Fwd: ☕️ Crackdown

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Morning Brew <crew@morningbrew.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 27, 2019 at 7:26 AM
Subject: ☕️ Crackdown
To: <joaoa.dsilva2019@gmail.com>

AUTO BLOGZ  

What's the IRS up to this time?

July 27, 2019 Read in Browser SPONSORED BY Good morning. Know what washes down a Saturday morning Brew better than anything? A Sunday morning Brew, chock full of premium, exclusive content. It's called Light Roast, and it's yours for just three referrals. Rumor has it this week's Light Roast has been called "lit" on two separate occasions. Want to get Light Roast? Refer your friends and family using your unique referral link down below. See you at the bottom.   MARKETS S&P 3,025.86 +0.74% NASDAQ 8,330.21 +1.11% DJIA 27,192.45 +0.19% 10-YR 2.074% -0.5 bps GOLD 1,416.80 +0.15% OIL 56.15 +0.23% *As of market close U.S. markets: Yeah, they had a day. The S&P and Nasdaq both rode to record closes on a lineup of strong earnings. Geopolitics: President Trump threatened France with "substantial reciprocal action" over its new digital tax affecting U.S. tech giants. "If anybody taxes them, it should be their home Country," he said.   TELECOM T-Mobile and Sprint Take the Next Step Francis Scialabba How do you know when it's official? When the Justice Department gives its blessing.  T-Mobile (+5.43%) and Sprint (+7.39%) finally got that validation yesterday when DOJ officials greenlighted their more than $26 billion merger after five years of on-again, off-again (the merger was first proposed in June 2014). Sprint's taking T-Mobile's name: Once combined, the country's third and fourth largest wireless providers plan to be called T-Mobile and serve over 90 million U.S. customers. The first and second largest providers, Verizon and AT&T, each have about 100 million wireless customers. But relationships take work And attorneys general from 13 states and D.C. are testing this pair's devotion. They sued to block the merger last month, arguing that reducing the number of big-league telecom players limits competition and raises prices. If the marriage survives the lawsuit, 95% of American cellphone customers will get service from the top three U.S. operators. The trial is scheduled to start in October...and T-Mobile said it expects to close the Sprint deal in the second half of the year. The DOJ knows it's all about compromise  Which is where Dish Network (+0.87%) and its sought-after airwaves come in. Under the deal officials struck with T-Mobile and Sprint, satellite TV provider Dish will snap up some of the pair's divestitures and promise the DOJ a 5G rollout. Dish will get about 9 million Sprint prepaid cellphone customers, which it can move from pay-as-you-go to the more profitable postpaid model. It'll also be writing thank you notes for more wireless spectrum, hundreds of retail locations, and "robust access" to the newly combined company's network. Zoom out: The shadow hanging over all of this is that coveted 5G tech. The government wants the U.S. to get to the next wireless generation ASAP, which is why part of the deal involves T-Mobile promising 5G access for 97% of the U.S. population in three years.            ECONOMY You Can't Always Get What You Want Updated stats from the Commerce Department showed GDP expanded 2.5% on a Q4-over-Q4 basis in 2018. We'll take it, but... The previous estimate was 3%. Achieving that would have been cause for popping the Martinelli's at the White House, which hoped for 3% growth in 2018 c/o tax cuts, trade policy, and regulatory rollbacks. FYI, GDP gains in the first two years of the Trump administration did top this economic expansion's average 2.3% yearly growth rate. Bringing it back to this year: In Q2, the economy grew at a 2.1% annualized pace.  The good: That was above the median forecast. The bad: It followed a 3.1% growth reading in the previous quarter.  The ugly: Compared to Q2 of last year, GDP grew 2.3%...the slowest in two years. Still, the economy's decade-long expansion remains on solid footing. Last quarter, strong consumer spending balanced out the first decline in business investment since 2016. Looking ahead: These GDP stats are the kindling the Fed needs to keep the rate-cut fires burning.            ENERGY It's Always Sunny in Cupertino First, Apple became the No. 1 buyer of chip manufacturers. Now, it's ranked first in the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) report on U.S. companies' 2018 solar energy procurement. Big week. Last year, Apple (+0.35%) tallied 393.3 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity—a fair prize for spending a decade investing in solar. Big picture: In the tech world, solar panels have the kind of install rate young engineers dream of. Amazon came in second at 329.8 MW, and Google landed at sixth with 142.9 MW.  *Urkel voice* But there's an important distinction for the 2018 report. The SEIA changed the way it measures procurement, this time including off-site installations in its calculations. Had the SEIA only counted on-site installations, Target and Walmart would've led the pack, as they have in years past. Zoom out: Individual companies are quickly pursuing renewable energy (especially solar) as it becomes more affordable. But scientists say the entire economy needs complete decarbonization in the next decade to avoid the worst fallout from climate change.            SPONSORED TOGETHER WITH LADDER ️ Boost Your Workout Ditch the Costco-sized supplement containers and clean up your pre- and post-workout routine. Ladder Plant Protein has a nearly identical amino acid profile to whey protein, but it's made of pea and pumpkin protein instead.  Why are those things good? Most plant-based proteins are made with brown rice and hemp, which are filled with heavy metals that can cause bloating and other digestive issues you'd rather not have (and we'd rather not write about). Each batch is vegan, dairy-, soy-, and gluten-free, so you won't have to ditch your diet restrictions to build up your strength. Plus, it's got the LeBron James stamp of approval, so you know it's the real deal.   Ladder Plant Protein also includes probiotics that help boost your immune system and prevent breakdown from fatigue and exhaustion (even after you've nailed the PR you've been chasing). Upgrade your workout.    CRYPTO IRS Cracks the Crypto Whip Confusing: Doing your taxes. Confusinger: Understanding cryptocurrencies. Confusingest: Doing your taxes when you own cryptocurrencies. The Internal Revenue Service is sympathetic, but Uncle Sam waits for no one. IRS officials have begun sending letters to 10,000+ cryptocurrency holders warning them that they might be subject to penalties for failing to report income and pay taxes on crypto transactions. The more you know: Virtual currencies were classified as an investment property for federal tax purposes in 2014. That means they're treated like stocks or real estate—when sold at a profit, they trigger tax consequences. Ever since Satoshi hit send on the bitcoin white paper, IRS officials have been pounding the Advil. They've struggled to enforce laws on digital assets like bitcoin, especially as their popularity skyrockets. These letters are one of the IRS's biggest endeavors yet to stymie crypto-related tax avoidance. + While we're here: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said this week that U.S. regulators plan to issue new crypto regulations soon to keep the asset class from harming the financial system.            MANUFACTURING So That's Precision @MachinePix   WHAT ELSE IS BREWING President Trump denied Apple's request to be exempt from tariffs on some parts it makes in China. Twitter (+8.92%) smashed expectations on the top and bottom lines last quarter, reporting a surge in users and debuting a new engagement indicator. McDonald's (+0.47%) shares briefly hit an all-time high after the chain reported second-quarter sales growth that topped estimates. Alphabet (+9.62%) also had a gangbusters day. Shares rallied the most in a single day since 2015 after a stellar earnings report earlier in the week. Apple (+0.35%) and Goldman Sachs (+0.99%) are targeting an August launch date for their highly anticipated credit card.   BREAKROOM Brew's Bets Not too big, not too small...just right. Atoms brings the Goldilocks feeling to footwear, with the world's first shoe to come in quarter sizes. The result? Stylish shoes with a flawless fit. Learn more.* Kick-start your morning with MUDWTR's coffee alternative blend. One tbsp of ayurvedic herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and turmeric help you focus without the coffee crash. Learn more.* Anyone hitting the beach this weekend? We recommend 1) avoiding swimming at dawn and dusk 2) not resembling a seal in any way and 3) reading this piece from Bloomberg to brush up on the booming business of great white shark fever. Who knew shark tourism generated so. much. money. *This is a sponsored post Saturday Headlines When you think about a place with crazy headlines, you probably think Florida. But you know what? Bizarre stuff happens elsewhere, too. Here are three real headlines from around the world and one we made up. "A green wave: Greenland is struggling to accommodate growth of surfer community"   "Glacier National Park officials investigate men who hit golf balls off roadside cliff"  "Redditors are stapling bread to trees in Sheffield, England"  "Massachusetts police ask residents to refrain from crime until after the heat wave passes" SHARE THE BREW You only need 3 more referrals to receive Light Roast (our premium Sunday newsletter). It's the adrenaline boost your Sunday morning has been craving all along…and goes perfect with Pedialyte. Access your personalized referral page below to seamlessly share with your network. Click to Share Or copy & paste your referral link to others: morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=5e25388f   BREAKROOM ANSWERS Saturday Headlines Yeah, that Greenland one isn't real.  Subscribe | Feedback | Advertise | Careers | Shop 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004. If you aren't absolutely thrilled with the Brew, reply and let us know why. Or you can unsubscribe from all daily updates by clicking here . Copyright © 2019 Morning Brew. All rights reserved.