☕️ Back from the brink

What did people search in 2020? [Advertisement] December 10, 2020 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( [Daily Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Fidelity]( Good morning. Congrats to Brew vet Jeff and Brew newbie Alice on winning laptops as part of our MacBook Pro giveaway. You’re going to love the touch bar, you just don’t know it yet. On that note, this giveaway is going into hibernation for a few months. Big thanks to everyone who shared the Brew the past few days, and although you didn’t win a computer, you might have earned some Morning Brew swag in the process. And that’s just as coo—okay even we couldn’t type that with a straight face. MARKETS NASDAQ 12,339.18 - 1.94% S&P 3,667.23 - 0.95% DOW 30,016.47 - 0.52% GOLD 1,836.20 - 2.06% 10-YR 0.939% + 2.10 bps OIL 45.44 - 0.35% *As of market close - Covid-19 update: Things are getting worse in the U.S. More than [3,000 people died yesterday]( from the coronavirus and almost 107,000 were in hospitals—both records. - Markets: Stocks fell as marathon negotiations for a coronavirus relief package hit that [23rd-mile hill](.  - Brexit: Speaking of stalled negotiations...EU and UK officials are continuing to work on a Brexit deal, though “very large gaps remain.” They’ve [set a deadline]( for Sunday. MARKETS [IPOpalooza Rolls On]( [Leo dancing ] Giphy If this week’s IPOs were a music festival, DoorDash would be the opener that rocked so hard everyone started moshing. In its first day of trading, shares [shot up 86%](, giving it a market cap of $72 billion. Hope you have enough energy for today’s headliner: home rental platform Airbnb. The backstory We take Airbnb for granted, but there was a time not too long ago when booking a stay at a random person’s house in northern Finland was considered odd behavior. The startup, founded in SF in 2008, completely upended the hotel industry and fundamentally changed the way people travel by tapping into our desire for “local” and “authentic” experiences. The company had a roller-coaster year. As the coronavirus spread across the globe, bookings plummeted 72% in April, the company cut a quarter of its workforce, and CEO Brian Chesky [declared](, “Travel as we knew it is over.” And he was right. People didn’t stop traveling...they just started [traveling differently](. They flocked to mountain towns and rural areas over the summer, driving a surprising profit for Airbnb in Q3. It [priced its shares]( at $68 a pop for a valuation of $47 billion. What’s next? Just because you survived the travel industry’s worst downturn ever doesn’t mean you can nap. As a public company, Airbnb will face a number of challenges, including angry city officials, concerns over safety, and a rising number of professional hosts who threaten Airbnb’s identity as a platform that connects people with...people. - Professional hosts accounted for [nearly 30%]( of room nights booked at the end of last year. - To swing the pendulum back toward individuals, Airbnb is creating a host endowment fund through its IPO to invest in the people who make its platform work. Zoom out: If it feels like we’ve been writing about IPOs a lot recently...we have. Even before DoorDash went public yesterday, companies had raised more than $160 billion in IPOs this year—[a record](. And there are plenty more to come (Affirm, Roblox, Wish) before the year’s out. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Airbnb%20Goes%20Public%20After%20Turbulent%20Year%20for%20Travel%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2020%2F12%2F09%2Fairbnb-goes-public-turbulent-year-travel%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SOCIAL MEDIA [Lawsuits Against Facebook Take Flight]( [A blue butterfly with Facebook's logo on the wings] Francis Scialabba Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission and 48 states and territories filed [two separate lawsuits]( against Facebook for widespread antitrust violations. The backstory: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg’s seat has been kept sufficiently warm by investigations from the FTC and state attorneys general since last year. These probes touched on everything from Facebook’s handling of user data to its competition-squashing [acquire-or-copy]( approach. Yesterday, the twin investigations emerged from their chrysalises into full-fledged lawsuits. Government vs. Big Tech is getting real The lawsuit from the FTC takes aim at Facebook’s acquisitions of [Instagram and WhatsApp](, which could potentially lead to the breakup of Zuck’s three-headed beast that around 2.5 billion people use monthly. And don’t forget—Google is facing a [similar antitrust suit]( from the Dept. of Justice.  Bottom line: These lawsuits probably aren't the Jake Paul to Facebook’s Nate Robinson...for now. The cases still have to crawl through the court system, and they could be shaken up by Joe Biden's new appointees to the FTC. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Facebook%20Faces%20Two%20Antitrust%20Lawsuits%20at%20the%20Federal%20and%20State%20Levels%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2020%2F12%2F09%2Ffacebook-faces-two-antitrust-lawsuits-federal-state-levels%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A AROUND THE WORLD [From the International News Desk]( [Indian farm protest] AFP via Getty Images Believe it or not, there is a world beyond the local Wawa. Let’s get an update from our international correspondent, Carlisle Sanfrancisco. Carlisle? India: Hundreds of thousands of farmers have [blocked roads]( and set up camps around the capital, New Delhi, to protest new agricultural laws passed in September. The laws loosened some rules around the pricing and storage of crops, and farmers argue the deregulation will devastate their incomes. It’s a tense issue considering more than 40% of India’s workforce is employed in agriculture. Brazil: Passengers on a Gol Airlines flight from Sao Paulo to Porto Alegre were the first in nearly two years to travel on a Boeing 737 Max, which [returned to commercial service yesterday](. Canada: The country’s health regulator [approved]( Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine, becoming the second nation after the UK to do so. Singapore: A Royal Caribbean “cruise to nowhere” was [cut short]( by a day after a passenger was infected with the coronavirus. The other 1,679 passengers were given Covid-19 tests before departing from the ship. Japan: An official said the government will invest in [AI matchmaking programs]( to boost the country’s flailing birth rate. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=International%20News%20Updates%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2020%2F12%2F09%2Finternational-news-updates%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SPONSORED BY FIDELITY [Tap This Fund to Invest in Water](#) [Fidelity]( Water is a finite resource. A booming population, climate change, and a lack of sufficient resources are exacerbating the global water crisis. Today, there are innovative companies around the world developing groundbreaking technologies to make water more accessible to the global population by creating efficiencies and improving infrastructure. And it’s now easy to invest in the companies helping to combat the crisis with the [Fidelity® Water Sustainability Fund](. Backed by a global research team, [Fidelity]( has identified the innovators in this important space and made them available to you in one fund. To learn more and invest in the Fidelity® Water Sustainability Fund, [click here](. VIDEOGAMES [We’ve Come a Long Way From This]( [Game of pong] Giphy Cyberpunk 2077, the Pappy Van Winkle of videogames, is finally [going on sale]( today after months of pandemic-related delays. It’s gonna be yuge Polish game maker CD Projekt is trying to follow up on the smash success of its first release, The Witcher 3, which has sold over 50 million copies since 2015.  - The WSJ forecasts Cyberpunk 2077 will sell between 18 million and 25 million copies in its first month since a) it’s such a hyped game and b) it’s the only major title coming out during the holiday season. Cyberpunk 2077 inserts players into the futuristic, dystopian Night City with a 10-hour original score, hundred of hours of unique storylines, and a hyper-realistic AI version of Keanu Reeves named Johnny Silverhand. [For real](. Zoom out: Creating something so massive while contending with a global pandemic was made even more difficult by the next-gen console releases from Sony and Microsoft. Including older machines, developers had to make Cyberpunk 2077 playable on nine different platforms, up from three for previous games. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=%E2%80%98Cyberpunk%202077%E2%80%99%20Debuts%20to%20Enormous%20Hype%20and%20Positive%20Reviews%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2020%2F12%2F09%2Fcyberpunk-2077-debuts-enormous-hype-positive-reviews%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A INTERNET [The Year in Search]( [Google logo on a couch] Francis Scialabba Yesterday, Google released its [top trending searches of 2020](, and it’s kind of like gaining special access into people’s minds. Maybe that’s why the company’s worth $1.2 trillion. Anyway, here are some queries that saw high spikes in traffic in the U.S. over long periods of time: News: 1) Election results 2) coronavirus 3) stimulus checks People: 1) Joe Biden 2) Kim Jong Un 3) Kamala Harris TV shows: 1) Tiger King 2) Cobra Kai 3) Ozark How to make...1) Hand sanitizer 2) a face mask with fabric 3) whipped coffee Why...1) Were chainsaws invented 2) is there a coin shortage 3) was George Floyd arrested Where is...1) My stimulus money 2) my refunds 3) Kansas City How to...1) Cut men’s hair at home 2) plop hair 3) color your hair at home Lyrics: 1) WAP Definitions: 1) WAP �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Google%27s%20Top%20Trending%20Searches%20in%202020%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2020%2F12%2F09%2Fgoogles-top-trending-searches-2020%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [Starbucks]( named Mellody Hobson, co-CEO of Ariel Investments, as chair of its board. She’ll become one of the most prominent Black directors in corporate America. In other Starbucks news, it’s planning on adding more than 20,000 locations in the next decade. - [A SpaceX Starship prototype]( burst into flames after a high-altitude flight, but CEO Elon Musk still called it a success. - [Hunter Biden](, President-elect Joe Biden’s son, said his “tax affairs” were under federal investigation. - [YouTube]( will start removing videos that claim President Trump lost the election because of voter fraud or errors. - [GE]( will pay a $200 million penalty to the SEC to settle charges it misled investors. - [Cinemark]( said it’s sold more than 100,000 private watch party packages, which allow guests to rent an auditorium for $99+. - Happy Hanukkah! BREW'S BETS Peak jean performance is here. Revtown jeans combine the comfort and functionality of athletic wear with the durability and style of designer denim, allowing you to move freely and stylishly. [Check out Revtown jeans right here](.* Flexcellence. That’s our official word that describes the [Michigan Ross Online MBA](, a program that combines flexibility with educational excellence to take your career to the next level. Learn from top faculty at a pace that fits your lifestyle. [Achieve flexcellence with the Ross Online MBA](.* Real estate fun: A collection of maps and charts of the [most valuable]( housing markets in the U.S. Remy Lloyd Webber: The Ratatouille musical that was crowdsourced on TikTok during the pandemic will become an [actual musical]( streamed Jan. 1 to benefit The Actors Fund. [Get a sneak peek here](. Holiday reads: Bill Gates listed [five books]( he recommends reading next to the fireplace this year.  *This is sponsored advertising content GAMES [Three Headlines and a Lie](#) When doing research for today's international news segment, we came across some headlines that required a double-take. Three of these news stories from abroad are real, but one we made up. Can you spot the fake? - “New Japanese KitKat has been aged in [whisky barrels]( from Islay, Scotland” - “Former Israeli space security chief says extraterrestrials exist, and Trump [knows about it](” - “China and Nepal finally agree on [Mount Everest's height]( after years of dispute” - “Russian scientists [misplace]( invisible dark matter particle: ‘Frankly, we’re embarrassed’” SHARE THE BREW Chances are you have a friend who'd enjoy the Brew as much as you do. When you [share your referral link]( and new readers sign up, you earn rewards like our classic coffee mug. [Click here to get free swag.]( Hit the button below to learn more and access your rewards hub. [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWER We made up the Russian scientist one. ** A Note From Fidelity Before investing in any mutual fund, you should consider its investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus, an offering circular, or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully. Investing involves risk, including risk of loss. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC. © 2020 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.             Written by [Neal Freyman]( and [Toby Howell]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW?  Retail newsletter → [Retail Brew](  Tech newsletter → [Emerging Tech Brew](  Marketing newsletter → [Marketing Brew](  Recommendations newsletter → [Sidekick](  Business podcast → [Business Casual]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. 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