Daily Pulse: The FDA Silences Kim Kardashian, Twitter Opens the DM Floodgates

When Kardashian Speaks … The FDA has successfully ordered pharma company Duchesnay USA to take down a glowing Instagram endorsement by Kim Kardashian about its morning sickness drug, Diclegius, because the post “fails to communicate any risk information."

Before it was removed, the selfie got nearly half a million likes and more than 10,000 comments. There is every reason to believe Kardashian uses the medication. So did she really do anything wrong?

The Instagram update disclosed that she was “partnering” with the company and provided a link to the drug’s disclosure page containing the risk information the FDA correctly said was not at the source. Anyone trying to use the drug — which actually is the only FDA-approved medicine for morning sickness — would need to convince an MD that it was indicated. Pharmacists are another line of defense against mis-use.

But social media has made it much easier for celebrities to profit from what amount to sponsored updates, conveyed with the same faux intimacy as from-the-heart updates to their fans. And since some celebrity bestows unearned gravitas, it’s a power that does need to be tempered.

Stars have — well, star power. And even if Kardashian is a satisfied user she is, by definition, conflicted. But her fans knew this — the post was very transparent. Far more troubling are celebrity endorsement deals that appear organic, a phenomenon which pre-dates social media by decades. Far more troubling are from-the-heart rants from celebrities asserting a connection between vaccines and autism, or casual endorsements of smoking, or the projection of body types that are unattainable. There’s no agency to fight any of that.

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In conclusion … You still have to Tweetstorm (please use sparingly), but now you can pretty much not take a breath if you DM someone on Twitter. The 140-character limit that remains for Tweets has been lifted to 10,000. “Your direct messages are about to look like a text message from a rambly drunk ex,” laments Drew Orlanoff on TechCrunch.

Maybe. But Twitter is just catching up to genuine direct messaging clients, which have never had limitations (or caps that anyone who isn’t a sociopath has ever discovered in normal use).

And even though we can go on and on and on when messaging, in reality only amateurs do that. The real power play is short bursts which throws a recipient off stride. That’s the equivalent of filibustering in person.

You still have to follow someone to get DMs, so don't expect to be bombarded buy someone whom you haven't already given permission. Just enjoy the freedom to now complete your thought w/o hvng 2 B ridic. It’s a good thing.

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#Quote

“The direction of the agreement is right”

— Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Ms. Merkel, on the current shape of the Greek bailout plan.

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Not a Big Yuan: Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past couple of days, you surely know that equities markets have been roiled by China’s decision to devalue its currency. If you are not up to speed on this, shame on you and catch up with Isabelle Roughol.

Besides the hit on your 401(k), who cares? USA Today’s Kim Hjelmgaard has put together a short primer on how this new normal affects your pocketbook. The good news is cheaper gas, cheaper imports and low interest rates. The bad news: fewer jobs.

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#Chart

Alibaba reported its lowest quarter revenue growth in eight years, sending shares to their lowest point since the company's 2014 IPO. Also weighing on the company: China's weakening economy, which is putting a damper on consumer spending.

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Forced Diet: The first shoe in the Kraft Heinz merger has dropped: The combined company is eliminating 2,500 jobs in the US and Canada (5% of its global workforce) to save $1.5 billion. Hardest hit will be its HQ in Northfield, Illinois, where 700 positions will disappear.

Kraft Heinz is one of those mega processed food companies which got that way by catering to and cultivating convenience but is now trying adapt with rapidly changing tastes for “fresher food with simpler ingredients,” as Annie Gasparro puts it in The Wall Street Journal. Kraft Heinz, whose products include Velveeta, Lunchables and Crystal Light, is the world’s fifth-largest food company by sales.

#Stat

650,000,000

The average number of Heinz ketchup bottles sold each year

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China Blast: A huge explosion in a warehouse storing “dangerous goods” killed 13 people in the northern China port city of Tianjin. At least 50 others were injured, according to state media and local police. The initial blast ignited other explosions nearby. Video posted by the People’s Daily captured some of the aftermath:

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Cover art: A man drinks a glass of Ale at the CAMRA (campaign for real ale) Great British Beer festival at Olympia London exhibition centre on August 12, 2015 in London, England. The five day event is Britain's largest beer festival with around 55,000 people expected to attend. The festival features over 900 British real ales, ciders and perries from around the world on sale. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Instagram screen grab courtesy of The New York Times.