☕ Early adopters

1 year after East Palestine, not much has changed... February 05, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [Read Write Own by Chris Dixon]( Good morning. They didn’t mention it at the Grammys, but a major music milestone will be hit today. For the first time in two years, another note will be played in what is undoubtedly the [longest concert in history](. You see, musicians at a medieval church in Germany are performing a piece by the legendary avant-garde composer John Cage, and they’re taking Cage’s instruction to play it As Slow As Possible quite literally. The concert began in 2001 and is not scheduled to finish for another 616 years. A D note will be played on the organ today; the next note will be an A in August 2026, and the final one won’t be struck until at least 2640. And on that note, have a wonderful day. —Neal Freyman, Dave Lozo MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE Nasdaq 15,628.95 +5.84% S&P 4,958.61 +4.55% Dow 38,654.42 +2.49% 10-Year 4.033% +8.7 bps Bitcoin $42,601.14 +0.79% Nvidia $661.60 +37.35% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 10:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: While Meta’s historic stock-pop hogged the headlines last week, Nvidia has quietly put together a phenomenal start to 2024. The chipmaking giant added nearly $300 billion in market value in January, its [biggest monthly gain ever](. That’s one reason the S&P 500 is kicking off the week at a record high.  MUSIC [In a league of her own]( [Taylor Swift at the Grammys]( Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Taylor Swift now [stands alone in music history]( after winning her fourth Grammy for album of the year for Midnights last night, breaking a tie with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder for the most all-time. She also reminded us of the work ethic that made her a billionaire—using an acceptance speech to announce a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, out in April. Even beyond Swift, the Grammys were dominated by women artists. Miley Cyrus won her first Grammy for “Flowers,” Billie Eilish took home song of the year for “What Was I Made For?” and singer-songwriter Victoria Monét was awarded best new artist. SZA and Boygenius also had big nights. The performances Every meeting this morning will likely be delayed by 10 minutes with a discussion about the two goosebump-inducing performances by Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman. - Mitchell—who won for best folk album—performed at the Grammys for the first time at the age of 80. It marked the latest step in a remarkable recovery after she suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015. - The reclusive Chapman performed a duet of “Fast Car” with Luke Combs, whose cover of her 1988 Grammy-winning song has brought her newfound acclaim from a new generation. The music industry has a “hangover” The juggernaut that is Taylor Swift—her [sales]( accounted for 2% of the entire US music business last year, which was more than the entire jazz and classical genres brought in—is the anomaly, not the trend. Following a wave of layoffs over the past year at companies like Spotify, one executive told the Financial Times that the industry is enduring a “hangover.” AI and social media also threaten major disruption. The music of Universal Music Group’s artists—including big names like Drake, Lana Del Rey, and Ariana Grande—was [removed]( from TikTok last week after the two parties failed to negotiate a new licensing deal. Universal bashed TikTok for allowing AI-generated music to spread, while TikTok countered that it provides unrivaled promotion of Universal’s artists to an audience of more than 1 billion users. Until one side blinks, TikTok users won’t be able to soundtrack their videos with Universal musicians, some of whom won Grammys on Sunday. Go deeper: Here are [more highlights from the show]( including when Jay-Z blasted the Recording Academy for never awarding his wife, Beyoncé, album of the year.—DL, NF   PRESENTED BY READ WRITE OWN BY CHRIS DIXON [Owning > borrowing]( [Read Write Own by Chris Dixon]( Imagine a social network…without posts. Or a streaming service with no music. Kinda takes away the whole point, right? Let’s face it: Users, creators, and fans give the internet value. In his book, [Read Write Own]( Chris Dixon explores a world where people have more ownership over the platforms they use every day. He envisions a more democratic internet, fueled by the power of blockchains. Sure, people can publish and post online now. But Dixon imagines a potential shift from big centralized platforms to decentralized applications that put people in charge. Learn how to build the internet you want, not the one you inherited. [Order your copy]( of Read Write Own. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Flooding in Santa Barbara]Mario Tama/Getty Images “Atmospheric rivers” soak California. California experienced what the National Weather Service called one of the “most [dramatic weather days]( in recent memory” as heavy rains and winds lashed areas not accustomed to wet weather. Downtown Los Angeles is expected to receive over six inches of rain through Tuesday, which is nearly half its average annual rainfall. Officials said all that rain could bring potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides to the region today. As of Monday morning, more than 900,000 residents had lost power, with the number expected to increase as rain and winds continue. The US launched more air strikes against Iran-backed militias. US and British forces [attacked 36 Houthi targets]( in Yemen on Saturday, one day after the US struck 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. The Biden administration has stepped up direct military involvement in the Middle East in response to a drone attack that killed three American soldiers in Jordan last week and ongoing attacks by the Houthis against commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The US, UK, and other allies said their goal is to “de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea” through these acts of deterrence, but the Houthis do not appear to be deterred and have pledged to retaliate. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the strikes were just “the beginning” of its response. New York (but really New Jersey) will host the 2026 World Cup Final. FIFA announced that [MetLife Stadium]( in East Rutherford, NJ, where the NFL’s Giants and Jets play, will be the site of the men’s championship match on July 19. AT&T Stadium in Dallas was believed to be the front-runner to host the final but will instead be the venue for nine matches, the most for one location in the tournament. The USMNT will play its three group-stage matches on the West Coast, with two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. The opening match of the tournament will be held in Mexico City, as Mexico is sharing hosting duties with the US and Canada. TRANSPORTATION [1 year after East Palestine, derailments are up]( [Norfolk Southern train]( Tim Leedy/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images Saturday marked one year since a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling ~1 million gallons of toxic chemicals into local waterways, forcing residents to temporarily evacuate, and causing millions of dollars in economic losses. The accident was supposed to serve as a wake-up call around rail safety, but a year later, not much has changed in regulating the industry. Congress has not passed a rail safety bill, and derailments by the biggest US railroads [increased 13%]( in the first 10 months of 2023. What about the Railway Safety Act? The month after the Norfolk Southern crash, a bipartisan Senate duo unveiled the Railway Safety Act to increase industry oversight and prevent other chemical spills. And although Norfolk Southern and its Big Rail competitors have said they’d cooperate with Congress on the bill, behind the scenes, they’ve been attempting to [derail its core provisions]( through the industry’s powerful lobbying arm, the Washington Post reported. In the absence of more regulation, Norfolk Southern said it made several changes on its own to reduce the likelihood of accidents. Meanwhile, back in East Palestine…the mayor said “roughly 90 to 95% of [the damage] is cleaned up,” though some residents [remain wary]( of the long-term health impacts.—NF   TOGETHER WITH LETSGETCHECKED [LetsGetChecked]( Matters of the . Gain valuable insights into your heart health with [cholesterol testing]( from LetsGetChecked—which now screens for Lipoprotein(a), a genetic biomarker. High Lp(a) affects ~20% of the population and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Know your levels + enjoy at-home convenience and clinical support. [Save 25% with code BREW2024](. CALENDAR [The week ahead](#) [Donald Trump]Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images SCOTUS to decide if Trump can appear on 2024 ballots: The Supreme Court—which includes three justices appointed by Trump—will listen to arguments on Thursday over whether the former president can be excluded from ballots due to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump is appealing a Colorado ruling that found he violated a clause in the 14th Amendment, which says an elected official cannot return to office after engaging in an insurrection. The court’s decision will effectively decide if Trump’s pursuit to reclaim the White House can continue, as 11 other states are challenging his eligibility. Border bill vote: The Senate is expected to vote on a [long-awaited bill]( which was released yesterday, intended to dramatically reduce illegal crossings at the US–Mexico border by establishing a new asylum process. The bill would also send $118 billion in funds to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian efforts, and the Southern border, with Ukraine receiving more than half ($60 billion) of the allocation. But the bill faces opposition from members of both parties, and House Speaker Mike Johnson said it was DOA if it made it to his chamber. Another big earnings week: Whether you’re into cheeseburgers (McDonald’s), spending money to cut lines (Disney), hauling stuff in trucks (Ford), paying extra for guac (Chipotle), or paying extra for medicine (Eli Lilly), there’s an earnings report for you this week. A strong earnings season so far has helped push the major stock indexes to four straight weekly gains. Everything else… - On Friday, it’s National Pizza Day. Or, as some bosses call it around the office, Please Don’t Unionize Day. - Lunar New Year begins on Saturday. Here are some [gift ideas]( for celebrating the Year of the Dragon. - And finally, as if you need a reminder about the big game, we’re here to ensure you know that Puppy Bowl XX takes place on Sunday. GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [A guy and his family trying on the Apple Vision Pro]David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images Quote: “This can’t be legal, can it?” That’s @Russell_AGI’s response to a [video]( on X showing a person operating a Cybertruck while wearing an Apple Vision Pro. The device that made quite a few public appearances this weekend after early adopters bought the $3,500 gadget and showed it off in the wild. - One daredevil strapped on the headset and got behind the wheel of a Tesla in a [video]( that ended with police cars on the scene. - A pedestrian wearing a headset was seen [crossing an intersection]( that thankfully did not also include drivers in headsets barreling toward him. - One [NYC subway rider]( was either diligently getting work done or miming the piano portion of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.” Stat: This may be the news story when AI ceases to become an existential threat and reveals itself as a tangible one. Hong Kong police said a finance employee was duped into giving [$25 million]( of the company’s money to scam artists who used deepfake technology to pose as the firm’s UK-based CFO in a video call. Police said the worker was initially skeptical that he was the target of a nefarious phishing scheme but felt at ease when he saw the faces and heard the voices of colleagues...that were recreated using AI. Read: The money and drugs that tie Elon Musk to some Tesla directors. ([Wall Street Journal]( NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [Boeing]( said it found misdrilled holes on some fuselages of undelivered 737 Max planes, marking another manufacturing setback for the company. - [Target pulled]( a product dedicated to Black History Month from its shelves after a teacher posted a [TikTok]( showing the item misidentified W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Carter G. Woodson. - [Caitlin Clark watch]( Iowa’s star is just 66 points away from topping the all-time NCAA scoring list in women’s basketball after dropping 38 against Neal’s Maryland Terrapins. - [Justin Bieber]( was the star of the show at the NHL’s All-Star Game festivities in Toronto, although Michael Bublé saying he was [high on mushrooms]( grabbed some attention, too. RECS [Monday to-do list image] Get the word out: Try a [new game]( involving letters and tiles. Look: Is [this]( McMansion heaven or McMansion hell? Travel tip: Atlas Obscura’s [50 places]( to eat and drink before you die. Book recs: Simon & Schuster celebrates 100 years of publishing by recommending [100 of its titles](. Save time + $2k every vacay: Want an [expert trip planner]( dedicated to making every getaway unforgettable? Until midnight, get lifetime access to [Concierge for $199]( (usually $2,650).* *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Turntable: Put on some Grammy award-winning music for your soundtrack and tackle our word game, which has three vowels today. [Play Turntable here](. World Cup final host stadium trivia With New Jersey being tapped to host the World Cup final in 2026, let’s test your knowledge of stadiums that have hosted WC finals throughout history. We’ll give you the name of the stadium and the year it hosted the final, and you have to name the country it’s located in. Note: Not at stadiums still exist today. - Luzhniki Stadium, 2018 - Soccer City, 2010 - Stadio Olimpico, 1990 - Estadio Monumental, 1978 - Estadio Azteca, 1970 - Wankdorf Stadium, 1954 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 - Russia - South Africa - Italy - Argentina - Mexico - Switzerland Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: nefarious, which means “flagrantly wicked or impious.” And since you might be wondering, impious means “lacking in reverence or proper respect (as for God or one’s parents).” Buy one, get one free Word of the Day today. Thanks to Adele from Brisbane, Australia, for the suggestion. [Submit another Word of the Day here](. ✤ A Note From Dollar Flight Club Five-day money-back guarantee. Written by [Neal Freyman]( and Dave Lozo Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. 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