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Nasdaq |
26,635.22 |
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S&P |
7,501.24 |
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Dow |
50,063.46 |
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10-Year |
4.461% |
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Bitcoin |
$81,393.99 |
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Klarna |
$16.47 |
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*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 4:00pm ET. Here's what these numbers mean. |
- Markets: Stocks blasted Creed and went higher yesterday, thanks to renewed momentum in the AI trade and some optimism around Trump–Xi talks in China. Few had a better day than Klarna, which soared nearly 19% after breaking even for the first time since its IPO last year.
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By the slimmest margin in history, the Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve this week, bringing an end to an extremely eventful eight-year run for Jerome Powell. Nominated during President Trump’s first term, Powell wasn’t willing to acquiesce to executive pressure to lower interest rates. Warsh has said he’s in favor of rate cuts, but getting a majority of the Fed’s 12 voters to agree is an unlikely task—between now and the end of the year, FedWatch has not forecast a likelihood of rate cuts higher than 2.8%. Never a dull moment for JPowPowell leaves with inflation well above his long-stated goal of 2%—it’s currently at 3.8%—but he had a tenure like no other previous Fed chair:
- Powell raised rates four times during 2018, his first year—from 1.25%–1.50% at the start of the year to 2.25%–2.50%. That drew the ire of Trump, who later called his decision to tap Powell over Warsh a “really big mistake.”
- While you were baking sourdough bread during Covid, Powell pulled out all the stops to avoid an extended recession. The Fed bought debt and made large bond purchases. Powell and the Fed also urged Congress to provide fiscal relief to Americans, such as expanded unemployment benefits. By the end of 2021, unemployment fell back under 4% after reaching nearly 14.8% in 2020.
- However, that kicked off the worst inflation in decades. Powell deemed it “transitory,” blaming it on bad forecasts. But critics say the central bank was slow to react to the effects of post-pandemic spending.
What’s next: Alan Greenspan, who served as Fed chair from 1987 until 2006, ignored calls to raise rates because he believed the personal computing revolution was creating a productivity boom, which would not coincide with inflation. Greenspan was proven right, and Warsh has similar convictions that the explosion of AI could be the foundation for future rate cuts while avoiding inflation.—DL |
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How would you grade Jerome Powell’s tenure as Fed chair?
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F
Not sure
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Did you hear about the group of PhD scientists from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and Stanford who walked into a lab—and left with a breakthrough probiotic in hand? These scientists zeroed in on one of the most beneficial strains for gut health, Akkermansia muciniphila. They figured out how to bring live Akkermansia muciniphila to the probiotics market. The final result of their work? Pendulum’s Akkermansia probiotic. This particular strain is so groundbreaking because it can strengthen gut lining, improve metabolic and digestive health, and naturally increase GLP-1.* With more than 15k medical provider recommendations, 4.5k mentions of Akkermansia muciniphila in scientific publications, and loyal customers like Halle Berry, this stuff sure sounds promising. Try Akkermansia yourself and take 48% off. HSA/FSA eligible. |
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  Trump and Xi met again for second day of summit. President Trump traveled to the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership compound in Beijing this morning for a working tea and a closed-door lunch before returning to the United States. Prior to today’s meetup, he posted on Truth Social, saying that when Xi referred to the US as “perhaps being a declining nation,” he meant the Biden administration. It was unclear whether Trump was describing a public or a private remark. In the same Truth Social post, Trump referred to “the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!).” The White House said that during Thursday’s meeting, the two leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz needs to remain open, and that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.—HVL
 US reportedly dropping charges against Indian billionaire Adani. According to the New York Times, the Justice Department is set to drop corruption and fraud charges against Gautam Adani as soon as this week, after the billionaire hired a new legal team led by one of President Trump’s personal lawyers. The attorney, Robert Giuffra, reportedly told prosecutors that Adani, who’s worth $104 billion, would invest $10 billion in the US economy if the charges were dropped. Adani was indicted by the Biden administration in 2024 for allegedly planning to bribe Indian government officials for solar contracts and lying about it when attempting to secure American investments.—AE
 Cerebras nearly doubled its price in biggest IPO of the year. Here’s one initial public offering that went substantially better than Lumi’s. Chipmaker Cerebras flourished in its Nasdaq debut yesterday, opening at $350 per share after listing at $185. The 10-year-old AI company raised $5.5 billion, bringing its valuation to $100 billion and making it one of the biggest tech IPOs in years. Investors were likely excited by the cloud deal that Cerebras made with OpenAI in January. The blockbuster IPO could bode well for SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic—all of which are expected to go public this year.—AE
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Honda can commiserate with Jeopardy! contestant Jamie Ding, whose 31-win hot streak ended recently. Yesterday, Japan’s second-largest carmaker posted its first annual loss since listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1957, after a $10 billion hit from EV investments that didn’t pan out led to a $2.7 billion loss for the last fiscal year. Vibes aren’t electricAlongside rivals like Ford and General Motors, which also recently reported EV-related losses, Honda overestimated drivers’ willingness to go electric. Plus, the company said, the US axing tax incentives last year further dampened EV demand, while President Trump’s auto tariffs and heightened competition in China squeezed profit margins. Honda announced yesterday that it ditched its full electrification goals:
- The company no longer plans to have 20% of its sales to be EVs by 2030, and it won’t strive to phase out combustion-engine cars by 2040.
- Instead, it will focus on boosting its gas-electric lineup with 15 new hybrid models by 2030.
But cars aren’t Honda’s main driving force: Its motorcycle business—which has captured almost a third of the global market—accounted for roughly half of the company’s profit after sales grew by 11% last year. The company is expanding its electric two-wheeler offerings, as motorcyclists appear to be more open than car drivers to vehicles that don’t make a revving sound.—SK |
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The WNBA’s biggest season just found its shoe. Thirty years in, the league is louder than ever—and Skechers is officially on the court. Jackie Young, Rickea Jackson, and Kiki Iriafen are lacing up the SKX line: high-performance cushioning, court-ready grip, and comfort that doesn’t quit. Women’s sports aren’t waiting. Neither is Skechers. Step into it. |
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The go-to woman for pound cake recipes and clematis care is getting into the AI game, too. Yesterday, Martha Stewart announced Hint, her new company aimed at helping homeowners manage the logistics of home ownership. Stewart is just the latest female celeb to wrap her personal brand around the technology in what The Cut recently dubbed “The Girlbossification of AI.” Some details: According to the company, the “always-on, AI-native home management platform” asks for your address and pulls relevant public information, like your property’s flood risk and soil data. You can also upload bills and other documents to enable the platform to remind you to update your insurance policy or advise you on getting your roof replaced:
- Hint will make money through premium features and affiliate or transaction fees for service recs, but claims the platform is “blind to commercial deals.”
- The app and website will go live sometime this summer.
Big picture: Venture capitalists want in on the $500 billion residential renovation and repair market. Stewart and her co-founders, former Red Ventures exec Yih-Han Ma and AI engineer Kyle Rush, raised $10 million in seed funding led by Slow Ventures. Other investors include Montauk Capital, Tusk Venture Partners, and The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly.—MM |
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McDonald’s…ever heard of it? The up-and-coming fast-food chain will finally get some publicity in the form of a stadium naming rights agreement with Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. It’s set to begin when the team’s new $750 million venue opens in 2028. This marks the first time that Grimace’s place of employment will have its name adorned on a US pro sports franchise’s home. Full terms of the deal, which runs through at least 2040, were not announced. But in 2023, Los Angeles FC agreed to a 10-year deal worth a reported $100 million to rename its home field BMO Stadium. What comes with that: The stadium will have a permanent McDonald’s restaurant, and all concession stands will offer donation roundups for the Ronald McDonald House. The company will also serve as the lead sponsor for the Fire’s youth soccer initiatives in the city. Four years ago, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said crime in Chicago was making it difficult to recruit talent to its corporate headquarters there, raising the possibility that the company could relocate its HQ. But this deal appears to cement Mickey D’s commitment to the city.—DL |
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The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to learning that Meg Stalter will make her Broadway debut in Oh, Mary! in July. It’s that satisfying. Ace the quiz. |
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- The Supreme Court upheld access to the abortion pill mifepristone via telehealth and through the mail while a lawsuit against the FDA continues.
- The CDC said there are currently no confirmed cases of hantavirus in the US, but the agency is monitoring 41 people.
- The Senate adopted a resolution to withhold pay for its members during a government shutdown that results in a lapse of funding for any agency.
- Michael Banks, the US Border Patrol chief, resigned yesterday in the latest leadership shakeup at the Department of Homeland Security.
- Instagram launched a new feature called Instants that allows users to send disappearing photos, similar to Snapchat.
- Yale Medical School allegedly discriminated against white and Asian students in the admissions process, according to an investigation by the Trump administration.
- Netflix appears to be building a studio that will produce AI-generated, short-form animated content, according to several public job listings.
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 Stun: Crocs that are somehow cooler than normal Crocs.**
Compare: The best countries of 2026, per US News & World Report’s latest ranking.
Watch: Harrison Ford’s rousing commencement address at Arizona State University.
Visit: Fourteen unique bookstores around the world.
What to cut when money’s tight: Here are 19 line items you can take out of your budget to help you breathe a little easier. Hint: Most people ignore #11.*
*A message from our sponsor. **This is a product recommendation from our writers. When you buy through this link, Morning Brew may earn a commission.
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Jigsaw: See if you can put Big Ben back together again in this edition. Play Jigsaw here. Calendar triviaWhen asked about his birthday, a man said, “The day before yesterday I was 25, and next year I will turn 28.” When is his birthday? |
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 Share the Brew, watch your referral count climb, and unlock brag-worthy swag. Your friends get smarter. You get rewarded. Win-win. Your referral count: 0 Click to Share Or copy & paste your referral link to others:
morningbrew.com/r/?kid=1a7b2404 |
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Dec. 31 (and he’s talking on Jan. 1). Here’s the solution. Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: clematis, meaning “a genus of popular vines or shrubs in the buttercup family.” Thanks to Eileen from Montecito, CA, for building us up with the suggestion. Submit another Word of the Day here. |
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✢ A Note From Pendulum *Based on preclinical studies. This product is not intended for weight loss. ✳︎ A Note From Cash App Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See Terms & Conditions. Eligibility restrictions apply to some benefits. See Terms and Conditions for more information. |
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