🔌 Clean cable energy

... and Netflix’s quest to go global [Disclosures](   With great cables come great responsibility [Westend61 via Getty Images]   Yesterday’s Market Moves   Dow Jones 34,003 (-0.94%) S&P 500 4,300 (-1.30%) Nasdaq 14,255 (-2.14%) Bitcoin $49,073 (1.87%) Dow Jones 34,003 (-0.94%) S&P 500 4,300 (-1.30%) Nasdaq 14,255 (-2.14%) Bitcoin $49,073 (1.87%) Hey Snackers, It’s the not-so-final frontier for the legendary Captain Kirk: “Star Trek” actor William Shatner plans to board Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin tourist rocket launch next week. At age 90, he’ll become the oldest person to fly to space. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell more than 2% yesterday after a selloff in shares of Facebook and other big tech companies. The moves weighed on other major indices too. Meanwhile, President Biden warned that the US [might default]( on its $28B debt ceiling for the first time. Plug The UK just plugged in the world’s longest undersea cable — but the transformation of the power grid is just beginning Not your average extension cord… The world’s longest undersea electricity cable [started]( sending electricity between the UK and Norway earlier this week. Shares of [National Grid]( the UK energy giant behind the 450-mile cable, which trades on the NYSE, rose nearly 2% yesterday. NG has big plans for its network: - Wind, water, wire: The new $1.9B North Sea Link cable will send British wind power to Norway and Norwegian hydropower back to the UK. - Underwater energy superhighway: NG already built “interconnectors” in the Netherlands, France, and Belgium — and it has plans to connect even more countries. - Low carbon: NG aims for 90% of its imported electricity to come from zero-carbon sources by 2030. Energy sharing = energy caring… One issue with renewables is intermittency, which happens when solar panels stop generating electricity on cloudy days and wind turbines slow down in less gusty weather. But power grids need to keep the lights on in all kinds of weather. One solution: electricity sharing. National Grid’s new cable enables both the UK and Norway to borrow spare juice from each other when their own wind and water systems slow down. THE TAKEAWAY Better grids are key to a renewable future… Shared energy grids are crucial now that 160+ countries have adopted renewable-energy targets and need backup when their sources wane. Businesses and orgs like the Renewable Energy Institute are working to connect cables across borders to make “supergrids.” Others, such as battery giants LG and [Panasonic]( are building mega-batteries that can store renewable energy, while carmakers [Tesla]( [VW]( and [Nissan]( are working to transform their EVs into mini power plants. But countries still have a ways to go to reach targets: The US needs to triple its renewable investments by 2030 to hit its global climate goals. Squid Netflix’s K-thriller ‘Squid Game’ series goes viral, underscoring Netflix’s big opportunity overseas "Hunger Games" meets "Black Mirror"… [Netflix’s]( new South Korean fictional thriller “Squid Game” debuted 10 days ago and is already on track to becoming its [biggest]( show ever (sorry, “[Bridgerton](. The drama follows hundreds of cash-strapped contestants competing in children’s games for a big $$ prize (think red light, green light), but losing could mean death. The results are viral: - From the couch to the monitor: Fans are using apps like TikTok to recreate the series’ tasks (see the Dalogna candy [challenge](. Game makers on Roblox are also creating playable spinoffs. - 82M million subscribers are [expected]( to tune in by the end of the month. It’s now the top show in [90]( countries. Netflix’s streaming passport… is full of stamps. Since its international debut in Canada a decade ago, ’Flix has added 180+ countries to its roster. America still accounts for about a quarter of Netflix’s 209M global paying memberships, but US growth is tapping out. To unlock new audiences, Netflix is looking overseas: - International reels: This year, Netflix plans to spend half its $17B original content spend on [productions]( outside the US. - Hits: Popular shows like Germany’s “Barbarians,” the French series “Lupin,” and South Korea’s “Sweet Home” have boosted Netflix’s international subscribers 18%+ since [2018](. THE TAKEAWAY Going global means it might be time to “copy and paste”… Netflix’s US subscriber base is no longer growing — it actually dropped by 400K people this year — which means the streaming giant has two options to grow: Raise prices or win new customers somewhere else. With hits like “Squid Game,” Netflix is doubling down on high-quality international content to win over new subscribers overseas. The push seems to be working, but it does bring some new costs: Think pricey licensing fees and conflicts with broadband providers facing traffic spikes. What else we're Snackin' - [Spill]( Shares of [Amplify Energy]( plunged 42% after the company revealed that its offshore pipeline caused a massive oil spill in Southern California over the weekend. - [Out(r)age]( [Facebook’s]( stock slid nearly 5% yesterday over fallout from this weekend’s scandalous CBS whistleblower interview and an hours-long FB, Insta, and WhatsApp outage. - [Taxiing]( The global airline biz is expected to cut losses in 2022 by 78%, to $12B, a sign that airlines are (slowly) recovering from the pandemic. - [Shifting]( [Volvo]( which is owned by the Chinese auto giant Geely, reportedly plans to raise $2.9B in an IPO in Sweden to accelerate its EV plans. - [Pharma]( [Walmart]( [CVS]( and [Walgreens]( are headed to federal court for their roles in the opioid epidemic, and could face up $15B in fines. - [#FedUp]( Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked the SEC to investigate whether senior Federal Reserve officials’ stock trades violated insider-trading rules. 🍪 Thanks for Snacking with us! Want to share the Snacks? Invite your friends to sign up [here](. The Snacks Daily Podcast Imagine walking to a shop that sells Ethereum. The latest trend in cryptocurrency... is crypto stores (real-life stores). More on how digital currencies are getting physical stores in [today's Snacks podcast]( #BrickAndMortarBitcoin Snack Fact Of the Day [Heineken is now spending half its US ad budget on nonalcoholic beer]( Tuesday - Earnings expected from PepsiCo Authors of this Snacks own shares of: Netflix ID: 1861994 Robinhood Snacks newsletters and podcasts reflect the opinions of only the authors who are associated persons of Robinhood Financial LLC and do not reflect the views of Robinhood Markets, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. They are meant for informational purposes only, are not intended to serve as a recommendation to buy or sell any security in a self-directed Robinhood account or any other account, and are not an offer or sale of a security. They are also not research reports and are not intended to serve as the basis for any investment decision. Any third-party information provided therein does not reflect the views of Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. All investments involve risk and the past performance of a security or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Keep in mind that while diversification may help spread risk, it does not assure a profit or protect against loss. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities or other financial products. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing. The price of a given security may increase or decrease based on market conditions and customers may lose money, including their original investment. Robinhood Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other customers and are not guarantees of future performance or success. Robinhood Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. [Robinhood Terms and Conditions]( • [Disclosure Library]( • [Our Editorial Principles]( • [Contact Us]( • [FAQ]( [Manage Your Subscription Preferences](