☕ Always disappointing

Another bad inflation report... October 14, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [HOKA]( Good morning. Tim Urban of Wait But Why posed a thought experiment that led to much discussion in our Slack yesterday: What’s something most people think is healthy today that future people will shake their heads at? Or you can try the inverse: What is something people think is unhealthy now that future people will consider just fine for you? (Mountain Dew.) Happy debating. —Neal Freyman, Max Knoblauch, Matty Merritt MARKETS Nasdaq 10,649.15 +2.23% S&P 3,669.91 +2.60% Dow 30,038.72 +2.83% 10-Year 3.952% +5.1 bps Bitcoin $19,409.09 +1.38% JP Morgan $109.37 +5.56% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 2:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Wild scenes on Wall Street yesterday. After a hot inflation report tripped up stocks in the morning, they mounted a [historic comeback]( throughout the trading session, led by banks and energy companies. The Dow climbed more than 1,300 points from its intraday low, and the S&P said goodbye to a six-day losing streak. On tap today: big bank earnings. ECONOMY [Inflation keeps getting worse]( [Jim Carrey in Liar Liar saying ]( Liar Liar/Universal Pictures via Giphy The consumer price index is the New York Mets of the economy—always disappointing you come September. Yesterday’s report showed that consumer prices continued their [upward march]( last month. The hotter-than-forecast data indicates that the Fed’s aggressive interest rate hikes have not led to lower inflation just yet, and that even when the rate hikes do kick in, it’s going to be a long slog back to normal inflation levels. The headline number from the report was the 0.6% monthly increase in core CPI, which is considered a more accurate picture of inflation because it doesn’t include volatile food and gas prices. That 0.6% bump is worryingly high, and matches the same jump from August. The annual core CPI figure of 6.6% was the biggest jump in 40 years. You can’t blame this on the supply chain Economic officials had thought that inflation would ease when those epic supply chain bottlenecks let up. But now you can actually find a parking spot at the LA ports…and inflation is still rampant. It shows that the inflation virus has switched hosts from goods → services, infecting a broad array of economic sectors with soaring prices. - Healthcare, education, auto repair, and other services all posted price increases last month. - Airfares have spiked 42.9% in the last year. - Shelter costs, the biggest component of the services sector, have jumped the most on record over the past year (6.7%). How does this end? Slowly and painfully, probably. Because Fed Chair Jerome Powell can’t just launch a projectile to knock inflation off its course, or simply [ban inflation]( like they do in Belarus, he has to keep raising interest rates until economic growth slows down and prices cool off. That could take a long time, because services inflation is harder to tame than goods inflation. Looking ahead…this CPI report, paired with the strong jobs numbers for September, basically guarantees that the Fed will hike rates by 75 basis points for the fourth straight time at its next meeting.—NF �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Inflation%20keeps%20getting%20worse%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F10%2F13%2Fus-inflation-keeps-getting-worse%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%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Ryan Petty comforts Ilan Alhadeff as they await the verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse October 13, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida]Amy Beth Bennett-Pool/Getty Images Parkland shooter spared the death penalty. A jury recommended a sentence of [life in prison]( without parole for Nikolas Cruz, the man who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, in 2018. Many families of the victims were angry about the decision; one mother said, “This should have been the death penalty, 100%.” A judge will formally sentence Cruz on Nov. 1. The Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Trump. The House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, voted unanimously to [subpoena]( the former president to compel him to testify before the panel. “We must seek the testimony under oath of January Sixth’s central player,” GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee’s vice chair, said (though Trump is unlikely to comply). It was the committee’s final hearing before the midterm elections. The boomers are OK. Social Security checks will [increase 8.7%]( next year in the biggest cost-of-living increase for the program since 1981. (Why? See the first story.) The ~70 million Americans who get Social Security benefits will see their monthly payments increase by more than $140 beginning in January. Another financial cushion coming to retirees: The cost of the standard Part B Medicare premium will fall by 3.1%. TOGETHER WITH HOKA [Mindset → motivation → movement]( [HOKA]( Ever wonder what makes someone want to go for a walk before work every day? Attend a weekly bootcamp fitness class? Run a marathon? We sure did. To find out [what gets people to the starting line](, we partnered with a company that makes sneakers so comfortable, your feet feel like they’re floating on marshmallows. So stylish, you want to keep them on long after your workout is over. Yep, we’re talking about HOKA. Of course, the motivation to get going is different for everyone. But after [talking to some members of the Brew Crew](, we learned there’s a lot of common ground. [Here’s where it starts](. �  �  �  STREAMING Netflix is launching an ad tier for commercial lovers [A Squid Game meme]Netflix The streaming industry is one step closer to reaching its ultimate end-state: cable television. Yesterday Netflix announced that its new ad-supported tier will [roll out]( on November 3 and cost $6.99 per month. Although significantly cheaper than the company’s standard plan at $15.49, the new “Basic with Ads” plan will (as the name implies) be pretty basic, with ads. - There’s no talk yet of introducing half-hour infomercials about CD collections of all the hit love songs of the ’80s, but the commercial load won’t be insignificant: There will be four to five minutes of commercials every hour. - Screen resolution will take a hit to 720p. - Also out: several shows and movies (due to licensing) and the ability to download content. While other streamers have already introduced ad-supported tiers, Netflix’s decision is a reversal of years of resistance to the idea. In 2020, CEO Reed Hastings claimed the company had zero interest in showing ads. But, after back-to-back quarters of subscriber losses and with growing competition, the global streaming leader’s tune changed.—MK �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Netflix%20is%20launching%20an%20ad%20tier%20for%20commercial%20lovers%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fnetflix-ad-supported-tier-launch%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%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A GROCERY The grocery aisles are closing in [Grocery bag full of vegetables with Kroger and Albertson's logo]Francis Scialabba The second largest US grocery company, Kroger, is hoping to [acquire]( its competitor—and the fourth largest player—Albertsons, and the deal may happen as soon as today, according to Bloomberg. It would be one of the biggest retail mergers in years and certainly the biggest grocery deal since they rebooted Supermarket Sweep. Your local veggie haunt is probably owned by one of these two grocery giants. - Across its 25 grocery store brands, including Harris Teeter and Roundy’s, Kroger has about 2,800 stores in 35 states. - Albertsons owns 20 brands and about 2,200 locations in 34 states. - Together, the stores would represent about 16% of the US grocery market, inching closer to industry leader Walmart, which has ~21%. So why join forces? Grocery stores have had an expensive couple of years due to rising labor and logistics costs. Linking up could lead to cost savings by boosting their collective buying power. Looking ahead...this won’t be as easy a sale as bakery donuts to a shopper on an empty stomach. Because it would consolidate so much grocery market share, the deal will likely raise antitrust red flags with the FTC.—MM �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=The%20grocery%20aisles%20are%20closing%20in%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fkroger-eyes-albertsons-in-largest-grocery-deal-in-years%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%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Tony Karumba/Getty Images]A young lion in the shadow of the Nairobi, Kenya, skyline. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images. Stat: A new report found that global wildlife populations have dropped by an [average of 69%]( in less than 50 years—a decline that’s been fueled primarily by humans encroaching on wildlife habitats for agriculture, according to the World Wildlife Fund. For instance, just 37% of rivers longer than 600 miles are free-flowing across their entire span. The study’s authors urged global leaders to direct more money to conservation. Quote: “The NFL is a mafia.” Dan Snyder, the controversial owner of the Washington Commanders, claims he’s [dug up dirt]( on other NFL owners, coaches, and even Commissioner Roger Goodell, according to an ESPN report. Snyder is facing intense pressure to sell the Commanders amid a flurry of investigations into the franchise, but it appears he won’t go down without starting a war. Read: The diminishing returns of calendar culture. ([Culture Study]() QUIZ [Quiz, with ads]( [Weekly news quiz]( The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to exaggerating your flossing habits to your dentist and them completely buying it. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [Apple Card]( users will soon be able to open an interest-bearing savings account, the company announced. TBD on the actual interest rate. - [The US]( has a widespread shortage of Adderall, the FDA said. - [US mortgage rates]( flew to a 20-year high. - [Amsterdam]( might have had an A-list cast, but the new film from David O. Russell is on track to lose $80 million–$100 million, per The Hollywood Reporter. BREW'S BETS Where to book your next Airbnb: Time Out identified the [51 coolest neighborhoods]( in the world. Good list! Best of TikTok: Look, we waste infinite time on TikTok just like anyone else. Here are three vids worth watching: 1) The [art of dice stacking]( 2) Explaining the [Nobel Prize in physics]( and 3) Sales bros doing [sales bro things](. Chills and thrills: Guarantee a killer game night with Hunt A Killer’s [murder mystery gaming experiences](. Choose single-part stories or multichapter mysteries, sort through evidence, piece together clues, and crack the case—if you can. Muahaha. [Start here…if you dare](.* Sip → sleep: [Beam’s Sea Salt Caramel-flavored nighttime powder]( is the *perfect* bedtime ritual to help you get your best night’s sleep. [Get 35% off your first month]( (plus 20% off every month thereafter).* *This is sponsored advertising content. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Jigsaw: Reconstruct this season’s biggest pumpkin in today’s Jigsaw. [Play it here](. Friday puzzle Here’s a classic science puzzle about coffee: You pour yourself a cup of black coffee, but you’re in a rush and need to cool it down ASAP. You also can’t drink coffee without putting in cream first. So, you have two options: - Add cream now, and wait for it to cool down. - Wait for it to cool down as black coffee, then add the cream. Which method cools the coffee down the fastest? 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]( AROUND THE BREW [What you should do with your finances (according to strangers)]( [What you should do with your finances (according to strangers)]( Jack Reichert’s obsession with the Harry Potter Blu-ray collection has left him broke, so he sought financial advice from strangers in one of the most expensive cities in the US. [Watch here](. On Business Casual: Find out how to navigate crypto winter with Raoul Pal, founder and CEO of Global Macro Investor and Real Vision. [Listen]( now. You can trip down an investing rabbit hole or go through Money With Katie’s investing series. The choice is clear. [Sign up for free](. ANSWER Waiting a few minutes before adding the cream will allow the coffee to cool down faster. The key is knowing that hot things cool down faster when the difference between the temperature of the thing (hot coffee) is greatest with the temperature of the wider environment. If you pour the cream into the coffee right away, you’re reducing the temperature difference between the coffee and the ambient environment, which will cause it to cool more slowly. � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman](, [Max Knoblauch](, and [Matty Merritt]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? 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