APPAREL

Biles Vaults to Athleta

Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, is leaving Nike for Athleta in a move that highlights the changing landscape of athlete sponsorships.

• In an interview with the WSJ, Biles praised Athleta for its commitment to “diversity and inclusion, of all women, backgrounds, ages, sizes, abilities, and races.” 

Founded in 1998 and now owned by Gap, Athleta is a women’s activewear brand that’s plucked not one, but two star female Olympic athletes from Nike. Sprinter Allyson Felix switched teams in 2019 after joining other Olympian runners in criticizing Nike for not sufficiently supporting pregnant athletes. 

It’s easy to see what Athleta offers Felix and Biles: a company “truly for women by women,” said the gymnast. Athleta is women-led, and women account for 97% of its workforce.

Big picture: Athleta is small compared to the giants of sports apparel, but after signing Biles and a pandemic year that juiced athleisure sales, it’s staring down Lululemon. Athleta’s goal is to hit $2 billion in sales by 2023.

Over on the Nike partnerships team, it’s been an interesting week

On Monday, Complex Magazine reported that the estate of Kobe Bryant, the NBA legend who died in a helicopter crash last January, did not renew its sneaker deal with Nike.

• Kobe’s shoes were relatively “low priority” at Nike’s basketball division, but about 20% of NBA players wore Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes last season.

Because of Kobe’s sudden death, the current situation with his estate has “no analogue in basketball or sneaker history,” reports the NYT. Kobe’s widow Vanessa Bryant said she’s “hoping to forge a lifelong partnership with Nike that reflects my husband’s legacy,” but legal filings show the estate has filed for more than 13 trademarks since May 2020. That means Vanessa could be gearing up to launch an independent brand. 

COVID

Vaccine Tracker

In the US…J&J’s back. Health officials said J&J’s one-shot vaccine could resume after a total of 15 women experienced rare but sometimes deadly blood clots and the rollout was paused. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the downsides, but the FDA will include a warning statement about the clotting risks.

Around the world…optimistic new research from the UK found that Covid infections fell by 65% after adults received the first dose from AstraZeneca or Pfizer. And in Israel, which has sprinted to vaccinate residents, zero daily Covid deaths were reported for the first time in 10 months.

More headlines

Demand dampens: The daily average for vaccinations in the US has fallen below 3 million for the first time in weeks, and some mass vaccination sites across the country are closing due to lower demand. 

US is consulting but not committing: The CDC is providing “technical assistance” to India to help manage the country’s brutal second wave, but President Biden said that the US won’t be sharing any vaccines right now, despite stockpiling AstraZeneca shots that aren’t yet authorized in the US.

SPACE

SpaceX Sends Its Recyclables Into Orbit

Bookended by Monday’s historic Mars helicopter flight and yesterday’s SpaceX launch, it’s been a fine week for anyone who grew up rewatching October Sky. At 5:49 am ET, the Falcon 9 rocket launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft called Endeavour into orbit. A lot of rad names there, but what you really need to know is the Crew-2 mission is SpaceX’s second operational crew launch since partnering with NASA and its third to date.

The Crew-2 crew of four astronauts will spend six months on the International Space Station and join the members of Crew-1, who got up there in November. Other interesting mission facts:

• SpaceX has sent 10 astronauts to space in under a year.
• This is the first time the company has reused a rocket and capsule from a past mission—something CEO Elon Musk said is key to making space exploration cheaper.
• One of the astronauts in the capsule’s first flight last May was Robert Behnken, current Crew-2 copilot Megan McArthur’s husband. Cuuuute.

Big picture: NASA said that SpaceX’s and Boeing’s contracts have saved the agency more than $20 billion in development costs—as opposed to when it solely relied on Russian spacecrafts.

SPONSORED BY BOMBAY

Let Us Distill Some Knowledge for You

Perfectly distilled gin takes a master. More specifically, it takes Dr. Anne Brock—the Bombay Master Distiller. Yes, that’s a real title, and yes Dr. Brock is just as impressive as the bright, perfectly balanced, vibrant flavor of Bombay Sapphire. 

You can think of the masterminds at Bombay as the intelligentsia of gin. Not only does their Master Distiller have a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Oxford (you read that right), they also have a Master of Botanicals who hand-selects sustainably sourced botanicals—like Moroccan cubeb berries and West African Grains—from around the world. 

So when you’re sipping a classic G&T or opting for a friskier cocktail (might we suggest grapefruit and rosemary), Bombay Sapphire is the perfect base to elevate your beverage. 

No matter how you drink it, Bombay is without ques-gin, a better gin. 

Enjoy the refreshing taste of Bombay today.

GRAB BAG

Key Performance Indicators

Stat: Despite award show ratings tanking, Disney said that it has sold out of its ad inventory for the Oscars, which airs this Sunday night on ABC. The show brings in more ad money for ABC than any other day on the calendar ($129 million in 2020). 

Quote: “We clearly misjudged how this deal would be viewed by the wider football community and how it might impact them in the future. We will learn from this.”  

JPMorgan issued a statement apologizing for its role in the dumpster fire that was the Super League. The bank faced a barrage of criticism on social media for bankrolling the breakaway soccer league with $4.2 billion in financing.

Read: Thoughts on moving to Miami. (Devon Zuegel)

WORK

Italian Man Achieves Perfect Work-Life Balance

Ever get away with ditching a day of work? Two in a row? A whole week? Well, Italian hospital employee Salvatore Scumace is going to top you no matter what: He skipped every shift for 15 years but still made over $650,000. 

When the 67-year-old was supposed to be monitoring hospital security cameras for fires, he reportedly took nice strolls, told his neighbors he was retired, or chillaxed at home. But his days sipping mid-morning Aperol spritzes are behind him: This week, Italian authorities put his epic ditching streak in the spotlight when they announced they’re investigating his case. 

Scumace’s not the only one...

Slacking off as a public sector worker is a rampant-enough problem in Italy that Italians call perpetrators a name that roughly translates to “timecard weasels.” And since 2016, the government has taken steps to crack down on this growing Italian boogle (group of weasels). 

Looking ahead...Scumace could face charges of abuse of office, forgery, and aggravated extortion, but he’ll go down in Italian history as the “king of absentees.” 

TAX

May 17 Is Coming Up...

Morning Brew is teaming up with H&R Block to give you the facts, the context, and the tips you need to make sure you're prepared for the most complex tax filing season we can all remember.

In our Tax Guide, you’ll find…

• Expert interviews
• Important facts and deadlines
• Lists of required forms for people running their own businesses
• Classic Morning Brew-style quizzes

Bottom line: Treat your taxes like you treat getting a vaccine appointment. Check out our guide, then get 'em done ASAP so the May 17 deadline doesn’t sneak up on you.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• American Express said spending on travel and entertainment jumped 40% month over month in March.
• More than 23 million viewers tuned in to watch the verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday.
• Arsenal fans staged a protest of American owner Stan Kroenke over his plan to join the Super League. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he’d be interested in buying the club (cue Tottenham supporters switching to Apple Music).
• Caitlyn Jenner said she’s running for governor of California.

SPONSORED BY THE ASCENT

A trillion reasons to get this card. Not to bum you out, but the total credit card debt in the US is a trillion dollars. That looks like this: $1,000,000,000,000. This card, however, can help you keep that number from going up. With 0% interest for 18 billing cycles, you can save up to $1,863 in interest. You also won’t be charged a penalty APR for late payments or an annual fee. Apply here. 

BREW'S BETS

Watch list: The Academy Awards air this Sunday, and though it’s been a light year for new releases, try watching Minari and Nomadland in the Best Picture category, and check out the eye-candy animation style in the short French film, “Genius Loci.”

Weekend conversation starters:

• What’s the best investing advice you’ve ever received?
• Do you need to wear a mask outside? 
• Is liking QR code menus a freezing cold take? Sorry, Alex.

FROM THE CREW

Brew's Bookshelf

Every other week, Brew’s Bookshelf brings you a few of our favorite, business-related reads. Today, we’re back with another special weekend edition. 

1. Morning Brew’s employee book club is currently tackling Empire of Pain. Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe tells the story of how the Sackler family built its fortune in pharmaceuticals, then fell from grace as their role in the opioid epidemic was exposed.
2. As vaccines and wanderlust kick in, World Travel: An Irreverent Guide offers delicious inspiration from the late Anthony Bourdain. 

GAMES

Brew Crossword: Beverages

Don’t be surprised to see Morning Brew mentioned a few times in this puzzle by Katya Maes.

Play it here.

Btw, we are hiring for a part-time Puzzle Creator to help us build out these crosswords and other games. If that sounds like you, apply here.

✢ A Note From Bombay

Enjoy responsibly. ©2021. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND ITS TRADE DRESS ARE TRADEMARKS. IMPORTED BY THE BOMBAY SPIRITS COMPANY U.S.A., CORAL GABLES, FL. GIN – 47% ALC. BY VOL.