☕ Fresh face

Where things stand 15 days from the elections... [Advertisement] October 24, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Apple Card]( Good morning. In my 5+ years of working at the Brew, I’ve heard one question over and over: When are you guys going to start a healthcare newsletter? Well, today is the day. I’m super excited to announce the launch of Healthcare Brew, which will help healthcare pros stay informed about online pharmacies, EMRs, telehealth, and all the other disruptive forces in the industry. I can’t wait to read it (and learn what EMRs are), and hope you’ll join, too. [Subscribe now]( to receive the very first issue today. —Neal Freyman MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE Nasdaq 10,859.72 -30.59% S&P 3,752.75 -21.26% Dow 31,082.56 -14.46% 10-Year 4.210% +269.6 bps Bitcoin $19,575.50 -57.73% Apple $147.27 -16.72% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 4:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: US stocks are coming off their best week since June, but it’s probably not safe to check your Robinhood account just yet. As a result of this year’s market rout, individual investors’ portfolios have [tumbled 44%]( from the beginning of January through October 18, per the FT. Let’s hope this week’s slate of earnings and fresh inflation data will keep up the positive momentum.  GOVERNMENT [Let’s prep for midterms]( [Voters arrives to cast their ballots early for the May 3 Primary Election at the Franklin County Board of Elections polling location on April 26, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio]( Drew Angerer/Getty Images As difficult as it is to look away from the dumpster fire engulfing British politics, the US is holding a hugely consequential election of its own in just 15 days. To get prepped, let’s take a high-level tour of [what’s at stake]( at the federal level. Dems are trying to hang on to the House and Senate This being a midterm election, the White House is not up for grabs in November—but the Senate and House of Representatives are. Currently, the Democrats control all three, which has allowed them to pass major legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. But recent history shows that the party in power often loses Congressional seats in the subsequent election. Here’s where things stand now. - The House: Republicans need to pick up five seats on net to gain a majority in the House. That will come down to 31 races identified as “Toss Ups” by the nonpartisan [Cook Political Report](. Democrats have to win 81% of those Toss Ups in order to retain control. - The Senate: The Senate is split 50–50 currently (with VP Kamala Harris giving Democrats the tiebreaker), so just one Republican gain on net would allow them to flip the chamber. Polls show a number of contests with razor-thin margins; the [two tightest]( are in Nevada and Ohio. What topics matter to voters? “The economy, stupid,” Democratic political strategist James Carville wrote in 1992—and it still rings true today. In an era of soaring inflation, a buckling stock market, and recessionary warning signs, economic issues overwhelmingly concern Americans, polls have consistently shown. That’s giving the GOP an edge. But Democrats are hoping that the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade will motivate their members to come out to the polls and give them the legislative seats they need to create a law that would protect abortion rights. So what kind of turnout should we expect? Midterm elections typically see less participation than those held alongside presidential cycles, but if early voting patterns are an indication, turnout will be strong this year. More than [5.5 million people]( had already cast their ballots as of last Thursday, and some states are reporting that their early voting numbers are at least 50% higher now than in 2018. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Let%E2%80%99s%20prep%20for%20midterms%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F10%2F23%2Fa-super-quick-preview-of-the-midterm-elections%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH APPLE CARD [Spend money. Get Daily Cash.]( [Apple Card]( Nope, this isn’t a trick. This is an ~exclusive offer~ for Morning Brew readers from Apple Card. Get a new Apple Card by 10/31 [using this link]( and earn $75 Daily Cash when you spend $75+ within your first 30 days. Sounds like a prettyy good deal to us. But if you want even more perks, Apple Card’s got you covered, thanks to benefits like: - [no fees]( - designed with Apple-level privacy and security - up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back every day Apply for your Apple Card [using this link](. Terms apply. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Rishi Sunak]Oli Scarff - WPA Pool/Getty Images Sunak emerges as the clear front-runner for Britain’s next prime minister. Rishi Sunak, the UK’s former finance minister, formally [announced]( that he was entering the race to replace outgoing PM Liz Truss, who resigned last week. Sunak is popular in the Conservative Party, and swiftly secured the 100 nominations necessary to qualify. Sunak’s candidacy got an even bigger boost when ex-PM Boris Johnson said he wouldn’t attempt a comeback to the position. Xi Jinping cements his power. The Communist Party conference culminated in Chinese President Xi Jinping securing an unprecedented [third five-year term]( in the role. Xi also flexed his tremendous power by stacking the Politburo Standing Committee—the top decision-making body in China—with political allies. But perhaps the most intriguing part of the weekend’s proceedings was former President Hu Jintao being publicly [escorted]( out of the conference without any explanation. 🪙 The US quarter gets a fresh face. Today, the US Mint will start shipping quarters with the likeness of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong—becoming the [first piece of US currency]( to feature an Asian American person. During her career in the early 20th century, Wong faced persistent anti-Asian xenophobia, and spoke out about the discrimination she faced trying to make it in Hollywood. The quarter is one in a series that pays homage to pioneering American women, including astronaut Sally Ride and poet Maya Angelou. GEOPOLITICS [Saudi Arabian conference a big draw for Wall Street]( [Riyadh skyline]( Getty Images Delegates from across the globe are heading to a controversial event hosted by a country on the Persian Gulf. We’re not talking about the World Cup. Starting on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia is hosting its annual [Future Investment Initiative](, nicknamed “Davos in the Desert.” The goal is to drum up foreign investment to help the kingdom tech-ify an economy that’s typically relied on oil revenue. Americans will be there in force. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is planning to attend, as are execs from Boeing, Blackstone, and Goldman Sachs. In all, more than 400 US business leaders are expected to arrive in Riyadh, making it the largest delegation of any country. But corporate America’s interest in Saudi Arabia comes at a time when relations between the US and the Saudis have crumbled to their worst point in years. The Biden administration is incandescent about the Saudis’ recent move to [cut oil production](, which could boost gas prices for Americans and also help Russia finance its war in Ukraine. Big picture: In 2018, following the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, US business bigwigs largely stayed away from Davos in the Desert. Their return to the event shows that brutal crime didn’t change the long-term calculus of doing business with Saudi Arabia. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Saudi%20Arabian%20conference%20a%20big%20draw%20for%20Wall%20Street%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F10%2F23%2Fsaudi-arabian-conference-a-big-draw-for-wall-street%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%3Da905682a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A CALENDAR [The week ahead](#) [A family celebrates Diwali with firecrackers]Satish Bate/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Happy Diwali! Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists around the world will celebrate India’s “festival of lights” today. In a sign of growing recognition of the festival, New York City announced last week that Diwali will become an official school holiday. Earnings: If earnings season were a music festival, the headliners are about to come onstage. Corporate titans Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, and Meta are among the ~150 S&P companies that will give financial updates this week. Economic data: The US economy shrank during the first two quarters of the year. We’ll find out whether it grew again in Q3 when fresh GDP numbers drop on Thursday (it’s expected to have). Plus, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation will be released on Friday. Everything else: - The criminal [tax-fraud trial]( of the Trump Organization begins with jury selection today. - Elon Musk’s torturous acquisition of Twitter is expected to be a done deal by Friday. - The Philadelphia Phillies will face the Houston Astros in the World Series, which begins Friday. Our economy hangs in the balance. GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Wedding Crashers gif]Wedding Crashers/New Line Cinema via Giphy Stat: If you still have “Shut Up and Dance” still ringing in your ears from a wedding Saturday night, you’re in good company—October 22 was the [most popular wedding date]( of the entire year, according to a study by The Knot. In fact, October is home to three of the five most popular wedding dates in 2022, and 17% of all engaged couples planned to get married in October. Can’t beat the foliage pic potential + mild weather + cheaper venue prices combo, we suppose. Quote: “It’s full speed ahead across the Atlantic.” Americans are traipsing around Europe with the fervor of a Cornell junior studying abroad in Barcelona. United’s Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella told the FT that the strong dollar and the prospect of a cheap European vacation resulted in an “[incredible](” summer season for transatlantic travel. The airline’s revenue for trips between the US and Europe jumped 40% in Q3 compared to the same quarter in 2019. Read: A college wrestler fought a bear to save his teammate—and won. ​​([Washington Post]() WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [Illegal border crossings]( from Mexico to the US hit a record high last fiscal year. - [Dietrich Mateschitz](, the Austrian billionaire who co-founded Red Bull and owned Red Bull’s Formula One racing team, died at 78. - [Taylor Swift’s Midnights]( broke Spotify’s record for most-streamed album in a single day. We can all agree the new Arctic Monkeys album was better, ya? - [An AI]( broke the record for the robot that can fold laundry the fastest. BREW'S BETS Dive back into the week: - Shallow dive: An [eerily realistic scene]( from the new Call of Duty. - Medium dive: [Civil servants]( from around the world. Very Wes Anderson. - Deep dive: ICYMI—our comic about the [rise of Spirit Halloween](. - Cannonball: Guessing whether [Jack Antonoff]( worked on a Taylor Swift song. Things to ponder while knocking back a cold one: Why the aluminum beverage can is [such a magnificent invention](. Real estate investing: It doesn’t have to be intimidating or expensive. (Really!) We teamed up with Fundrise [to help you learn why](.* No slips or trips: Bombas [Gripper Slippers]( have the soft lining of a sock with the nonslip grips of a slipper. They’re the perfect gift for a loved one or yourself (or both). [Shop here](.* *This is sponsored advertising content. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Turntable: Find today’s pangram and you’ll receive a special Halloween treat. [Play Turntable here](. Better know a senator While we’re on the topic of the midterms, let’s see how well you know your US senators. We’ll give you the name of a senator, and you have to name a) their party and 2) their state. Each is worth 0.5 points, so there are a total of six points up for grabs in this game. 1. Susan Collins 2. Marsha Blackburn 3. Brian Schatz 4. Jeanne Shaheen 5. Jon Tester 6. Tim Scott AROUND THE BREW [Things to know before buying an EV]( [Things to know before buying an EV]( Looking to buy an EV? Here are a few things you should keep in mind when considering whether to go electric. [Watch now](. For access to hundreds of functions and shortcuts, look no further than Excel Dictionary’s Digital Guides + Dictionaries. [Shop now]( for spreadsheet excellence. Budget szn is upon us. [Sign up]( for Morning Brew’s latest course, Financial Forecasting, and walk away with a completed business budget for 2023. Employee expectations are changing faster than Instagram’s “improvements.” [Join us this Wednesday for a free virtual event]( to discuss the importance of employee engagement tools. 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 - Republican from Maine - Republican from Tennessee - Democrat from Hawaii - Democrat from New Hampshire - Democrat from Montana - Republican from South Carolina � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? 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