☕ Perked up

Why homeschooling is booming in the US... [Advertisement] November 01, 2023 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [Facet]( Good morning. Dan Toomey here—Morning Brew’s resident TikTok boy. Last night, under the cover of darkness, I hacked into the Brew mainframe and commandeered the top blurb section. I am drunk with power. But I’m also here to tell you that we have a comedy show coming up, sponsored by New York Comedy Festival. The Good Work_ Conference for Innovation and Business Greatnesship will take place on Nov. 8 at Chelsea Music Hall, featuring hilarious comedians, compelling thought leaders, and a special celebrity guest. Tickets are going fast, [so get yours now](. —Sam Klebanov, Cassandra Cassidy, Matty Merritt, Adam Epstein, Neal Freyman, Dan Toomey MARKETS Nasdaq 12,851.24 +0.48% S&P 4,193.80 +0.65% Dow 33,052.87 +0.38% 10-Year 4.934% +3.9 bps Bitcoin $34,619.77 +0.35% JetBlue $3.76 -10.48% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 9:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks ticked up yesterday, ending October on a [high note]( that wasn’t enough to stop the Dow and S&P 500 from logging their first three-month losing streaks since 2020. All eyes are back on the Fed, which is expected to hold interest rates steady at its meeting today. - Stock spotlight: Shares of JetBlue crashed to a 12-year low after the airline forecast a loss for the fourth quarter, the result of “[staggering]( flight delays. Meanwhile, the DOJ urged a federal judge to block the company’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines.  EDUCATION [Homeschooling is booming]( [A homeschooling session in Buffalo, Minnesota]( The Washington Post/Getty Images A historically high number of US parents see their kids as too cool for public, private, or charter school and have opted to educate them at home instead. The number of homeschooled children during the last academic year was 51% higher than in 2017–2018 in states with available info, [according to government data]( crunched by the Washington Post. At the same time, public school enrollment dropped by 4%. Though homeschooling rates have decreased from pandemic highs, what used to be a niche education arrangement favored mostly by religious parents is now going mainstream nationwide. - WaPo’s analysis puts the total number of American kids learning their ABCs at home between 1.9 million and 2.7 million, exceeding the Catholic school student body in the US. - The uptick in alternative schooling doesn’t seem to be associated with a low quality of traditional education, as it’s popular in academically high-performing districts as well. Why has homeschooling gotten so big? Parents cite several reasons for doubling up as education administrators: schools failing to meet their kids’ unique needs, bullying, and increasing concerns that curricula [don’t align with their values](. But there are also economic factors at play. Government programs in several states offer parents thousands of dollars’ worth of homeschooling support each year, while nonprofits provide funds to homeschoolers too. The booming homeschooling rates have created an entire industry catering to parents who don’t want their kids to spend their days waiting for the bell. - OutSchool, a platform that allows parents to design bespoke curricula out of crowdsourced classes, has brought in $255 million in VC funding since 2015. - Companies like Prenda, which describes itself as an “Airbnb for education,” help parents set up [microschools]( where five to 25 students learn under a supervisor. While lunch is doubtlessly better at home…many education experts are skeptical that most parents can match the teaching skills of trained teachers. They note that few requirements exist to ensure quality in homeschools, and they worry that homeschooled kids might miss out on formative schoolyard socializing.—SK   PRESENTED BY FACET [Your EOY is lookin’ green]( [Facet]( Want to round out 2023 with a reward that’ll help your wallet crush 2024? Then it’s time to jump on [Facet’s special offer]( before it disappears. Want the deets? Right now, Facet is waiving their $250 enrollment fee for new annual members aaand INCREASING [the welcome reward to $300]( for new members who invest at least $5k. Up to $550* in total?! Talk about an EOY bonus. Why Facet? They offer holistic financial planning that covers everything on your plate. Best of all? No product sales, no commissions, no conflicts—just a flat fee tailored to your needs, not tied to your investments. [Hurry and claim your $550* reward](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [A view after Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza]Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Israel–Gaza latest: Israel [took responsibility]( for airstrikes on Gaza’s largest refugee camp that killed and wounded dozens of people, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel said the strike killed Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas commander who was one of the leaders of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, and a spokesperson claimed dozens of other militants died in the strike. Palestinains reported a second [major outage]( of internet and phone services Wednesday, and a group of foreign nationals and critically wounded people are being allowed to leave besieged Gaza into Egypt today. In the US, FBI Director Christopher Wray [warned]( that antisemitism was reaching “historic levels” following the outbreak of the war. Realtors on the hook for $1.8 billion in damages for commission practices. A federal jury in Missouri found that the National Association of Realtors, which represents more than 1.5 million agents in the US, [is liable]( for the massive sum after they concluded the trade group conspired to artificially inflate commissions on home sales. And that might be just the start of realtors’ troubles: The Justice Department is reportedly [scrutinizing]( the industry’s entire brokerage commission structure, which typically requires home sellers to pay 5%–6% in broker fees. Shares of Zillow and other real estate companies dropped following the news. The Supreme Court weighed whether politicians can block you. The case, about school board members in California and a city manager in Michigan, will have [wide-ranging implications]( for public officials and their ability to block individual critics on their private social media accounts. The Biden administration supports the block button, arguing that politicians have a right to block people when not operating in an official government capacity and that preventing them from doing so would have a “chilling effect” on free speech. The American Civil Liberties Union disagreed, siding with the blocked citizens. SPORTS [Saudi Arabia’s plan to conquer sports is working]( [FIFA World Cup trophy]( DeFodi Images/Getty Images The most-watched event in sports is headed back to the Middle East. Yesterday, Saudi Arabia discovered that it is effectively [set to host]( the 2034 World Cup since it was the only country left in the bidding process after Australia withdrew hours before the deadline. While the tournament isn’t for another 11 years, it’s a huge W for the country that has paid big bucks to dominate sports the last few years (though human rights groups have already criticized the possibility of holding the tournament there). Thanks to billions of dollars of investment from the nation’s Sovereign Wealth Fund… - Saudi Arabia has played host to several major sporting events, including this week’s high-profile boxing match in Riyadh and its annual Formula One Grand Prix. - The LIV Golf Tour and the Saudi Pro League have each attracted some of the top athletes in their fields, including Brooks Koepka and Cristiano Ronaldo, respectively. Zoom out: In 2018, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman promised that the new Europe is the Middle East, but that vision is challenged amid the Israel-Hamas war, which threatens to become a broader regional conflict. Still, Saudi Arabia continues to pursue its goal of becoming a hotspot for global investment. Last week, Riyadh hosted the Future Investment Initiative, an elite conference dubbed [Davos in the Desert]( as the country tries to diversify its economy away from oil.—CC   TOGETHER WITH DECOY WINES [Decoy Wines]( Elevate your Friendsgiving. There’s an art to hosting a fun, memorable holiday with your friends. That’s why [Decoy Wines]( put together [5 tips for hosting an elevated Friendsgiving](. Make your holiday planning easier and discover which wine from [Decoy]( pairs best with your next get-together. ENTERTAINMENT [Hollywood and tech CEO perks are pretty good too]( [Gold bars, private jet, red velvet rope, and Hollywood sign collage.]( Francis Scialabba Just like the dry donuts your boss occasionally tosses on the filing cabinets, the perks that Hollywood and Big Tech CEOs get are quite sexy. On top of the millions in salaries and stock they rake in each year, the top brass behind your favorite content also reaps all kinds of major and minor rewards, according to a new [report]( from the Hollywood Reporter. (Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav gets his wi-fi paid for!) Security and private jets don’t pay for themselves. Meta spends $2.3 million per year flying Mark Zuckerberg around, while Netflix spends $1 million on private flights for Executive Chairman Reed Hastings. Meta takes the top spot in private security spending, shelling out $25 million just last year to protect Zuckerberg—a sum that surely will drop once word of his jujitsu skills spreads. Amazon spends $1.6 million on Jeff Bezos’s security, while Apple disburses a mere $591,000 on security for Tim Cook. And what is being rich if you can’t hobnob on the back nine? Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer got his $16,000 country club dues paid for by the company last year. Big picture: Ballooning CEO pay packages were (and still are) a big talking point in WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike negotiations. Last year, the average annual earnings of a major media CEO was [$32.6 million]( according to Variety.—MM   GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Bookshelves]Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Stat: Books: Everyone’s got them. That is, except 9% of Americans. A survey from YouGov found that almost 1 in 10 Americans [does not own]( a single physical book. On the other hand, 3% of Americans own more than 1,000 books, a group we assume is mostly made up of kooky college professors and Rory Gilmore wannabes. And while nearly a third of Americans don’t organize their bookshelves at all, those who do are most likely to sort by genre (22%). Only 10% sort by author, and even fewer (3%) arrange by color. Quote: “Because I got a puppy!” Have you ever loved a puppy so much that it made you leave your job? St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has. On his [official retirement form]( the 42-year-old wrote that the reason he’s hanging up his cleats after 18 years is because he’s a new dog dad. For those thinking about retirement, we do not recommend citing puppy ownership as the rationale unless you, like Wainwright, have $182 million of career earnings to fall back on. Read: This old-school building material could take over city skylines. ([Washington Post]( NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [Jack Lew]( the former Treasury secretary under President Obama, was confirmed by the Senate to be the US ambassador to Israel. - [Tesla]( won a lawsuit that accused its self-driving software of causing a fatal crash. In other news, Tesla has lost [$145 billion]( off its value in the last two weeks due to concerns over waning EV demand. - [WeWork]( will reportedly seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections as early as next week after the embattled office-space company missed interest payments it owed to bondholders. - [Carlsberg]( cut ties with its business in Russia after it accused the Kremlin of stealing its remaining assets in the country. RECS [Wednesday to-do list] Watch: Good Work’s Dan Toomey [explains]( why endowments at colleges like Harvard and Princeton are so massive. Seethe: A new study suggests that [anger]( actually helps people complete challenging tasks. Listen: Here’s 10 straight hours of the sound of the [mourning dove]( dubbed the “childhood bird” for the nostalgia it evokes. Excel: Every industry needs people who can navigate Microsoft Excel like a pro. Don’t miss the return of Miss Excel for two free virtual courses on Nov. 8. Learn to utilize all Excel has to offer to make your day-to-day tasks a breeze. [Register now](. More zzz’s, please: [Natrol’s Melatonin Gummies]( will have you noddin’ off in no time—aaand help you stay asleep longer.†[Try ’em today]( *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Word Search: We show you an album cover, you pick out the artist. Got it? [Play here](. Mustache trivia Today marks the beginning of Movember, the annual mustache-growing extravaganza to raise awareness of men’s health issues. Can you guess which celebrity is behind each classic mustache? [Pictures of celeb's mustaches for a quiz] 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 - Nick Offerman - Alex Trebek - Burt Reynolds - Mark Twain - Sacha Baron Cohen (as Borat) - Steve Harvey Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: hobnob, meaning “to spend time being friendly with someone who is important or famous.” Thanks for the suggestion, Mason from Louisville. We’d love to rub elbows with ya. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. ✢ A Note From Facet *Facet Wealth, Inc. (“Facet”) is an SEC registered investment adviser headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. This is not an offer to sell securities. This is not investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Offer expires December 31, 2023. Terms and Conditions apply. ✤ A Note From Natrol This product is helpful for occasional sleeplessness.†^Nielsen, xAOC, 52 weeks ending 7/29/23, Sleep Aid Supplements. †These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Written by [Neal Freyman]( [Adam Epstein]( Sam Klebanov, [Cassandra Cassidy]( [Matty Merritt]( and Dan Toomey Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Get smarter in just 5 minutes - Money & Career: [Money With Katie](  [Raise](  [Bossy]( Business education without the BS - Programs in [Business Essentials]( [Analytics]( and [Leadership]( Interested in podcasts? - Check out ours [here]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( // [FAQ]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright © 2023 Morning Brew. 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