Good morning and Happy May the Fourth. Today, we'll find out which coffee shops are the real ones and offer blue milk lattes. —Molly Liebergall, Matty Merritt, Cassandra Cassidy, Abby Rubenstein, Neal Freyman | | | |  | Nasdaq | 12,025.33 | | | | | S&P | 4,090.75 | | | | | Dow | 33,414.24 | | | | | 10-Year | 3.343% | | |  | Bitcoin | $29,085.31 | | | | | Vix* | 18.34 | | | | *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 3:00am ET. Here's what these numbers mean. | - Markets: Stocks tumbled yesterday after the Fed made its expected rate hike, and Jerome Powell noted that inflation will come down "not so quickly." Plus, regional banks are still giving investors agita. PacWest tanked, plunging more than 50% in extended trading after Bloomberg reported that the bank is considering next steps, including a breakup or a possible sale.
| Markets Sponsored by tastytrade Stocks, options, futures, even crypto—with tastytrade's powerful tech and transparent, low fees, you can trade 'em all your way (via desktop, mobile, or web) to seize any moment with confidence. Learn more.* tastytrade, Inc (previously known as tastyworks, Inc) is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA, NFA and SIPC. | | Illustration: Francis Scialabba, Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images These Fed sequels are starting to feel repetitive: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by another 25 basis points yesterday—the 10th rate hike in a little over a year. But the saga may be ending soon because the central bank also hinted that it could be the last increase for a while. The hike puts interest rates above 5% for the first time since 2007, as stubborn inflation has prompted the Fed's fastest series of rate increases since the 1980s. But the hike cycle may be broken soon The Fed hasn't made any promises (it never does), but economists are hopeful that a revision to the Fed's language in the statement it put out yesterday—coupled with recent slowdowns in inflation and hiring—may indicate an upcoming pause in rate hikes. The tweak removed a line included in other recent statements that said the Fed "anticipates" additional rate increases. While eager investors always read a lot into any small update, this time even Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged it was a "meaningful change" when asked about it at a press conference. But it wasn't all sunshine from Powell at the presser: He made it clear he'll keep doing whatever he thinks is necessary to tame inflation. So, if the Fed is going to come off the rate-raising tear it's been on since March 2022, inflation needs to keep slowing. As of March, annual inflation hovered around 5%, well above the 2% sweet spot the Fed is chasing. But with all the rate hikes the Fed has made already—not to mention the recent failures of three banks, which forced financial institutions to raise their lending standards—inflation is likely to keep coming down. The Fed will also keep a close eye on the labor market as it tries to bring down prices without creating a recession. Looking ahead…if current trends continue, we may have seen the last of interest rate hikes for now. But don't get too excited: Powell said it's too soon to begin thinking about rate cuts.—ML | | TOGETHER WITH MASTERWORKS | It's probably been a while since you've read some good financial news. Maybe even since Masterworks' last Morning Brew ad…but don't worry, they've got you covered. Masterworks' 13 art sales have all been profitable, allowing their investors to receive more than $35m in payouts. Yep, even in this economy. So what did investors do with all that cash? Sponsor a professional spelunking team? Build their own AI chatbot? That's your call. The point is, you can do A LOT when the potential for returns is that high. You've probably seen the name Masterworks, but now's the time you learned what blue-chip art investing is all about. As a trusted partner, Morning Brew readers can skip the waitlist to join today. | | International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick/M. Zamani  Astronomers watched a star eat a planet. And they say it will probably happen to Earth one day (though luckily not for about 5 billion years). According to a study published in Nature, the scientists accidentally peeped a view of a star about 12,000 light-years away from us as it engulfed what was likely a hot gas planet the size of Jupiter. They recognized what happened as a never-before-seen process because the star suddenly brightened, becoming 100 times brighter over 10 days as it ingested the planet into its core.
 Meta gets dinged on privacy—again. The Federal Trade Commission has proposed banning the Facebook parent from making money off of kids' data after determining that the company had repeatedly violated a privacy order from 2020. In the wake of the scandal over the company sharing data with Cambridge Analytica, it paid the FTC a $5 billion penalty and agreed to the order, but Meta called the agency's latest move "a political stunt" and vowed to fight the proposed ban.
 Russia claims it foiled an assassination attempt on Putin. It accused Ukraine of orchestrating a failed drone attack on the Kremlin, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky flatly denied any involvement. "We don't attack Putin, or Moscow, we fight on our territory," Zelensky said. Russia did not provide evidence to back up its claims, and Ukrainian officials said it likely meant a new Russian offensive was planned for Ukraine.
| | Hannah Minn Airbnb heard your complaints, and it's finally making it easier to share a bathroom with someone you don't know. The short-term rental company rolled out a whole suite of upgrades yesterday, the biggest being a new feature to facilitate renting cheaper single rooms in shared homes. Travelers could always rent just a room on the app, but "Airbnb Rooms" lets users sort single-room listings more easily, includes more facts about the hosts you'll be sharing a toaster with, and provides privacy info like whether the room's door locks. Airbnb is leaning into the hostel experience in response to both tightening travel budgets and the surge of memes roasting the hidden fees and rising costs of renting on the app. The company said the average daily price of renting an Airbnb has jumped 36% in the last three years. It hit $153 last year, but single-room rentals cost $67 per night on average. Big picture: Despite everyone piling on Airbnb hosts' unhinged checkout requests (including us!), the company had a stellar 2022. The hotel rival brought in $1.9 billion, its first full-year profit…ever. And 2023 could look even better as travel booms: The head of the TSA told Bloomberg last month he expects a record number of airline passengers this summer.—MM | | | Snag these cult-fave B-Corp certified sneaks. Sustainable shoes perfect for the surf, sand, street, and everything in between? Look no further—Cariuma's got you covered. Loved by tastemakers like Vogue, Highsnobiety, and many celebs, these are the sneakers you need as the weather warms up. For a limited time, get 20% off with code BREWMAY. | | Hannah Minn New York may be getting Aaron Rodgers, but it's losing gas stoves. On Tuesday, the state became the first to ban natural gas in new buildings as part of a slide toward electric power. The ban—slated to go into effect starting in 2026—would apply to all natural gas facilities in new residential buildings and some commercial ones (restaurants, hospitals, and, um, crematoriums are exempt). What sparked the first-of-its-kind ban? Natural gas comes with adverse health effects, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, as well as detrimental environmental impacts. The ban will help New York meet its strict greenhouse gas emissions goals. Though the problem has been known for years, the issue came off the back burner in January when a US Consumer Product Safety Commission official publicly floated a national ban. A partisan debate ignited, and it's still burning: - Republican lawmakers oppose any ban, citing energy cost increases, while many Democrats support a ban to curb climate change.
- Some cities—San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle—have passed their own natural gas bans. But 20 Republican-controlled state legislatures have preemptively enacted laws that prohibit cities from banning natural gas.
Zoom out: New York's ban could serve as a model for other states—but only if it holds up after expected challenges from Republicans and the fossil fuel industry.—CC | | Alyssa Nassner Stat: New York and California lost $92 billion in income during the pandemic as high-rolling taxpayers decamped to states with lower tax rates, like Florida and Texas, according to CNBC's analysis of new IRS data. Though the trend of high earners moving south to pay less in taxes and avoid having people pitch them screenplays had already started, Covid pushed it into high gear in 2020 and 2021 (their combined losses were three times higher in 2021 than 2019). The urge to flee has likely receded somewhat since, but in the meantime, it's certainly been a boon to Florida, which gained more than $11 billion in income in wealthy Palm Beach County alone in 2021. Quote: "Enforcers have the dual responsibility of watching out for the dangers posed by new AI technologies while promoting the fair competition needed to ensure the market for these technologies develops lawfully." Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan wants you to know she's ready to take on ChatGPT and its ilk. In a New York Times editorial that compared the recent AI explosion to the rise of Google and Facebook in Web 2.0's early days, she said the agency will protect the public not only from AI-enhanced scammers but also from the potential for monopolistic control by big players, and private data being misused to train AI models. "Although these tools are novel, they are not exempt from existing rules," and the FTC stands ready to enforce them, she wrote. Read: The journey of a humble tire reveals why prices are still so high. (ProPublica) | | Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi/Lucasfilm via Giphy This Star Wars Day, let's take comfort that our current banking crisis is nowhere near as bleak as the one the Galactic financial sector faced following the Empire's collapse. Setting the scene: At the end of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, the Galactic banking system was on the brink of failure. A $419 quintillion government project, the second Death Star, had just been destroyed by the Rebel Alliance, and the Galactic economy was set to enter a deep, deep depression. How to avoid catastrophe? Well, you had the usual suspects pushing bitcoin, but the only real solution was a massive bailout to save distressed banks. In a 2015 paper, Zachary Feinstein, an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, attempted to calculate how much the Rebel Alliance would have to spend on a bank bailout. What he found: Estimating that the Intergalactic Banking Clan contained 17,501 systemically important banks that were too big to fail, and that the Galactic economy's annual Gross Galactic Product (GGP, similar to GDP) was $4.6 sextillion, Feinstein calculated that a rescue package would need to be at least 15% of GGP in order to prevent "catastrophic economic collapse." That amounts to a $690 quintillion bailout. Makes the $20 billion the FDIC spent rescuing SVB depositors look pretty cheap.—NF, JW | | - Eli Lilly reported that its Alzheimer's drug slowed the disease's progression by 35% in late-stage trials. And in other pharma news, the FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline's RSV vaccine for people over 60, making it the first fully approved vaccine for the virus, though competitors are also readying versions.
- Olive Garden owner Darden is adding Ruth's Chris Steak House to its dining empire for $715 million.
- The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame named its newest inductees, including Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, and others.
- Lionel Messi will leave the Paris Saint-Germain team when his contract expires at the end of the season. But his recent suspension over an unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia was probably worth it, since he's reportedly fielding a ~$442 million offer to play there.
| |  Symmetry in a galaxy far, far away: Watch Star Wars get the "by Wes Anderson" treatment. Plus, a bad lip reading of The Last Jedi.
More than just ticking a box: This is how the "I am not a robot" test actually works. Doctor's orders: Here's the correct way to deal with a nosebleed. Mon-AI-logue: What happens when ChatGPT subs in for striking late-night TV writers. Lest we forget: It's World Password Day, and Dashlane is bringing the party. They'll help you generate strong passwords and keep them safe + secure. Use code WPD23 for 50% off.* Invest: Monogram Orthopedics delivers their knee replacement robotics pitch in the latest episode of 60-Second Startup.* *This is sponsored advertising content. | | Brew Mini: Today's puzzle touches on The Greatest Showman, coronations, and the Appalachian Trail. Play it here. Three headlines and a lie Three of these headlines are real and one is faker than the estimated time of arrival for your bus . Can you spot the odd one out? - Elon Musk threatens to reassign @NPR on Twitter to 'another company'
- Tiny dolls appeared in mailbox with a note: 'We've decided to live here'
- Amnesty International criticized for using AI-generated images
- Philadelphia Orchestra to debut symphony written by Paramore
| | | We made up the Paramore symphony. | | | ✢ A Note From Masterworks See important disclosures at masterworks.com/cd. ✤ A Note From Dashlane Terms and Conditions: Use promo code WPD23 at checkout to apply discount by 8pm EST on May 8, 2023. Offer available to new and nonpaying customers. Can't be combined with other offers or purchased as a gift. | | |
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Renting vs. buying: It's never an easy decision. To help you stay informed, we sat down with Zillow to discuss the housing market and how to prepare your finances to apply for a mortgage. 
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