October 9, 2024

The Appetizer

“Hollywood couldn’t write a better script.”

• New York Mets owner Steve Cohen after Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer to give the Mets the lead in the ninth inning in their wild-card win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Now, on to the numbers. Drum roll, please …

• 84%: The increase in the number of “Northerners” going to Southern public colleges over the past two decades. Between 2018 and 2022, it rose 30%.
• 100: The age of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose recent birthday made him the first U.S. president to live past 100.
• 5%: The percentage of jobs that AI can handle over the next decade, according to an MIT economics professor.
• $700 million: The amount that Americans are expected to spend on Halloween pet costumes in 2024.
• 10%: The percentage of pet owners who are dressing up their pet as a pumpkin, the top pet costume. Hot dog came in second at 6%.

Dig In
Behind the Port Strike

Even though it’s behind us, we can’t resist talking about it! Last week, we witnessed a significant port strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association, where about 47,000 dockworkers decided to hit pause on unloading containers. This action impacted 36 ports – including major hubs like New York and Baltimore, raising fears that we’d again have to hoard toilet paper and water bottles.

So why did they strike? There are two main issues: money and AI. They initially wanted a 77% increase in wages over their next six-year contract but ultimately settled for a 62% raise. Not bad! Average wages are expected to increase from $39 to about $63 an hour over the life of the contract.

The second sticking point revolved around automation. There is a real fear that robots might start handling their jobs – one report found that automation eliminated 572 full-time roles at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in 2020 and 2021. The workers want a human operator during picking up, dropping off, and releasing of cargo.

For now, the two sides have reached a temporary agreement, reopening ports until January 15 while they continue discussions about automation. We’ll check back in January to see how this all unfolds. Let’s hope that the robots don’t unionize by then.

Weekly Specials

Sun Day Red, Tiger Woods’ new clothing and lifestyle brand, is inspired by the iconic Sunday red shirts he wears in golf majors. Tigeraire, a company that makes cooling products for athletes, has filed a notice of opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, alleging that Sun Day Red and Tiger Woods have “unlawfully hijacked” Tigeraire’s design into their own branding.

2024 was the summer of record sales highs for Aperol spritzes,and Campari Group is trying to keep the party going into the colder months with marketing campaigns throughout the winter. “Après spritz?” Doesn’t ring as well as a summer spritz, but it’ll do!

Every year, 250 million containers set sail across the oceans, but not all of them make it to their destination. In the last decade, over 20,000 shipping containers have tumbled overboard. So, what happens when they bust open? While most of the contents go to the bottom of the sea, some debris has been found thousands of miles apart!

Brown bears gain up to 30 pounds a week in the time leading up to hibernation, and as humans do, we’ve made a contest surrounding it … Fat Bear Week, where bear fans from around the world can participate in a single-elimination tournament to crown the 2024 Fat Bear Week champion. This year’s winner Grazer.

Corporate Lunch

Tom Brady is selling his watch collection at Sotheby’s. He must have too much time on his hands.

BMW encouraged Germany to vote against raising EU tariffs on Chinese EVs to ease trade tensions with China. Great sportsmanship, love to see it.

Ford is giving away chargers and installation to EV buyers for the rest of 2024 – because the only thing more exciting than going electric is not having to negotiate with your local electrician.

Wawa has been ranked as the No. 1 convenience store chain in the U.S. I like a buffalo chicken tender hoagie and a pretzel as much as the next guy, but have you seen the wall of jerky at Buc-ee’s?

The largest champagne producer in the world, LVMH, bought a stake in a non-alcoholic sparkling wine company. Dior x Poland Spring coming soon, I can feel it.

Recursion is leveraging AI for drug discovery and has received FDA approval to begin phase 1 trials of an AI-discovered cancer treatment. Quick round of applause for AI.

Wendy’s has begun a “Krabby Patty Kollab” celebrating SpongeBob’s 25th birthday. Look out for a fry cook job application from Sheldon J. Plankton.

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