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TOGETHER WITH
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Good morning. Today
is Independent Bookstore Day, and what better way to celebrate than to
highlight our favorite indie bookstores from where we grew up. Be sure
to check them out if you’re ever in the neighborhood. Then say hi to our
parents.
Happy reading!
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MARKETS 1-DAY PERFORMANCE
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*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 6:00pm ET.
Here's what these numbers mean.
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Markets: The major US indexes barely budged
this week, despite some investors’ fears over an upcoming Biden
proposal to hike the capital gains tax on the wealthy. Consumer products
company Kimberly-Clark fell after reporting major sales declines in
paper towels, Kleenex, and toilet paper.
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Covid: India is suffering an oxygen shortage as Covid-19 patients overwhelm the healthcare system. Japan announced a “short and powerful” state of emergency to deal with rising infections just months ahead of the Olympics.
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Giphy / NBC
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Simone
Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, is leaving Nike for
Athleta in a move that highlights the changing landscape of athlete
sponsorships.
- In an interview with the WSJ,
Biles praised Athleta for its commitment to “diversity and inclusion,
of all women, backgrounds, ages, sizes, abilities, and races.”
Founded in 1998 and now owned by Gap, Athleta is a women’s activewear brand that’s plucked not one, but two star female Olympic athletes from Nike. Sprinter Allyson Felix switched teams in 2019 after joining other Olympian runners in criticizing Nike for not sufficiently supporting pregnant athletes.
It’s easy to
see what Athleta offers Felix and Biles: a company “truly for women by
women,” said the gymnast. Athleta is women-led, and women account for
97% of its workforce.
Big picture: Athleta
is small compared to the giants of sports apparel, but after signing
Biles and a pandemic year that juiced athleisure sales, it’s staring
down Lululemon. Athleta’s goal is to hit $2 billion in sales by 2023.
Over on the Nike partnerships team, it’s been an interesting week
On Monday,
Complex Magazine reported that the estate of Kobe Bryant, the NBA legend
who died in a helicopter crash last January, did not renew its sneaker deal with Nike.
- Kobe’s shoes were relatively “low priority” at Nike’s basketball division, but about 20% of NBA players wore Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes last season.
Because of
Kobe’s sudden death, the current situation with his estate has “no
analogue in basketball or sneaker history,” reports the NYT. Kobe’s
widow Vanessa Bryant said she’s “hoping to forge a lifelong partnership
with Nike that reflects my husband’s legacy,” but legal filings show the
estate has filed for more than 13 trademarks since May 2020. That means
Vanessa could be gearing up to launch an independent brand.
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Francis Scialabba
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In the US…J&J’s back. Health officials said J&J’s one-shot vaccine could resume after a total of 15 women experienced rare but sometimes deadly blood clots
and the rollout was paused. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic
have said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the downsides, but the
FDA will include a warning statement about the clotting risks.
Around the world…optimistic new research from the UK found that Covid infections fell by 65% after adults received the first dose from AstraZeneca or Pfizer. And in Israel, which has sprinted to vaccinate residents, zero daily Covid deaths were reported for the first time in 10 months.
More headlines
Demand dampens: The daily average
for vaccinations in the US has fallen below 3 million for the first
time in weeks, and some mass vaccination sites across the country are closing due to lower demand.
US is consulting but not committing: The CDC is providing “technical assistance”
to India to help manage the country’s brutal second wave, but President
Biden said that the US won’t be sharing any vaccines right now, despite
stockpiling AstraZeneca shots that aren’t yet authorized in the US.
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NASA/Joel Kowsky
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Bookended by Monday’s historic Mars helicopter flight and yesterday’s SpaceX launch, it’s been a fine week for anyone who grew up rewatching October Sky.
At 5:49 am ET, the Falcon 9 rocket launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft
called Endeavour into orbit. A lot of rad names there, but what you
really need to know is the Crew-2 mission is SpaceX’s second operational
crew launch since partnering with NASA and its third to date.
The Crew-2
crew of four astronauts will spend six months on the International Space
Station and join the members of Crew-1, who got up there in November.
Other interesting mission facts:
- SpaceX has sent 10 astronauts to space in under a year.
- This is
the first time the company has reused a rocket and capsule from a past
mission—something CEO Elon Musk said is key to making space exploration
cheaper.
- One of
the astronauts in the capsule’s first flight last May was Robert
Behnken, current Crew-2 copilot Megan McArthur’s husband. Cuuuute.
Big picture:
NASA said that SpaceX’s and Boeing’s contracts have saved the agency
more than $20 billion in development costs—as opposed to when it solely
relied on Russian spacecrafts.
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Perfectly
distilled gin takes a master. More specifically, it takes Dr. Anne
Brock—the Bombay Master Distiller. Yes, that’s a real title, and yes Dr.
Brock is just as impressive as the bright, perfectly balanced, vibrant
flavor of Bombay Sapphire.
You can think of the masterminds at Bombay as the intelligentsia of gin. Not only
does their Master Distiller have a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Oxford
(you read that right), they also have a Master of Botanicals who
hand-selects sustainably sourced botanicals—like Moroccan cubeb berries and West African Grains—from around the world.
So when you’re sipping a classic G&T or opting for a friskier cocktail (might we suggest grapefruit and rosemary), Bombay Sapphire is the perfect base to elevate your beverage.
No matter how you drink it, Bombay is without ques-gin, a better gin.
Enjoy the refreshing taste of Bombay today.
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Francis Scialabba
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Stat: Despite award show ratings tanking, Disney said that it has sold out
of its ad inventory for the Oscars, which airs this Sunday night on
ABC. The show brings in more ad money for ABC than any other day on the
calendar ($129 million in 2020).
Quote: “We
clearly misjudged how this deal would be viewed by the wider football
community and how it might impact them in the future. We will learn from
this.”
JPMorgan issued a statement apologizing
for its role in the dumpster fire that was the Super League. The bank
faced a barrage of criticism on social media for bankrolling the
breakaway soccer league with $4.2 billion in financing.
Read: Thoughts on moving to Miami. (Devon Zuegel)
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Ever get
away with ditching a day of work? Two in a row? A whole week? Well,
Italian hospital employee Salvatore Scumace is going to top you no
matter what: He skipped every shift for 15 years but still made over $650,000.
When the
67-year-old was supposed to be monitoring hospital security cameras for
fires, he reportedly took nice strolls, told his neighbors he was
retired, or chillaxed at home. But his days sipping mid-morning Aperol
spritzes are behind him: This week, Italian authorities put his epic
ditching streak in the spotlight when they announced they’re
investigating his case.
Scumace’s not the only one...
Slacking off
as a public sector worker is a rampant-enough problem in Italy that
Italians call perpetrators a name that roughly translates to “timecard
weasels.” And since 2016, the government has taken steps to crack down
on this growing Italian boogle (group of weasels).
Looking ahead...Scumace could face charges of abuse of office, forgery, and aggravated extortion, but he’ll go down in Italian history as the “king of absentees.”
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Mark Wang
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Morning Brew is teaming up with H&R Block
to give you the facts, the context, and the tips you need to make sure
you're prepared for the most complex tax filing season we can all
remember.
In our Tax Guide, you’ll find…
- Expert interviews
- Important facts and deadlines
- Lists of required forms for people running their own businesses
- Classic Morning Brew-style quizzes
Bottom line: Treat your taxes like you treat getting a vaccine appointment. Check out our guide, then get 'em done ASAP so the May 17 deadline doesn’t sneak up on you.
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American Express said spending on travel and entertainment jumped 40% month over month in March.
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More than 23 million viewers tuned in to watch the verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday.
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Arsenal fans
staged a protest of American owner Stan Kroenke over his plan to join
the Super League. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he’d be interested in
buying the club (cue Tottenham supporters switching to Apple Music).
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Caitlyn Jenner said she’s running for governor of California.
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A trillion reasons to get this card. Not to bum you out, but the total credit card debt in the US is a trillion dollars. That looks like this: $1,000,000,000,000. This card, however, can help you keep that number from going up. With 0% interest for 18 billing cycles, you can save up to $1,863 in interest. You also won’t be charged a penalty APR for late payments or an annual fee. Apply here.
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Watch list: The Academy Awards air this Sunday, and though it’s been a light year for new releases, try watching Minari and Nomadland in the Best Picture category, and check out the eye-candy animation style in the short French film, “Genius Loci.”
Weekend conversation starters:
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Francis Scialabba
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Every other week, Brew’s Bookshelf brings you a few of our favorite, business-related reads. Today, we’re back with another special weekend edition.
- Morning Brew’s employee book club is currently tackling Empire of Pain.
Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe tells the story of how the Sackler
family built its fortune in pharmaceuticals, then fell from grace as
their role in the opioid epidemic was exposed.
- As vaccines and wanderlust kick in, World Travel: An Irreverent Guide offers delicious inspiration from the late Anthony Bourdain.
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Francis Scialabba
Don’t be surprised to see Morning Brew mentioned a few times in this puzzle by Katya Maes.
Play it here.
Btw, we are
hiring for a part-time Puzzle Creator to help us build out these
crosswords and other games. If that sounds like you, apply here.
April 24th, 2021
Arizona AG Brnovich: Border-Crossing Migrants Create Environmental Hazard
Kamala Harris Ignores Reporter Asking When She Will Visit Southern Border
Natural Rights and Religious Liberty: The Founders’ Perspective
Black former cop shocks BBC: America not a racist country
| Dating App ‘Match’ Lands Man Being Turned into Police for Jan 6 Capitol Riot |
| “She’s just not that into you” is the message one man who stormed the United States Capitol on the fateful January 6th, [...] |
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Are you getting the FULL story on the vaccine?
Click here to view full details.
Vegetables | Flowers | Perennials | Herbs | Supplies
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| CHAOS NYC: Protesters Clash with NYPD in Manhattan, Vandalize Statues Near Central Park |
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| CHAOS NYC: Protesters Clash with NYPD in Manhattan, Vandalize Statues Near Central Park Read More |
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| | ABRAMS: Columbus Cop Should Have ‘Attempted Some Form of Intervention’ Before Shooting | | Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams weighed-in Thursday night o [...] | | | |
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SATURDAY 4.24.2021
BREAKING NEWS
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