The Week Evening Review
Trump's revenge plans, Elon Musk's Tesla bonus, and Shein's ascent

 
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

Could Trump prosecute his political enemies? 

Donald Trump has never made secret his love of revenge. But his calls for it have increased in recent months. The former president was just handed his first criminal conviction and faces the possibility of spending time behind bars. His threats of using the office of the presidency to target his political adversaries come with "renewed intensity since a New York jury delivered its guilty verdict" last month, CNN said. 

What did the commentators say?
Trump has positioned political revenge as a "central part of his presidential campaign," Axios said. This includes his previous suggestion to "install a special prosecutor to investigate Biden if he returns to the White House." He has also told his advisers that he would like the Department of Justice to "investigate specific former aides and allies who are now critical of him" in a second term, The Washington Post said. 

Among Trump's allies, the "intensity of anger and open desire" to politicize the criminal justice system for his personal agenda "surpasses anything seen before" during his time in office, The New York Times said. These conservatives are "urging district attorneys and attorneys general in red states to start aggressively targeting Democrats for unspecified crimes," the Times said. 

All this "dovetails with a massive plan of action" led by the right-wing Heritage Foundation through its Project 2025 initiative, CNN said. In this plan, should Trump be reelected, the Justice Department would "no longer be treated as an independent body making decisions based on law" and instead "would come under the 'direct supervision and control of the president.'"

What next?
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) is "relatively confident that these cases will continue to be resolved by jurors who come to the jury box taking their job seriously and trying to follow the evidence and the law," The Associated Press said. Still, Republicans in Congress have begun using their House majority to set the stage for retribution. After Trump's guilty verdict in the hush-money trial, the House Judiciary Committee chair proposed an "appropriations package that would 'defund the lawfare activities' of state and federal prosecutors leading 'politically sensitive investigations,'" Fox News said. 

 
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QUOTE OF THE DAY

'We need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell.'

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for urgent action to tackle global warming, including a worldwide ban on fossil fuel advertising

 
 
talking points

Elon Musk's future at Tesla may hang in the balance

With a net worth of $200 billion, tech titan Elon Musk is one of the richest men in history. Be it through SpaceX, Tesla or X, Musk wields outsize influence. But his erratic behavior has also created turbulence for his companies, threatening their reputations and financial bottom lines. 

Next Thursday, Tesla shareholders will vote on whether to award their CEO a compensation package worth $50 billion, six months after the Delaware Chancery Court blocked an earlier iteration of the deal. Initially negotiated in 2018, the bonus is based on Tesla achieving certain milestones under Musk's leadership and would nearly double his equity share in the company from 13% to 22%.

'Not about the money'
To approve the compensation package is to "honor the collective commitment we made to Elon" in the service of "retaining Elon's attention and motivating him to focus on achieving astonishing growth for our company," Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm said in a letter to shareholders. Musk will remain one of the wealthiest people on Earth regardless, so "this is obviously not about the money," Denholm said. But if not money, what?

Upping his ownership in Tesla would bring his equity "close to the 25% voting rights threshold Musk has floated to fully develop artificial intelligence at the company," Forbes said. If he does not achieve his 25% voting rights milestone, shareholders should expect Tesla to "significantly slow down/curtail its direct investment in sensitive/advanced AI efforts" and instead expect them to be "concentrated within non-Tesla entities where Musk has control," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones said.

'Threats ring somewhat hollow'
Musk's proposed compensation package is "disproportionate," The Wall Street Journal said, and shareholders will "pay for it through the dilution of their holdings." Two influential proxy advisers have urged investors to vote against the "excessive" award, the Financial Times said. 

The threats of Musk abandoning Tesla should his package not be instated "ring somewhat hollow," the Journal said. Tesla still represents a "large proportion of his net wealth," meaning Musk "couldn't easily jump ship."

 
 

Statistic of the day

96: The number of in-flight sexual assault cases opened by the FBI in 2023. There have been efforts worldwide to raise awareness of sexual assault on airplanes, and Indian airline IndiGo has started offering women the option to choose seats next to other women when booking a flight. 
CNN

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

How Shein bucked the sustainable-fashion trend

What would be one of the biggest in the history of the London Stock Exchange, online fashion brand Shein is set for a $64 billion stock market flotation. The Singaporean company could file for an initial public offering as soon as this week, said Bloomberg. 

Business model
Launched in 2008 in Nanjing, China, Shein has seen its popularity soar, becoming the largest clothing retailer in the world in 2022 when it reported $24 billion in revenue. The business model revolves around "low-cost, throwaway items," said The Independent, encouraging an attitude of "wear them once, then buy something else." While this may seem "wild" to some, it's a "modus operandi that is clearly working." 

Shein should be understood as a "tech company, not a fashion brand," said fair-fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna. It uses "highly advanced" search engine optimization to "quickly react to trends" and churn clothes out. It has also pioneered so-called "haul" videos on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where content creators and brand influencers buy masses of clothing and try them on for their followers. 

Fast fashion vs. sustainability
What makes Shein's success remarkable is that it has come in the face of intense scrutiny over its working conditions, human rights record and carbon footprint and during a trend toward sustainable fashion. Last month, Shein announced its "first-ever entirely deadstock collection" featuring new pieces crafted from leftover fabrics. This is the "start of a new sustainable era for the label's sourcing practices," said Bustle, part of a drive to "cut their carbon footprint by at least 25% by 2030." 

The problem is that "not everyone can afford to shop sustainably," said Drew Afualo, a TikTok influencer who has faced online backlash for partnering with Shein, adding that "sustainable fashion is a privilege." For many, the cost and speed offered by the brand outweigh any ethical or moral concerns.

 
 

Good day 💸

… for Native American tribes. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of two Native American tribes in a dispute with the federal government over the "cost of health care when tribes run programs in their own communities," CNN said. The 5-4 decision means the government will be responsible for millions in overhead costs two tribes took on when they took over running their health care programs. Covering those costs is "necessary to prevent a funding gap," Chief Justice John Roberts said in the majority opinion. Not reimbursing them forces tribes to "pay a penalty for pursuing self-determination.".

 
 

Bad day 🎆

… for YouTuber Alex Choi. The popular content creator is facing explosive charges over directing a video stunt that included shooting a speeding Lamborghini with fireworks from a helicopter in the sky. Choi was arrested Wednesday and charged with causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said on Thursday.

 
 
Picture of the day

Sunny charm

A woman holds sunflowers, a symbol of good luck, as students line up for the first day of China's national college entrance examinations in Bozhou, Anhui province. A record 13.4 million people registered for this year's gaokao, billed by Chinese state media as the world's toughest college admissions test.
STR / AFP / Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

June TV heralds a return to form. This month's releases include a third season of Hulu's Chicago sandwich shop show (say that five times fast) and a fresh series from a comedic genius. 

'Eric' (May 30)
In this six-part Netflix series directed by Lucy Forbes ("The End of the F***ing World"), Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Vincent, a successful puppeteer and the creator of a "Sesame Street"-adjacent show in New York. As for the titular Eric: "Full of guilt and self-loathing … Vincent finds Edgar's drawings of a blue monster puppet named Eric, which his son had unsuccessfully pitched to him the night before he disappeared on his way to school," said The Hollywood Reporter. 

'Fantasmas' (June 7)
If you're looking to fill the fanciful hole in your heart left by HBO's canceled "Los Espookys," you're in luck. Julio Torres is back with another surreal comedy on HBO. Torres stars in and directs "Fantasmas," set in a "dreamlike version of New York City created entirely on a soundstage," said NPR. The outlet also praised the series' "bracingly offbeat and intensely idiosyncratic" sensibility. 

'House of the Dragon' (June 16)
"Game of Thrones" was the biggest TV show in the world, but its conclusion angered a lot of fans. HBO has attempted to make amends with "House of the Dragon," a prequel-spinoff centered around the Targaryens. Some critics believe the show will find its stride in season two. "With the throat-clearing preamble out of the way, 'Dragon' should better resemble 'Thrones' at its best," said The Ringer.

 
 

Poll watch

Younger Japanese people are more welcoming of the rise in foreign workers than older Japanese people, according to a new poll from Japan's Immigration Services Agency. The poll surveyed 4,424 people and found more than half of respondents ages 18 and 19 have favorable views of foreigners. But for respondents ages 60 and over, 40% to 70% have never associated or worked with a foreigner. 

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'The sins of the educated class' 
David Brooks at The New York Times 
Modern "elite educated-class progressivism [is] a lot less attractive than the working-class progressivism of Frances Perkins that I read about when I was young," says David Brooks. To be "progressive is to be against privilege. But today, progressives dominate elite institutions like the exclusive universities, the big foundations and the top cultural institutions." Progressive virtue is "defined by being anti-elite. But today's educated class constitutes the elite, or at least a big part of it."

'We know how to save Black Americans from overdoses. Will Congress actually do it?'
Dr. Jerome Adams at USA Today
Black Americans "need your help" fighting addiction, says Dr. Jerome Adams. The United States "must reduce harm for people suffering from substance use disorder," and Congress should "also fund syringe service programs" that allow people access to sterile syringes. But Black Americans are "underrepresented in syringe service programs," and Congress "must fund more programs in underserved areas." This is a "moment of extreme, all-hands-on-deck urgency," because Black Americans "suffering from substance use disorder need help — and Congress must act." 

'Big alcohol's monopoly isn't worth breaking up'
Tyler Cowen at Bloomberg
The FTC is reportedly preparing a lawsuit against a major alcohol conglomerate, but "sometimes monopolies are best left alone," says Tyler Cowen. This is "often the case when they aren't harming consumers, but it can also be true when they are," such as when their "product is unhealthy, for customers and society, and higher prices mean people will use less of it." If a monopoly has "some positive social consequences, all the more reason to let it persist."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

pebbling

A new term for sending a little gift to someone you love. Gentoo penguins were doing it long before social media, said The Guardian. They pick up pebbles in their beaks and carry them to their partners. Now, it's being used online to describe a similar gesture between humans. It might be chocolates or flowers, but "these days, it's more likely to be via social media — a picture, a little snippet of video, possibly with a caption." 

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz, Anahi Valenzuela and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images; Paulo Nunes dos Santos / Bloomberg via Getty Images; HBO / Good Banana / Album / Alamy