☕️ Getting a ticket

Ikea is going after the gamer market... [Advertisement] April 17, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [Pipeline2Space]( Good morning. To celebrate National Haiku Day today, the Brew is running a haiku contest that involves…all of you. [Submit your haiku here]( and we’ll share the best of the bunch tomorrow. The rules: Your poem must follow the conventional haiku format (5–7–5 syllable structure) and be centered around the topic of: cicadas. Good luck! —Holly Van Leuven, Matty Merritt, Sam Klebanov, Abby Rubenstein, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 15,865.25 -0.12% S&P 5,051.41 -0.21% Dow 37,798.97 +0.17% 10-Year 4.659% +3.1 bps Bitcoin $64,212.85 +1.22% UnitedHealth $468.89 +5.22% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 3:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Jerome Powell played the cooler yesterday, sending stocks [down]( by casting doubt on whether the Fed will lower rates this year now that data from the first quarter shows inflation sticking around. But the Dow still broke a six-day losing streak, thanks in large part to UnitedHealth soaring after reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings despite getting hit by a major hack.  SPORTS This torch is on fire [An actress lighting the torch of the first Olympic torch bearer during a ceremony in Greece]Socrates Baltagiannis/picture alliance via Getty Images NBC’s [billion-dollar ad extravaganza]( the Olympics, will begin in 100 days. Yesterday, actors in Greece paid homage to ancient history and lit the torch that’s now on its way to Paris. With the official symbol of the Games up in flames, here are some of the most intriguing headlines already swirling around Paris 2024. New commentators enter the chat: The president of NBC Olympics Production said the Opening Ceremony will be “more like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” than a solemn procession. - Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning will co-host alongside NBC Sports reporter Mike Tirico. - [Alex Cooper]( the famous voice behind the Call Her Daddy podcast, will throw live viewing parties on Peacock. - And for his outstanding service to journalism covering [Horse Crip Walking]( during Tokyo 2020, Snoop Dogg is being rewarded: He will be on the ground doing prime-time coverage for NBC and has already promised that Paris 2024 will be “the most epic Olympics ever.” The next dream team: Is there a TV program Caitlin Clark can’t boost ratings for? To be determined. The former Iowa star recently snapped up by the WNBA is under consideration for Team USA and could bring some [star power]( to the broadcast. Cash for your medal: Track and field will become the first sport to put up prize money at the Olympics. The governing body of those disciplines, World Athletics, announced a [$50,000 prize]( for all gold medalists in events under its jurisdiction. Apparel problems: The bikini-cut leotard Nike unveiled for women athletes drew accusations of sexism, but Nike insists athletes will have the choice of 50 garments. A spokesperson for the [sportswear company blamed]( the bad reveal on being “a few months from the Games and working with limited samples.” Looking ahead…Paris’s cybersecurity official expects to thwart at least [3.6 billion attempts]( to hack into the Games’ digital infrastructure.—HVL PRESENTED BY PIPELINE2SPACE [The next space race has already started]( [Pipeline2Space]( We’ve been using rockets to launch payloads into space since 1957. But despite decades of testing, rockets still have the same problems they did 60 years ago. They’re risky, costly, and massively wasteful. Opening up reliable access to the $1.8t space economy requires a better solution. Meet [Pipeline2Space](. Using their hypersonic ram accelerator, they can launch to space 100+ times a month. That’s a giant leap forward, considering only 200 rockets launch per year. To prove hypersonics are the future of space flight, they plan to set multiple launch records this year, including most same-week launches. And you have the opportunity to make space launch history with them as an early investor. Ready for launch? [Become a Pipeline2Space shareholder here](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Protestors supporting January 6 rioters outside the Supreme Court]Kent Nishimura/Getty Images SCOTUS appears poised to toss obstruction charges against Jan. 6 rioters. During oral arguments yesterday, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed concerned that prosecutors [overreached]( in charging people who participated in the 2021 attack at the Capitol with obstruction under Sarbanes-Oxley, a law enacted to address white-collar crime after Enron collapsed. If the court rules that the charge cannot stand, it would impact the ~350 people charged that way for their actions on Jan. 6, 2021—at least 100 of whom have already been convicted and sentenced, per CNN. It could also affect some legal claims against Donald Trump, who has been accused of the same crime. Trump’s hush money trial has seven jurors. Although many more jurors were dismissed for being biased yesterday, on the second day of the trial over Donald Trump’s alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, the court managed to [swear in]( seven of the necessary 12 (six alternates will also be needed). Legal experts say it could take as long as two weeks to find enough New Yorkers to fill out the jury for the first criminal trial of a former US president, and yesterday’s selection included questions about prospective jurors’ social media posts. Investment banking is so back (almost). All of the biggest banks have reported their first-quarter results, and their earnings have been as good as, if not [better than, expected](. Higher interest rates ate into the spoils—Bank of America reported yesterday that its profit dropped 18% compared to the same period last year—but investment banking arms did well, especially since many banks increased their fees, and dealmaking and IPOs started to pick up again. But despite perking up, investment banking activity is still below where it used to be. Strong consumer spending also helped banks out, with credit card income rising and people and businesses continuing to need loans. ENTERTAINMENT Justice Department to sue Live Nation [Duexmoi instagram story that reads “justice department to sue live nation, anon pls, likely thing for them to do”]Illustration: Francis Scialabba, Image: duexmoi via Instagram Prepare yourself for a potential influx of lyric-based legal puns. The Department of Justice is planning to [sue]( Live Nation as soon as next month, alleging that the entertainment company is abusing its power over ticketing, the Wall Street Journal reports. The details of the impending antitrust lawsuit are unknown. But it will likely [focus]( on Live Nation allegedly tying its promotion services to the ticketing services of Ticketmaster, according to Bloomberg. Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 (much to the chagrin of musicians and indie promoters) and agreed at the time to the DOJ’s conditions aimed at protecting competition, including not forcing venues to use Ticketmaster to get Live Nation’s promotion. In 2019, the Justice Department revised its deal with the company to add an anti-retaliation clause after reports of Live Nation bullying venues into using Ticketmaster emerged. Ticketmaster now controls over 80% of the primary ticket sales market. The head of corporate affairs at Live Nation, Dan Wall, [defended]( the event behemoth last month, saying it is not a monopoly and that artists, not the companies, set ticket prices. Big picture: The suit is about as shocking as a presidential candidate pretending to enjoy pie at a small-town Iowa diner, since the DOJ has reportedly been investigating Ticketmaster and Live Nation since even before the Eras Tour ticketing fiasco.—MM TOGETHER WITH INVESCO QQQ [Invesco QQQ]( Let’s rethink what’s possible. Innovation can be exhilarating, a little scary, and a whole lot inspiring. Invesco QQQ ETF [provides exposure to 100 Nasdaq]( companies that are among the world’s most exciting and groundbreaking innovators—all in one fund. Access tomorrow’s innovation with today’s insights [here](. RETAIL Ikea makes a gaming play [Ikea gaming furniture]IKEA The unofficial embassy of Swedish living unveiled gaming decor this week that makes your home look like you’ve actually touched grass since the latest Legend of Zelda came out. Ikea’s new 20-piece Brännboll furniture and accessory collection marries gaming with Nordic minimalism. Unlike the futuristic dark vibes of typical gamer furnishings, it mixes [vibrant colors]( with neutral tones while prioritizing homeyness. Starting in September, the joystick-wielding crowd can pick a new throne: - An inflatable bagel-shaped floor seat with a footstool that can be stored inside of it. - A swaying bungee chair that moves along with the player’s restless body. - A cushioned chair that pulls out into a chaise lounge for leg support. The options are meant to accommodate gamers’ [peculiar posture]( and a [preference]( for low seating. Brännboll also includes a rollable side table with a strap for storing a handheld console, a doored PC station that can hide away hardware once it’s game over, and a wall-mounted display for trinkets. Some observers think Ikea’s gaming foray is mostly a [marketing gimmick]( as many of the items are similar to its standard products, but others are excited about how the new furniture will facilitate their gaming. Zoom out: Ikea says it’s on a quest for the hearts of the world’s 3.3 billion gamers, many of whom need somewhere to sit.—SK GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Copenhagen's Old Stock Market on fire]Ida Marie Odgaard/Getty Images Quote: “So sad. An iconic building that means a lot to all of us, I think. Our own Notre-Dame moment.” Yesterday, a fire [engulfed]( Copenhagen’s 17th-century Old Stock Exchange, destroying its iconic dragon-tail spire. The building, which became headquarters for the Danish Chamber of Commerce, is a city landmark and a treasured piece of Denmark’s history, so much so that the nation’s defense minister likened its destruction to the fire that damaged Paris’s Notre Dame almost five years ago to the day. Although the historic building sustained serious damage before firefighters got the conflagration under control, many of the valuable paintings and antiques inside it were saved as emergency personnel and passersby rushed into the burning building to get them out. There are already plans to rebuild. Stat: Planning a trip abroad? You’re going to need to get in line, and that line will probably be at the Dubai Airport. The latest ranking of the[world’s busiest airports]( is out, and while Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International kept its No. 1 spot in 2023, Dubai moved up to No. 2 from No. 5 the year before. And for international travelers, Dubai actually takes the top slot. According to the head of the Airports Council International, which compiles the list, 87 million flyers went through the airport, a 31% jump from the year before, heading for 262 destinations in 104 countries. Globally, the number of airplane passengers grew by 27%. Read: Why a $10 billion copper mine is sitting idle in the jungle. ([Bloomberg]( NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [One America News Network]( settled voting technology company Smartmatic’s lawsuit over claims the network made about its machines in the 2020 presidential election. - [USC]( canceled a valedictorian speech by a student who had publicly supported Palestine, citing safety concerns. - [A second member of Congress]( has signed on to the effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson as he tries to get aid for Ukraine and Israel passed. - [Volkswagen]( employees will begin voting today on whether to join the United Auto Workers in the first big test of the union’s power since it won favorable contracts from Detroit’s Big Three manufacturers. - Update on your high-school date spots: [TGI Fridays]( is going public through a merger with its UK franchisee, and [Red Lobster]( is considering bankruptcy to deal with its debt. - [The WNBA draft]( averaged 2.4 million viewers, a 307% increase from last year. [Fashion brands]( predicted the attention and dressed many players for the occasion. RECS [Wednesday to-do list] Look up: How to view the [Lyrid meteor shower](. Say it right: The [common words]( you’re probably mispronouncing. Take a leap: [Watch]( these baby penguins jump off an ice cliff and get inspired. Vote for the Brew at the Webbys! Support the Brew’s incredible social media team by voting for [Dan Toomey]( and [Macy Gilliam]( for the Webby Awards (the “best of the internet”). Don’t procrastinate, because voting wraps up tomorrow. Shop Morning Brew: Get the Morning Brew Starter Pack—our classic hoodie, water bottle, and dad hat—[for 40% off when you buy the bundle](. Eat off the floor: Keep your hardwoods, rugs, and tiles sparkling with the [S8 MaxV Ultra]( from Roborock. This robotic vacuum cleaner is launching on April 22, so [don’t miss out]( *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Word Search: Get hype for summer hiking with this Word Search featuring vintage national parks posters. [Play it here](. Olympics trivia Today’s trivia is in honor of 100 days until the Olympics, and it’s best played in a group setting. So, round up your work team at lunch and try to guesstimate the current world records in Summer Olympic events. The closest person to the actual number wins, but Price Is Right rules apply—you can’t go over. - Men’s 100m - Men’s 400m - Women’s 800m - Women’s 10000m - Men’s pole vault (in feet) - Women’s swimming 100m freestyle - Women’s swimming 1500m freestyle SHARE THE BREW [Share Morning Brew]( with your friends, acquire free Brew swag, and then acquire more friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We’re saying we’ll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWER - 9.58 seconds (Usain Bolt) - 43.03 seconds (Wayde van Niekerk) - 1:53.28 (Jarmila Kratochvílová all the way back in 1983! [Watch this video]( of the race.) - 29.01.03 (Letesenbet Gidey) - 20.4 feet (Armand Duplantis) - 51.71 seconds (Sarah Sjöström) - 15:20.48 (Katie Ledecky) Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: conflagration, meaning “a large, disastrous fire.” Thanks to Kaden G. from Johannesburg, South Africa, and several others for the red-hot suggestion. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. ✢ A Note From Pipeline2Space This is a paid advertisement for Pipeline2Space’s REG CF offering. Please read the offering circular at [invest.pipeline2space.com](. Written by [Neal Freyman]( [Abigail Rubenstein]( [Holly Van Leuven]( [Matty Merritt]( and Sam Klebanov Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. 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