☕️ Mariupol’s last stand

Why air travel could be an adventure this summer... April 18, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [NowRx]( Good morning. Days like these make me miss New England. The Celtics won Game 1 against the Nets on a ridiculous buzzer-beater. For the first time in three years, the Boston Marathon will occupy its usual spot on the calendar today. And, per Marathon Monday tradition, the Red Sox will play morning baseball. It goes without saying today’s newsletter is running on Dunkin’ (large hot, two sugars, two milk). —Neal Freyman MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE Nasdaq 13,351.08 -14.66% S&P 4,392.59 -7.84% Dow 34,451.23 -5.19% 10-Year 2.843% +132.9 bps Bitcoin $39,666.06 -14.34% Walmart $157.08 +8.56% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 8:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: In turbulent times like these, investors are curling up with the financial equivalents of grilled cheese and tomato soup. While the broader S&P 500 has fallen in April, the health care, utilities, consumer staples, and real estate sectors [have all gained](. TRAVEL [This summer’s hottest real estate: Overhead bin space]( [Tom Hanks in The Terminal](The Terminal/DreamWorks/Paramount With Easter in the rearview, today marks the unofficial beginning of the summer travel season. And if you’re heading out of town over the next few months, you might want to take some notes from Tom Hanks in The Terminal for ways to stay occupied at the airport: It’s going to be [chaos](, industry experts say. First of all, there’s going to be huge demand. People are making up for two years of canceled plans with vacations, weddings, and golf trips to Myrtle with the boys. Some data points: - Monthly domestic ticket bookings and revenue in February exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began. - Credit card spending on airlines is also above 2019 levels, JPMorgan said. “We’re seeing an increase in demand that is really unparalleled,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein said last month. The company reported that March 2022 was its best month for sales ever. But airlines are stretched thin The sector, which went into hibernation mode in spring 2020, was not prepared for the bounceback in demand and has been [scrambling]( to staff up amid a widespread shortage of workers. JetBlue hired 3,000 new crew members this year but says that still isn’t enough to cover personnel needs in some areas. Resourcing challenges aren’t limited to the US. Over in the UK, Stansted airport outside London told passengers traveling during Easter to drop off their luggage 24 hours before their flight. That’s…extreme, but airlines are hoping that proactive steps like that may stem the worst of the headaches for passengers. JetBlue plans to cut up to 10% of its flight capacity in May for the assurance that your flight will be canceled before you even book it. Bottom line: If airlines can keep their operations running relatively smoothly over the summer, they could be in for a windfall. While airfares jumped 10.7% in March from the previous month, Americans have shown they’re willing to pay big bucks for a glimpse of something that’s not their local grocery store. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=This%20summer%E2%80%99s%20hottest%20real%20estate%3A%20Overhead%20bin%20space%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F04%2F17%2Fairlines-and-travelers-buckle-up-for-a-wildly-busy-summer-of-travel%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH NOWRX [Paving the way for a better pharma future](#) [NowRx]( Wouldn’t it be just great if you could fill a prescription without all the hassle and high prices you’re used to? [NowRx]( is a tech-powered pharmacy using proprietary software and robotics to make that dream a reality, friends—and now’s your chance to invest. NowRx’s QuickFill software and robotics integration [automates prescription dispensing in less than 30 seconds](, making it easier and faster for people to get their prescriptions with free, same-day medication delivery. Wanna get in on this company that just surpassed $32.5M in annualized revenue? There’s only 1 month left to invest! [Learn more here](. WORLD [Tour de headlines]( [Spectators look on at the Ever Forward, stuck in the Chesapeake Bay](Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images The Ever Forward is finally living up to its name. The container ship that had been stuck in the Chesapeake Bay mud for more than a month was [freed]( the morning of Easter Sunday. It took a massive effort—including tugboats, barges, dredging equipment, and a little help from high tide—to get the 1,095-foot ship moving again. Today on…Keeping up with Elon Musk: A judge ruled that Musk’s tweets about having “funding secured” to take Tesla private in 2018 [were false](, shareholders who are suing him said on Friday. A trial over the episode is scheduled for May 31; if the class-action lawsuit is successful, it could mean Musk and the company would have to fork over billions. 🪄 The Harry Potter magic is running out. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore pulled in [$43 million]( at the North American box office this weekend. That’s good enough for the No. 1 spot, but well behind the $74.4 million and $62.2 million debuts of the first two installments of the series. Plus, the film cost $200 million to make. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Tour%20de%20headlines%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F04%2F17%2Fthe-ever-forward-is-freed-after-being-stuck-for-more-than-a-month%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A INTERNATIONAL [Mariupol’s last stand is at a metals factory]( [Maxar satellite imagery overview of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, eastern Mariupol, Ukraine](Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies In times of peace, the Azovstal iron and steel factory has been one of Europe’s largest metallurgical plants, churning out millions of tons of steel and hot metal each year. Now, it’s the site of the [last pocket of Ukrainian resistance]( in Mariupol, a city that’s been mostly reduced to rubble by the Russian military but hasn’t been fully overtaken…yet. Ukrainian forces holed up at the plant rejected a Russian ultimatum to surrender by Sunday afternoon. They’ve managed to utilize the complex’s sprawling tunnel system and network of furnaces and railroads to mount a stiff defense against overwhelming firepower from the Russian side, but it’s unclear how much longer they’ll hold out. Why Mariupol matters: Russian forces have besieged Mariupol since March 1 in a bid to capture the city and create a land corridor between the Crimean Peninsula and the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where their focus has shifted in recent weeks. Since the war began, Mariupol’s population has shrunk from 450,000 to an estimated 120,000. And those who’ve remained are suffering through “inhuman” living conditions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday. As for the fighters, “For what they have done, they are already heroes,” Zelensky said. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Mariupol%E2%80%99s%20last%20stand%20is%20at%20a%20metals%20factory%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F04%2F17%2Fmariupol-s-last-defenders-fight-back-from-metals-complex%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A CALENDAR [The week ahead]( [The Simpsons GIF about taxes](The Simpsons/Fox via Giphy Today is Tax Day, so if you haven’t asked for an extension…you have a few hours left to file and make the IRS happy. It seems like there are a lot of protaxinators out there this year: As of April 8, an estimated 40% of taxpayers were still unaccounted for by the IRS. More companies report earnings. Expect inflation and other cost squeezes to be major themes when companies including IBM, Bank of America, United Airlines, Tesla, and Netflix detail their first-quarter performances. Big week for cannabis: 4/20 is Wednesday, and New Jersey will allow adults to purchase pot for recreational use the next day. Everything else: - Earth Day is Friday. - Shanghai is aiming to stop “community level” spread of Covid by Wednesday to relax the city’s lockdown. - What’s back on TV this week: Better Call Saul, Russian Doll, The Flight Attendant, and Selling Sunset. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=The%20week%20ahead%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F04%2F17%2Fthe-week-ahead-april-18%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH SQUARE [Square]( The Ultimate Retail & Business Playbook. ‘Nuff said. Retail these days is a squirrelly little rascal, and it can be tough for any retailer to get a solid handle on the endless challenges and new trends. So we teamed up with Square to put together The Ultimate Retail & Business Playbook—a hub with all the info you need to grow your biz through thick and thin. [Check out the hub here](. GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators]( [Photo taken on April 5, 2022 shows eggs for sale at a supermarket in Millbrae, California.](Li Jianguo/Xinhua via Getty Images Stat: The price of eggs is [skyrocketing](, in part due to an avian flu outbreak that’s been detected in 27 states. The average price for a dozen large eggs in November was around $1. Now, it’s $2.95, per the USDA. Quote: “I don’t think what we’re doing right now is a sustainable model.” Alabama football coach Nick Saban, in an interview with the AP, said that new rules allowing college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) are [dramatically altering]( the competitive landscape of college football, and “creates a situation where you can basically buy players.” Other big-name coaches in the sport have recently said it’s in need of a “complete blowup” to accommodate the changes. Read: How tall will Mount Everest get before it stops growing? ([BBC]() �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Key%20performance%20indicators%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F04%2F17%2Fkey-performance-indicators-april-18%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [Employees]( at the Apple Store at NYC’s Grand Central Station are reportedly attempting to form a union. If successful, it’d be the first union at one of Apple’s retail stores. - [Two minors]( were killed at a shooting at a party in a Pittsburgh Airbnb. It was one of three mass shootings in the US over the Easter weekend that injured 31 people total. - [Barnes & Noble’s]( sales were up 3% last year over 2019, and—surprise—virtually everyone in the publishing world is rooting for the company to succeed. - [BTS]( announced they’re coming out with a new album on June 10. Looks like we’ll have to wait until then for the song of the summer. BREW'S BETS “How you know you’re getting old” thread: All of the things [you need to explain to your kids]( during a rewatch of Friends. Dive back into the week: - Shallow dive: This guy’s [got all the tricks]( - Medium dive: Watch trees get [turned into wood products]( - Deep dive: [A beginner’s guide to tea]( - Cannonball: [How to criticize co-workers]( (this is not a subtweet of anyone at Morning Brew) GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Turntable: Once again we’re offering you the option of playing a faster-paced version of the word game or the classic, untimed version. Or why not both? [Click here for the timed version]( [Click here for the classic version]( Popular last names Can you guess the most popular surname in each of the following countries? - US - New Zealand - China - South Korea - Argentina - Egypt For bonus points, what is the most common surname in the world? 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=a905682a]( ANSWER - Smith - Smith - Wang - Kim - Gonzalez - Mohamed Wang is the most popular in the world. ([Source](.) � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? 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