Bezos hugs Mother Earth

Friday, September 20, 2019 by Snacks
_Give Google the drone remote_

Give Google the drone remote

Yesterday’s Market Moves
Dow Jones
27,095 (-0.19%)
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3,007 (+0.01%)
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8,183 (+0.07%)
Bitcoin
$10,251 (+0.42%)
10-Yr US Treasury
1.786%

Hey Snackers,

Yoga. Fries. Repeat. McDonald's just jumped into athleisurewear.

Markets inched close to a record high as they got comfortable with 0.25% lower interest rates after The Fed's moves this week.

Bzzzz

1. Google teams up with FedEx and Walgreens for drone delivery next month

'Drone delivery team, assemble'... Alphabet doesn't just own Google — it also owns Wing, the drone delivery startup developed in its experimental "Google X" lab. Starting next month, Wing will be flying Advil, Tums, and Kit-Kats around for Walgreens, FedEx, and (randomly) a regional gift store charmingly called Sugar Magnolia. It'll deliver "within minutes." Bold claim.

Heads-up, Virginia... The most ambitious drone pilot program yet kicks off in Christiansburg, VA — conveniently near the US Department of Transportation. Wing has been testing with the DOT since 2016 to prep for this moment. Here are the key numbers.

  • 78%: That's how much of the US lives within 5 miles of a Walgreens — and a large portion needs prescriptions consistently or pills ASAP.
  • 10 miles: That's the range of a Wing drone, so the pilot is keeping things local.
  • wing.com/virginia: If you're in the area, that's where you can sign up to be an early user (tweet us at @RobinhoodSnacks how it goes).
THE TAKEAWAY

Wing is a model for tech & regulator cooperation... Wing become the 1st drone operator to be verified by the FAA. Only after that did it pursue these partnerships — and it's doing them in the regulator's backyard (compare that to Uber bulldozing rules to enter new cities). Wing first asked for permission, not forgiveness — and regulators seem to let things move along at a nice pace. Wing should send them an apple pie via drone.

Green-up

2. Amazon commits to carbon neutrality — then orders 100K electric delivery vans

If you're on time, you're late... If you're 10 years early, you're on time. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took Amazon from loser to leader in the fight against Climate Change, the day before the Global Climate Strike (which is today).

  • Loser: Amazon transports 10B packages/year with fuel-burning planes and trucks in way-bigger-than-necessary boxes-within-boxes (plus packing peanuts).
  • Leader: It just co-founded "The Climate Pledge," to achieve the ambitious goals of the Paris Climate Accord 10 years ahead of its 2050 deadline. (FYI — The US is the only country in the world not in on the global pact to save the planet).

2 goals: Carbon neutral by 2040 and 100% renewable by 2030... Here's how Amazon's planning to un-do all its carbon footprints:

  • Keep investing in renewable: Jeff offered up a map of Amazon's solar and wind facilities (it's already 40% renewable).
  • Reforest the forests: Plant millions of trees, which inhale CO2 and exhale oxygen. #bio101
  • Buy 100K electric delivery vans: Amazon's an investor in Rivian (based in Plymouth, MI), which will deliver Amazon its first all-electric cargo van in 2021 (pic here).
THE TAKEAWAY

The purpose of a corporation has changed... Until this year, companies were officially supposed to look after profits only. But the Business Roundtable changed this summer to become less narrow-minded — Amazon is taking care of other stakeholders besides shareholders with this move. Like the planet, and those who live on it.

What else we’re Snackin’

  • Play: Toys 'R' Us partners with Candytopia for its comeback as it basically transforms into a theme park
  • Veg: Impossible Foods, the plant-based startup, is hitting southern California grocery shelves Friday as it heads nationwide
  • $$$: Netflix considers giving directors of its most popular and award-winning films some bonus money
  • Denied: Datadog just IPO'd — and Cisco offered to buy the company for $7B a few weeks ago to snag it before it went publicly (Datadog said no)
  • Tops: Microsoft stock hits a record high after it decides to boost its dividends to give some cash back to its shareholders

Friday

Disclosure: Authors of this Snacks own shares of Amazon

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