Cameo, it turns out, is not just the Pop-R&B act who sang a song about a popular urban greeting in 1986. It's also the name of a semi-soft, Camembert style cheese from Redwood Hill Farms in Sebastopol, California. Ergo, today's cheese-pun is, in fact, a little meta (a lot like this newsletter) with the band name behind the pun performing a cheesy sort of cameo. It's almost as cool as the times David Bowie showed up in Zoolander, Charlton Heston in Wayne's World, and Mike Tyson in The Hangover. You just don't quite expect any of them to be there, you know? Speaking of urbane sophistication: We're celebrating half a million subscribers to this newsletter across email and LinkedIn, today. Thank you for reading! You make us what we are, just as we make you informed about the day's news you Need2Know. Tell your friends you were here first. We appreciate you. Today, what you N2K is: A key jobs report looms. With that, markets have continued to show edginess about the overall health of the economy. Yesterday, weekly jobless claims came in slightly lower than analysts had predicted, but another employment report suggested far fewer private sector jobs were added in August than expected. What's going on?! The cheddlines: Cheese out! —Matt Davis, N2K Chedditor P.S. We've got footage of a car that turns into a boat on our Instagram. It's almost as cool as the Lotus Esprit that had a cameo role as a submarine hybrid in Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Sad fact: Elon Musk bought that actual car in 2013. Its name is "Wet Nellie." Didn't he realize that true happiness was to be found from investing that money in the stock market? |
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1. Gen Z Is 'Very Mindful' About Money and Happiness |
We chatted about Gen Z and money with Kerry Sette, VP at Voya Financial, and she dropped a surprising truth. It turns out tha kidz care a lot more about money than you might expect.
"Gen Z today absolutely equate financial wellness with their happiness," she said. I think this is a little odd because, let's face it, unless they have a trust fund, Gen Z is not in the best financial position. "Today they realize that if they want to achieve financial security, they absolutely have to start today," Kerry added.
In fact they're doing pretty well when it comes to saving. After Covid, "we saw new retail investors who were younger and from lower income brackets really starting to invest and start to save. We're seeing that with Gen Z that they actually have three times the amount of retirement assets as Gen X did at the same age, even when you adjust for inflation."
Woah. You're saying we scared the hell out of these young people with a pandemic and global inflation, so now they're saving a healthy amount into their 401(k) and doing their best to be realistic about the future? That sounds sorta cool, actually. Well done, Gen Z!
Gen Z is also one of the best educated generations to date. They're less likely to drop out of high school; they're more likely to be enrolled in college. "They're realistic. They're optimistic. One of their core values is resilience. And I think that money and financial security is absolutely a way for them to kind of achieve their goals in life and set them on that path to financial security." Read More |
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2. Beyond Meat Unveils New Steak Alternative |
Beyond Meat is taking a significant step in expanding its product range with the announcement of a new "whole muscle" mycelium steak, with a focus on high protein content and low saturated fat. The firm's stock peaked at $234 in 2019, and it's now worth $6, suggesting that perhaps we might have gotten over-excited about this "whole thing." But sure...let's see what you've got now, Beyond Meat.
The company is shifting away from its earlier reliance on ingredients like wheat gluten, which was a key component in its steak tip products. Instead, it is utilizing mycelium, the fast-growing root system of fungi, to mimic the texture and experience of traditional steak filets. It's part of the company's Beyond IV product line, which has received certification as heart-healthy from the American Heart Association.
Beyond Meat's CEO Ethan Brown has hinted at the possibility of a restaurant partnership for the new "steak" rollout, emphasizing a pivot towards chains known for healthier fare, diverging from previous collaborations with fast-food giants. Best of luck to them! Read More |
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| From land to sea with a push of a button. 🚗 🌊
WaterCar's newest amphibious creation transforms from a compact "neighborhood electric vehicle" into a 17-foot boat with just a push of a button. Its aluminum hull, reinforced with foam, ensures it is "virtually unsinkable."
Equipped with a touchscreen, marine-grade electronics, and a 115-horsepower outboard motor, this vehicle is designed for seamless travel on both land and sea. |
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3. How The Grey Goose Honey Deuce Became The Biggest (Rhyming) Cocktail In Sports |
We spoke with Grey Goose VP of Marketing Aleco Azqueta about the $10 million annual success of the Grey Goose Honey Deuce, the viral cocktail success of the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
"I have to give credit to Nick Mautone, who was the managing partner of Gramercy Tavern, and we tasked him with creating the perfect cocktail for the U.S. open. Nick was strolling through Long Island Farmer's Market, and he noticed someone scooping out a melon ball, and he's like, 'oh my God, these look like little tennis balls,'" he said. "So that was the inspiration for the iconic garnish. And then he wanted to create a cocktail that was sweet enough to be delicious, but tart enough to go with stadium fare and that you could drink during the day and during the evening. Just very simple. Gray goose, natural lemonade, raspberry liqueur, and the Honey Deuce was born!"
The first year, the brand sold 20,000 cocktails, and "this year we'll be doing close to half a million," he said. This year, Grey Goose has partnered with American tennis sensation Frances Tiafoe.
"Frances really embodies everything that we love about tennis," Aleco said. "He brings the joy of tennis, the way he celebrates, he always has a smile on his face, and he's also the epitome of that balanced lifestyle. Not only is he a great athlete, but he's also super stylish, as well. And he's great with the fans."
Advantage! Read More |
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You Need 2 Know About This Box!
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Meet the Sunset Box, a quarterly subscription service sending home, wellness, and travel goodies straight to your doorstep, curated by editors at mag Sunset, the Western-lifestyle magazine that just so happens to be a sister company of ours. Since you clearly have good taste (you're an N2K subscriber, after all), we think you'll love this box. Use code CHEDDAR15 for 15% off your subscription. |
Note: Sadly does not contain any cheese. |
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4. Home Prices Up 4%: Can We Break the Cycle of Renting Indefinitely? |
With median home prices climbing 4% from last year, many potential home buyers are left wondering if they'll be stuck in a cycle of renting indefinitely. We spoke with Sheryl Palmer, CEO of Taylor Morrison, a leading national homebuilder and developer based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sheryl told us that interest rates have been a major challenge for would-be homebuyers, and the days of 3% mortgage rates seem far behind us; however, the recent drop in interest rates has helped.
"The customer has really begun to understand that we're not going back there to 3%," she said. With interest rates in the 6% range, it's still possible to get an affordable mortgage, but it helps to have the flexible backing of an understanding lender.
"The important thing here is that every customer has a different need. Some customers find the monthly payment okay. They need help with closing costs. Some need cash to bring to the closing table," she said. "We want to keep our incentives and allow them some opportunity there. Other customers that need just a 100% certainty on what that monthly payment will be. Others may be in a situation where they know that after the first 12 or 24 months they'll be in a much better place."
About a third of Sheryl's customers are first-time buyers. There's also a strong set of buyers who are grandparents moving to be nearer their grandchildren. "We call them 'grandparent chasers,'" she said. "I'm one of those, so I appreciate how important, that is."
The firm has also been building "homes away from home" for people getting cancer treatment so that they can stay near a hospital in Arizona, which seems like a very nice thing to do. Watch Now |
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5. Talking Cybersecurity and Networks With an Army Big Shot |
Fun fact: My brother-in-law is a Top Gun pilot, but that's about as close as I've gotten to a military career since the rifle range at my elitist private school. I lack a few essential qualities; most notably, I'm an extreme coward.
Still. We sat down for a fireside chat with Lt. Gen. John Morrison, deputy chief of staff, cyber, at the U.S. Army, to talk about cyber security and network modernization. We especially talked about the power of a unified cyber network for fighting.
"Let me give you, if I may, a practical example of the unified network in action," he said. "When I first came into the job four and a half years ago, one of the first things that we had to deal with was we had a brigade that had to go to Southwest Asia very, very rapidly, and it took days for them to get up onto the network and begin conducting operations. Think about that. In today's world, it took days to get up on the network. Fast forward, we put 18 airborne corps into Europe at the start of the Ukraine crisis, and it took hours."
Sounds kinda useful, eh?
"Let me give you an even better one because this is just two Saturdays ago at the Joint Readiness Training Center down in Louisiana," he said. "So, the 101st from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, conducts a 450-mile long-range air assault and then a joint forced entry into a contested and congested environment against a live opposing force from the D Main at Fort Campbell. Over the strategic and operational network to a firing battery in the box, live round on a target, in less than a minute. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the power of a unified network."
Okay I'm intimidated now, but it's still a fascinating conversation. Check it out! Read More |
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