Newsletter Feb 10, 2022

3 things you must know

New York joins wave of states dropping mask mandates
New York on Wednesday joined a wave of Democrat-run states to roll back mask mandates as health officials increasingly talk about America moving towards a phase where Covid-19 doesn't disrupt daily lives. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she would not renew an indoor mask mandate for businesses when it expires today, citing a 96% decline in reported infections.
SEE WHICH 9 STATES ARE DROPPING MASK MANDATES

Costco and Target leading a brick-and-mortar revival in 2022
Brick-and-mortar retailers are coming back in 2022, and Target and Costco will be the big winners, according to Placer.ai, which tallies foot traffic to the nation's retailers. By upping their online games to compete with Amazon and offering customers a "one-stop shopping" experience, their numbers are only projected to increase as the COVID-19 pandemic comes under control.
SEE HOW BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORES ARE COMING BACK

Demand for mortgages declines ahead of rate increases
Mortgage demand fell more than 10% during the last week in a sign that prospective buyers are pulling back from the market ahead of an expected interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve. The MBA released its latest data on Wednesday that suggested heightened activity since the start of the year. However, the MBA found it is actually 12% lower than the same period last year.
HOW THE HOUSING MARKET IS REACTING TO RATE HIKES

Markets

DJIA	35,768.06	0.86%
S&P 500	4,587.18	1.45%
Nasdaq Composite	14,490.37	2.08%
Japan: Nikkei 225	27,809.56	0.83%
UK: FTSE 100	7,643.42	1.01%
Crude Oil Futures	90.10	0.49%
Gold Futures	1,833.20	-0.19%
Yen	115.63	0.08%
Euro	1.14	-0.06%
* As of market close

White House warns of bad inflation news

The consumer price report that will be released today will likely show another lofty spike in inflation in the first month of the year, the White House warned Wednesday. Consumer prices rose by 7% throughout 2021, their fastest pace in four decades, and the Labor Department's CPI data is expected to show a large increase compared last year.

FIND OUT WHICH SECTORS ARE BEING HIT THE HARDEST

Biden orders evacuation plan for Ukraine

Looking to avoid a repeat of the chaotic retreat from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden ordered the Department of Defense to begin contingency planning for the evacuation of U.S citizens in Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion. The plan would involve some of the 1,700 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division that are being deployed to Poland to begin preparations for the possibility of an evacuation.

HOW MANY AMERICANS ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN UKRAINE?

Nike taking action against 'Just Succ It'

What's in a name? Just ask the California-based small business owner of a succulent company called â€œJust Succ It,â€ which is facing a cease-and-desist order from sports apparel giant Nike for being too similar to its famous slogan â€œJust Do It.â€ Andrea Galbreath took to TikTok to explain her situation and ask for legal help. One of the videos she posted about the cease-and-desist letter reached 2.1 million viewers.

FIND OUT WHY NIKE IS LAWYERING UP AGAINST JUST SUCC IT

It's gotta be the shoes

When was the first Nike shoe launched and what was it nicknamed?

Wednesday's answer: Katharine Hepburn has won four Oscars for Best Actress -- "Morning Glory" (1934), "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1968), "The Lion in Winter" (1969), and "On Golden Pond" (1982).

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