Newsletter Apr 27, 2021

President Joe Biden earned a claim to fame for overseeing the strongest stock market surge during his first 100 days in office since the 1950s..

3 Things

Hot start: Think fast; who was the last president to see a better stock market performance in their first 100 days than Joe Biden?
Donald Trump? It's true the markets made impressive gains during his only term, but not as strong as Biden's start. Barack Obama? He finished strong, but you've got to go way back in time for this one.
Like seven decades back in time to the first 100 days of the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. That's the word from a JPMorgan analysis, which credited the Biden administrationâ€™s fiscal stimulus plan for pushing equity returns to record highs during a pandemic.
The S&P 500 has risen nearly 25% since Biden won the 2020 election. In comparison, Trump only saw 11.4% from the day he was elected to his 100th day in office. However, Bidenâ€™s proposed tax hikes, which may double the capital gains tax rate to as high as 43.4% for high-income Americans, could slow his roll in 2021.
Some market strategists caution that it is difficult to say whether the stock market is still reacting to Bidenâ€™s inauguration or if there's been a continuation of the performance that started in late March 2020. The markets have oddly experienced record highs despite the virus.
FIND OUT WHAT'S BEHIND THE STOCK MARKET'S BOOM

Fourth stimulus check?: President Joe Biden will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, and none will be listening more closely than those still suffering from the effects of the pandemic.
Among the proposals Biden is expected to pitch is the potential for a fourth round of stimulus checks for those who were most impacted by the pandemic. Called the American Family Plan, the concept is to provide more relief targeted to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic or have children feeling the consequences of the crisis.
Some taxpayers are also eligible for "Plus Up" payments as part of the third stimulus bill that was passed last month. The additional payments are aimed at Americans whose incomes were adversely affected by the virus, earning significantly less in 2020 than in 2019.
But getting Republicans (and even some Democrats) on board could be easier said than done. After spending nearly $6 trillion to combat the virus, lawmakers might not have the stomach for another major spending bill, especially with a $2 trillion infrastructure bill still in play.
FIND OUT WHAT'S EXPECTED TO BE IN BIDEN'S RELIEF PLAN

Where's the beef?: Ultra-conservative politicians and media have long been accused of serving up "raw meet" for their support base. Over the weekend, they literally did that over a mystery meat story.
Overreacting to a University of Michigan report that was written before Biden took office, the Daily Mail ran with a story claiming the New Green Deal included a provision that would reduce beef consumption by limiting Americans to one hamburger per month.
That panic took flight over the weekend when Fox News' top anchors and hosts ran with the report, declaring that Biden could have their cheeseburgers when he pries it from their cold dead hands. Forget about keeping an eye on your fries; this story was one big whopper.
It turned out to be much ado about nothing, but it was fun watching some politicians and pundits stake their reputations on fake steaks.
GET THE FULL STORY BEHIND THE BURGER-A-MONTH LIMIT

Markets

DJIA	33,981.57	-0.18%
S&P 500	4,187.62	0.18%
Nasdaq Composite	14,138.78	0.87%
Japan: Nikkei 225	29,080.07	-0.16%
UK: FTSE 100	6,963.12	0.35%
Crude Oil Futures	62.25	0.55%
Gold Futures	1,778.20	-0.11%
Yen	108.27	0.16%
Euro	1.21	-0.15%
* As of market close

NFT to infinity

Non Fungible Tokens are all the rave among investors looking for the next big thing, but the jury is still out about the financial staying power of NFTs.

Gaining popularity in both cryptocurrency and traditional markets, NFTs are growing at a pace faster than the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries. Despite the fact that NFTs have been around since 2015, online searches for the commodity were 25 times higher than in 2020.

Not only can NFTs be hard for investors to figure out (they are essentially original pieces of blockchain artworks that can be purchased if the price is right), it's also hard to justify the soaring prices. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is selling a â€œsong about NFTs as an NFT,â€ which is sure to fetch a good price Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey saw one of his original tweet go for $2.9 million.

But if you have NFTs figured out and want to add them to your investment portfolio, there are six outlets that specialize in the process and offer support for those getting in on the ground floor of the emerging market.

CHECK OUT THE SIX PLACES WHERE YOU CAN INVEST IN NFTS

European vacation

After the COVID pandemic pulled the plug on exotic vacations for over a year, Americans are ready to get their passports stamped again. The list of places to go next just got a lot longer thanks to the European Union.

Want to hit the beaches of Monte Carlo, run with the bulls in Spain, or soak up the sights in Paris? They're all possible following the EU's announcement that vaccinated Americans will be admitted in the 27-member nations this summer -- pending any changes in infection levels.

The EU said Americans will need proof of full vaccination through a vaccine certificate showing immunity from COVID-19. Some ideas being considered for vaccination certificates include receiving an EU vaccine certificate on arrival into Europe upon showing a valid U.S. vaccine ID.

The move by the EU comes as the U.S. has accelerated its COVID vaccination pace with more than 94.7 million Americans fully inoculated from the virus as of Monday. That represents 28.5% of the population.

SEE WHAT OTHER NATIONS ARE REQUIRING AMERICANS TO DO

Freedom to Snap

Only in America can a high school cheerleader's bad day and angry social media post end up in front of the highest court in the land on the basis of the nation's first and most important amendment, and that's where we are.

In an incident that seemed like part of daily high school drama in 2017, then-14-year-old Brandi Levy let her emotions known with an off-color Snapchat post -- â€œ[Expletive] school [expletive] softball [expletive] cheer [expletive] everything.â€ -- complete with a pic of a middle-fingered salute.

When her cheer coaches found out about the post, they booted her from the squad for a year. Levyâ€™s parents, however, were more concerned with her emotional impact the suspension would have on her and took it to court. Four years later, it has opened a half-century-old debate on the freedom of speech and expression for minors in a school setting.

â€œI was a 14-year-old kid. I was upset, I was angry," Levy said of her controversial post. "Every 14-year-old kid speaks like that at one point."

Yeah, but most of us got a spanking for such behavior, not a legal team.

FIND OUT THE KEY ISSUES RIDING ON SUCH A PETTY CASE