBC and PBS, which round out the top three.

While storied media companies have bore the brunt of much of the shift, The Wall Street Journal sits sixth in the ranking, though its score has dropped two percentage points since last year. Forbes, Reuters, and The Associated Press all also made the top 10.

The Washington Post, in 26th place, saw the biggest drop in net trust on the full list of 52 sources, down five points from 2024. Editorial changes from Jeff Bezos, the outlet’s owner and Amazon founder, led hundreds of thousands of Post readers to cancel their subscriptions earlier this year.

Read this on the web instead

It’d take the average person 187+ hours to file the data deletion requests necessary to protect personal information. The alternative? Take 55% off Incogni’s unlimited plan with code CHARTR and have their experts do the hard work.

Ad

Off the charts: Which name has been taking off in the US in recent years, even before an influential figure adopted it last month? [Answer below]. 

Answer here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have some feedback or want to sponsor this newsletter?

Not a subscriber? Sign up for free below.

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate... See more