~800 miles: How far Rayne Beau, a cat, traveled to return to owners Benny and Susanne Anguiano in a real Homeward Bound tale. The couple lost the cat while camping in Yellowstone after it was startled by a sound. Two months later, he showed up on the streets of Roseville, California, where his microchip notified his owners. It’s unclear how Rayne Beau completed his epic journey, but he’s now safe at home.
$3.2B: Value added to Major League Soccer teams following star player Lionel Messi’s 2023 transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami, now the most popular American sports team on social media. But for how long? Messi, at 37, is past the typical retirement age for his profession, and his contract expires next year, per Bloomberg.
60+: Music festivals canceled in the UK alone this year, a trend spotted across the US, Australia, and elsewhere in Europe. NPR notes the obvious: skyrocketing production costs, slumping demand, and oversaturation. Yet another theory involves a changing youth: Unlike generations who’ve aged out of their fest-going days, Gen Z isn’t nearly as into drinking, drugs, or sex, and is too anxious and isolated in a post-pandemic world to go out.
$2.2B: How much the National Association of Theatre Owners reports its members across North America plan to invest in theater upgrades this year. Buoyed by box office successes like Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine, theater owners are looking to update things like concessions and sound systems, and add experiences like arcades and bowling. NATO (no relation to the intergovernmental org) represents the eight largest movie theater chains in the US and Canada, and its plan would refresh ~70% of North America’s screens.
