Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🚫 America’s gig workers are striking for higher pay
• ❣️ The big business of Valentine’s Day
• 🤔 Which Super Bowl commercial got the highest consumer ratings?

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be about a 4.76-minute read.

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“Reflect upon your present blessings of which everyone has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all people have some.”

–Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

It could be difficult finding a ride to and from the airport, or ordering a quick bite to eat in certain US cities today. Thousands of drivers for Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are expected to go on strike across the US later this morning in an effort to increase their pay.

What’s going on?... The strike will be led by Justice for App Workers, a national coalition of more than 100,000 drivers who work for DoorDash, Lyft, and Uber. Together, the coalition’s members will walk off the job in ten major US cities – including Austin, Chicago, Miami, and Philadelphia – for two hours starting at 11 am local time.

• Uber and DoorDash have both downplayed the potential impact of the strike, saying a similar driver protest last year had no effect on business.

Driving (heh) the move: The ride-share and delivery drivers, who are considered independent contractors with fewer benefits than employees, are accusing the platforms of taking disproportionately high commissions on orders they receive.

• In 2023, Uber drivers' monthly average gross earnings fell 17.1% compared to the previous year, while those of Lyft and DoorDash drivers increased slightly but failed to outpace inflation, according to gig work analytics firm Gridwise.

Officials for Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash say their drivers are fairly compensated for their work, citing average pay rates north of $30/hour for 2023. The companies also argue in favor of keeping gig workers classified as independent contractors rather than employees, since the vast majority choose to work less than 10 hours/week and prefer the flexibility to make their own schedules.

👀 Looking ahead… Last week, Lyft announced plans to guarantee weekly earnings for drivers in an effort to lure more drivers to its platform moving forward, marking a first in the US ride-hailing industry.

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support the current state of the gig work economy?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

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🇦🇪🇮🇳 Indian PM Narendra Modi is inaugurating the Middle East’s largest Hindu temple in the UAE. The $100 million BAPS Hindu Mandir temple was built to acknowledge the Indian community in the UAE, which represents ~38% of the UAE’s population. The opening is part of Modi’s two-day trip to the UAE. Separately, leaders of both countries signed an agreement yesterday on a trade route that aims to connect Europe with India by sea and rail.

🇫🇷⛪ The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is one step closer to reopening. Notre Dame’s famous spire was destroyed in a 2019 fire that also severely damaged the cathedral’s roof and upper walls. Workers have spent the past five years rebuilding Notre Dame with the help of $1+ billion in public donations – and on Monday, they finally revealed the cathedral’s brand-new spire. All external reconstruction on Notre Dame is expected to wrap up before the Paris Olympics this summer, though the cathedral won’t yet be open to the public.

🇪🇪🇷🇺 Estonian intelligence warned that Russia plans to double its troops along its borders with NATO members. An annual report found that Russia is building up its troops along the border with NATO members Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to prepare for military confrontation with the West within the next decade. Separately, Moscow put Estonian PM Kaja Kallas on the wanted list for removing Soviet-era WW2 memorials, making her the first known head of government wanted by Russia.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and Americans are breaking out their wallets. US consumers are expected to spend a total of $25.8 billion to celebrate the holiday, according to a recent survey from the National Retail Federation.

This spending largely falls into three categories:

• Spending on significant others: This category is expected to account for a record $14.2 billion of overall Valentine’s spending, with the top gifts being candy, cards, flowers, and an evening out (in that order).
• Self-love: As the great queen Beyoncé said, me myself and I, that’s all I got (and you deserve some lovin’ too!). 39% of US consumers said they bought themselves a Valentine’s Day gift last year.
• Anti-Valentine’s Day: At that point where the sight of happy couples makes you sick? There’s a market for that, too. The San Antonio Zoo runs an annual Valentine’s fundraiser that allows donors to symbolically name a roach or rodent after their ex, then have the zoo staff feed it to the animals. The promotion has raised $235,000+ since 2020.

Some Valentine’s Day offers are also free-ninety-nine. For example, P.F. Chang’s is offering six free dumplings to anyone who was recently broken up with via text.

❣️ Fun fact: Valentine’s Day celebrations are like inventing new slang words – largely a young person’s game. 62% of Americans ages 25-34 plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, more than any other age group.

+COPYWRITING TEAM SHAMELESS PLUG: We couldn’t let the Valentine’s Day fun pass us by. Satisfy your inner Elle Woods and head over to The DONUT merch store to get 10% off our entire Valentine’s Day-themed Collection, curated with pink products and self-care in mind.

Why are celebs like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Jennifer Anniston, and Katy Perry crediting apple cider vinegar for their fit bods and gut health? The active ingredient, acetic acid, kills harmful bacteria and improves insulin sensitivity.

Some other benefits of apple cider vinegar:

• 🦠 Improves gut health
• 💓 Reduces cholesterol
• 👍 Lowers blood sugar levels
• 🙌 Aids weight loss by increasing feeling of fullness

Great, but what about the taste? Luckily, BestBodiesforLife perfected a recipe that contains a full serving of ACV with none of the taste with their Life Style Protein Shakes. Featured on CBS and USA Today, BestBodiesforLife is already responsible for countless health transformations.

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💬 Quoted… “We might be able to fine-tune diets.”

• While scientists and dieticians generally agree on which foods make up a healthy diet – candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup lean protein, whole grains, and lots of fruits/veggies – an increasing amount of research shows that people can respond differently to the same foods. Enter: food scientists. In a new $189 million National Institute of Health-funded study, researchers are attempting to gather and analyze data from ~10,000 volunteers to create algorithms that can predict what a particular diet will do for an individual based on their age, ethnicity, health conditions, and other personal information.

📺📊 Stat of the Day: The people have spoken. According to USA Today’s annual Ad Meter Competition, which had 160,000+ registered voters, the top-rated Super Bowl commercial this year is State Farm’s "Like a Good Neighbaaa" spot starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rounding out the top five are Dunkin's “DunKings”, Kia’s “Perfect 10”, Uber Eats’ “Worth Remembering”, and the NFL’s “Born to Play.” As for the worst-rated commercial? “American Values” from the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign, which scored a 3.41 out of 10.

🤔 Did You Know?... The neck joint of a common American field ant can withstand pressures up to 5,000x its own weight. For context, that’s like an 100-lb human resting ten fire trucks on their head.

📰 Worth a Read: The surreal life of a professional bridesmaid → (The Hustle)

• ☝️ Mardi Gras 2024: Thousand of revelers took to the streets in New Orleans for the annual parade celebrating the start of Lent.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Forecaster

• 💰 US markets dropped across the board (S&P: -1.4%; Dow: -1.4%; Nasdaq: -1.8%); the Dow experienced its worst day since March 2023. | 💸 US inflation rose 3.1% in January from a year earlier, above economist estimates but below December’s 3.4% increase, per new gov't data.
• 🥤 Coca-Cola reported Q4 earnings that met expectations and sales that topped estimates, as higher prices helped the beverage maker overcome a volume decline in North America. | 📺 Walmart is reportedly in talks to buy TV maker Vizio for more than $2 billion.
• 💼 Paramount Global is laying off ~800 employees, or ~3% of its workforce.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🍿 Marvel’s Madame Web hits theaters nationwide today.
• 🏌️ Tiger Woods is launching a new apparel and lifestyle brand called Sun Day Red, named in homage of his traditional Sunday apparel.
• 🏈👀 Sunday's Super Bowl in Las Vegas was the most-watched telecast in history, drawing a combined 123.4 million viewers across CBS, Univision, and streaming platforms. | 🤝 ESPN and the College Football Playoff signed a new six-year, $7.8 billion extension granting exclusive broadcast rights through the 2031 season.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Incogni

• 🚀🌕 A privately owned robotic Moon lander is scheduled to blast off this morning, in the latest attempt at the first successful private lunar landing in history.
• 🧊🌱 Greenland is getting greener: The country’s ice sheet is melting at an accelerated rate, which could soon contribute to rising sea levels and increased greenhouse gas emissions, per a new study.
• 🦠 Alaskan authorities reported the first known human death from Alaskapox, a recently identified virus in the smallpox family.

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MISCELLANEOUS

• 🛬 A small private plane landed safely in Buffalo, New York, on Monday after one of the doors fell off the aircraft in midair; both passengers were unharmed.
• 🗳️ Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D) won the New York special election to replace former GOP Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House in December for unethical conduct. | 🤔 Five takeaways from the race.
• 🏛️ The House voted 214-213 to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on a largely party-line vote following a failed attempt last week; GOP lawmakers allege Mayorkas has willfully refused to enforce US immigration laws; Mayorkas is the first sitting cabinet official in history to be impeached. (From the Left | From the Center | From Right)

CLICKBAIT

• 🤑 The salary negotiation trick that works 'time and time again.'

👆 A local celebrity... When shopping at the Home Depot in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, you'll likely come across Leo, the store's permanent resident and mascot. 

The staff at Home Depot adopted Leo from a local shelter in the summer of 2022. He's lived quite the life since then, with free roam of the home-improvement store that spans over 100,000 square feet.

• Leo's favorite spot is the outdoor gardening area, where he has lots of open space and fresh air. He also has his own corner of the store with a cozy bed, food, toys, and a scratching post.
• “Customers come in the store every five minutes looking for him,” John Vazquez, the store's manager, told Philadelphia magazine. Visitors have been known to bring treats and food for him, along with new toys and t-shirts for Leo's growing collection.

Can you name the movies poorly-explained by the following plots?

1. Cool guy shows nerdy guy how to spend less time online and get a girlfriend.
2. Retired Olympian is harassed by a telekinetic monster.
3. Popular jock has anger issues, drops out of school, marries his high school girlfriend, becomes a cop.

(keep scrolling for the answers)

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Start referring.👇

1. The Matrix (1999)
2. Matilda (1996)
3. The Harry Potter series (2002-2011)