☕ Midterm madness

What to know as you head to the polls... November 08, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [The Ascent]( Good morning and Happy Election Day! We’ll have a full midterms preview for you in just a sec, but first: a reminder that this is the LAST chance to grab a seat in our upcoming [Financial Forecasting course]( taking place Nov. 13–18. You’ll learn how to build a budget—a skill that has never been more important, given all the economic uncertainty. [Become a budgeting pro](. —Abby Rubenstein, Matty Merritt, Max Knoblauch, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 10,564.52 +0.85% S&P 3,806.80 +0.96% Dow 32,827.00 +1.31% 10-Year 4.216% +5.2 bps Bitcoin $20,507.20 -2.96% Meta $96.72 +6.53% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 3:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks [rose]( yesterday and all three major indexes closed the day higher, as investors (and everyone else) geared up for today’s midterm elections. Meta in particular saw its fortunes start to rise as reports that major layoffs there could happen as soon as tomorrow circulated.  POLITICS [You might have heard there’s elections today]( [Voters voting in a US election]( Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images It’s Election Day. A quick reminder if you’re among the lucky few who have managed to avoid hearing from people who approve this message this midterm season: Control of both the House and Senate—currently held by Democrats—is [up for grabs](. To shift the balance of power, Republicans need to pick up five seats in the House or just one in the Senate. And that’s just at the federal level. Several states also have contentious questions on their ballots: - Abortion will be put to a vote in five states. Proposed constitutional amendments in California, Michigan, and Vermont would establish a right to abortion, while a proposed change in Kentucky would state that its constitution doesn’t protect that right. In Montana, voters will weigh whether to require medical treatment for an infant that survives an attempted pregnancy termination. - Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota are all considering whether to legalize recreational marijuana as 19 other states have. In Colorado, where even the mountains are high, voters will decide whether to legalize psychedelic mushrooms for medical purposes. - Slavery might be an issue you thought we settled back in 1865, but Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont will ask voters whether to outlaw it in their state. Why? Prison reform advocates are hoping the bans, which have passed in some other states, could help end forced prison labor. The results could take a while…experts say it’s unlikely that a news anchor standing in front of a giant map will be able to give us all the answers on who won before we go to bed [tonight]( thanks to the rise in voting by mail, as well as close races where legal challenges are expected (and, in some cases, already underway) or runoff votes are possible. Bottom line: Don’t forget to vote! You can see your polling location and what’s on your ballot [here](. Find out whether your state requires paid time off for voting [here]( and if it allows same-day voter registration [here](.—AR �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=You%20might%20have%20heard%20there%E2%80%99s%20elections%20today%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fmorningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F11%2F07%2Fguide-2022-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%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH THE ASCENT [Jingle all the way…to the bank]( [The Ascent]( You’re starting to make your gift list (and checking it twice). But have you thought about how your gifts for others could actually be a gift for yourself? Look no further than [this cash-back card]( that gives 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category. Plus, feast your eyes on these other [premium perks](: - no annual fee - $200 sign-up bonus - 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months Talk about drinking the cash-back cocoa. ‘Tis the season for shopping, and this card is here to make your holiday season a little more rewarding. [Learn more and apply here](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [The Airbnb logo and cleaning supplies]Photo Illustration: Dianna “Mick” McDougall, Photo: Carol Yepes Airbnb has heard your complaints about cleaning fees. The company said that starting in December, it will let travelers [filter searches]( by the total pretax price of the stay, with cleaning fees included in that total. Airbnb also plans to roll out a feature next year that lets you see the cleaning requirements before you book, so you’ll no longer find yourself unexpectedly being asked to shampoo your host’s carpets. With great nepotism comes great responsibility. Tyson Foods CFO John Tyson, who is also the son of Tyson's chairman and great-grandson of its founder, was [arrested]( this weekend for allegedly being so intoxicated that he broke into a stranger’s house and fell asleep in her bed. But here’s the weirdest part: This happened in Washington County, Arkansas. That’s the same county where Beyond Meat’s ex-COO was arrested for allegedly biting someone’s nose in September. The US seized $3.36 billion in bitcoin stolen from an internet black market. The DOJ said yesterday it got the [bitcoin]( stash when it raided the home of James Zhong, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud Friday. Zhong allegedly stole the crypto back in 2013 from the since-shuttered dark web marketplace Silk Road. The seizure marks the government’s second-largest crypto recovery ever, after the $3.6 billion-worth it got from the Brooklyn couple accused of hacking Bitfinex. [Every warning light is blinking for the used car market]( [Car dash]( Gif: Dianna “Mick” McDougall, Source: Mykola Pokhodzhay/Getty Images The used car market is struggling harder than your uncle’s 20-year-old Taurus towing a Jet Ski trailer. In just two trading sessions, half of online car dealer Carvana's market value has been [wiped out](, with its stock price hitting its lowest point on record intraday yesterday at less than $7 per share. The losses haven’t stopped rolling for the car dealer since it logged bleak third quarter results last Thursday, reporting a dip in basically every aspect of its business. Last year, Carvana’s market cap clocked in at ~$60 billion. After its recent breakdown, its current valuation is about $1.4 billion—a huge waving red flag for the entire industry. What’s happening? Well, it’s a cycle: Supply chain issues result in fewer cars, prices rise (the current average for a used car is $28,000), inflation rises, the Fed raises rates to combat inflation, and buyers—who frequently finance car purchases—opt not to buy at all. An index that tracks used car prices, the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, dropped in October for the fifth month in a row. It’s down almost 11% from last year—the biggest dip in ~28 years. Looking ahead…Analysts don’t have a great outlook for Carvana’s share price: Morgan Stanley warned it could become a $1 stock.—MK �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Every%20warning%20light%20is%20blinking%20for%20the%20used%20car%20market%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fmorningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fcarvana-stock-drop-used-car-market%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 STARTUPS [First he tried to revolutionize fitness. Now: rugs]( [Peloton on rug.]( Francis Scialabba Former Peloton execs have another expensive thing for you to buy and, after a year, try to resell on Facebook Marketplace for an eighth of what you paid. John Foley, Peloton’s ex-CEO and co-founder, is [launching]( a direct-to-consumer custom-cut rug business called Ernesta and is bringing along most of his OG Peloton team. The business: In a market currently cornered by high-end rug designers and inheriting whatever is left in your great-grandma’s house, Ernesta wants to offer custom-sized rugs for the same price ($8–$40/sqft) that retailers like West Elm and CB2 charge for standard-size carpets. The startup will offer lower prices by buying bulk carpet rolls from manufacturers in Georgia and cutting the rugs in its New Jersey warehouse. Ernesta also plans to save cash by skipping storefronts, and Foley said the company could hit 50% gross margins on its first orders in the spring of 2023. Ernesta can basically recycle Peloton’s org chart. Peloton co-founders Hisao Kushi and Yony Feng will join Foley in the C-suite, along with other former execs. Plus, early Peloton investors like Addition and True Ventures chipped in to help Foley’s future rug empire hit $25 million in Series A funding.—MM �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=First%20he%20tried%20to%20revolutionize%20fitness.%20Now%3A%20rugs%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fmorningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fpeloton-cofounders-startup-custom-rugs%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 TOGETHER WITH VANTA [Vanta]( Save the data. To learn how to automate compliance and simplify security, check out [Vanta’s on-demand product demo](. Vanta automates up to 90% of the work for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. See how they can help you protect consumer data and build digital trust to drive sweet, sweet growth [here](. GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Virgin Airlines uniforms]Virgin Atlantic Stat: Applications to be a Virgin Atlantic crew member have [doubled]( since the company announced a new gender-neutral uniform policy and optional pronoun badges, according to Shai Weiss, the airline’s CEO. The move followed an earlier easing of uniform regulations this spring, when Virgin Atlantic allowed crew members to display tattoos considered inoffensive. Despite the tight job market, the airline has not struggled to hire like competitors have thanks to relaxing uniform rules in a typically conservative industry, Weiss said. Quote: “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implored the world leaders attending the COP27 [conference]( in Egypt not to put climate change on the back burner despite other pressing issues, like the war in Ukraine. He urged a faster transition away from fossil fuels, cooperation “between developed and developing economies,” and a global phase-out of coal by 2040. Read: What happens to Russian oligarchs’ yachts after they get seized? ([Bloomberg]() WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [The Department of Justice]( will monitor polls in 64 areas across 24 states today to guard against election meddling and voter intimidation. - [Walgreens unit VillageMD]( has inked a $9 billion deal to buy Summit Health, the owner of everyone’s favorite spot for a Covid test: CityMD urgent-care centers. - [Liverpool FC]( might be up for sale, according to the storied UK football club’s American owners, Fenway Sports. - [The National Park Service]( is warning people not to lick Colorado river toads—apparently the toads release toxins that act as psychedelics when smoked but are poisonous when ingested. BREW'S BETS What AI investors think will be the next big thing: This is the technology that the people pouring money into [artificial intelligence development]( expect will have the biggest impact. Forget about the turkey: There’s still time to learn how to make [pumpkin pie]( from an actual pumpkin. Yew bet: See how one tree rooted out the competition to compete on behalf of the UK for Europe’s [Tree of the Year]( title. The Brief: A Summit Presented by Marketing Brew, is one week away. Join us as we dig into industry trends and challenges, connect with peers, and learn from brand leaders. [Grab tickets before time runs out](. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Brew Mini: Swim with the dolphins in today’s Mini crossword. [Play it here](. How much do they make? Now that New York City employers are required to list salary ranges in job postings, we’re learning a lot more about who makes what working where in the Big Apple. The NYT ran a [quiz]( on salaries we’ll piggyback on: We’ll give you a job, and you have to guess the salary listed in the job posting. - Sous chef at Per Se, a three Michelin-star restaurant - General superintendent of train signals at New York City Transit - Exhibition coordinator at the Whitney Museum of Art - Anchor at WCBS-TV, Channel 2 - Executive director of fixed-income trading in JPMorgan Chase’s Global Wealth Management division AROUND THE BREW [The cheat sheet you need]( [The cheat sheet you need]( Working efficiently means working smarter, not harder. [Shop our Shortcut Guide Mouse Pads]( and make every day a masterclass in efficiency. Now available for both Excel and Google Sheets users. On Business Casual: why air travel got so frustrating and what you can do to make flying less of a hassle and cheaper. [Listen here](. Check out [Incrypto](—our free newsletter about crypto with added context to help you understand the industry. 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]( [Answer](#) - Sous chef: $70,000 - Superintendent of train signals: $104,000–$154,000 - Exhibition coordinator: $60,000 - News anchor: $230,000–$250,000 - Executive director of fixed-income trading: $142,500–$300,000 � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman](, [Abigail Rubenstein](, [Matty Merritt](, and [Max Knoblauch]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? 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