- __[Venti](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/2YqcBYxzohfktpoVUVl5xf/):__ __[Starbucks](https://robinhood.com/stocks/SBUX)__ workers in New York voted to form the company’s first-ever union as a national labor movement continues to pick up steam.
- __[Probe](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/5rqDw9Gg96DzdNkRZaFKEX/articles/1LLPwFObPGsRzgZt9srVnj/):__ The SPAC merging with former President Donald Trump's media company is being investigated by federal regulators, as scrutiny over IPO alternatives intensifies. 
- __[Juicy](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/5rqDw9Gg96DzdNkRZaFKEX/articles/6KC3fl6vGirnrMyYViN6di/):__ Over 50 electric power companies plan to build a coast-to-coast network of fast-charging EV stations, which could be the magic pill to cure "range anxiety."

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__Smokin' meats with Zuck's avatar...__ __[Meta](https://robinhood.com/stocks/FB)__ (fka Facebook) has been positioning its "Horizon Worlds" as a building block in the metaverse since 2019. The metaverse = a vision for an internet you can *be inside of* — from VR learning to meditating under (virtual) Mount Everest. Last week, Meta finally [opened](https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/tech/meta-launches-horizon-worlds/index.html) its virtual world to every adult in the US. You no longer need an invitation to enter, but you *do* need a $300 Oculus headset.

- __In Horizon Worlds,__ customizable (but legless) avatars play games and socialize in VR. Meta said users have built thousands of worlds in the app since its beta launch last year.
- __Not-quite-metaverse:__ Still, Horizon Worlds’ launch represents a giant step that Meta’s taken to expand VR, which is key to the meta-future.

__Back to the future...__ Instead of an ’80s sports car, you're traveling in a virtual yacht. While the fully fledged metaverse hasn’t arrived, here's how consumers are most likely to engage with it — *and how they already are*:

- __Gaming:__ The most common meta use case right now. Gaming leaders like __[Roblox](https://robinhood.com/stocks/RBLX)__ and Fortnite creator __Epic__ see their 2D and 3D digital worlds as constantly evolving meta hubs.
- __Working:__ From Meta's "Horizon Workrooms" to __[Nvidia's](https://robinhood.com/stocks/NVDA)__ "Omniverse Enterprise" and __[Microsoft's](https://robinhood.com/stocks/MSFT)__ "Mesh," tech giants are trying to let you work at the office *from* home (#AvatarColleague).
- __Socializing:__ Apps like __AltspaceVR__ let you hang in VR locales, from comedy clubs to bars. A Marshmello concert in Fortnite [attracted](https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/21/18234980/fortnite-marshmello-concert-viewer-numbers) *10M* people.
- __Shopping:__ From e-Jordans for your avatar to $650K digital yachts and NFT art for your meta-mansion. Some developers have already built meta-malls where you could shop in VR stores.

Addressing the meta-elephant in the room [John M Lund/Stone via Getty Images]

Legless

__Meta-reality is coming…__ The metaverse market could hit [$800B](https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/blog/metaverse-may-be-800-billion-market-next-tech-platform/) by 2024, as tech powerhouses invest in building it. Meta says it'll hire 10K people and spend $10B over the next year on its meta-ambitions. CEO Mark Zuckerberg [hopes](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/09/facebook-opens-horizon-worlds-vr-metaverse-app-.html) that by 2030 the metaverse will reach 1B people, facilitate hundreds of billions of $$$ of commerce, and support millions of jobs. But even once the tech is mastered, the metaverse faces hurdles to going mainstream. Expensive headsets = barrier. Also, the [mental-health toll](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/digital-world-real-world/202110/will-the-metaverse-impact-mental-health) of spending time in the metaverse is still unknown. So are the myriad effects of wearing headsets for big chunks of your day.

The future of the consumer metaverse — and how tech titans could shape it

__Crypto goes to Washington…__ Last week, execs from crypto juggernauts like __[Coinbase](https://robinhood.com/stocks/COIN)__ and __Circle__ [defended](https://www.wsj.com/articles/crypto-ceos-to-testify-before-lawmakers-weighing-greater-regulation-11638959403) the industry to Congress. Lawmakers — and SEC Chair Gary Gensler — have called for stricter rules in the booming $2T+ crypto market, saying investors and markets are at risk. But the execs highlighted their belief that crypto *improves* markets by making transactions faster, cheaper, and more accessible. They also said crypto should be governed by crypto-specific regulations, not existing ones used for stocks or other securities. Because lawmakers increasingly disagree over crypto’s future along partisan lines, experts don’t expect big changes soon.

__“Financial uncoupling”...__ This month, the White House announced the US would stage a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing over China’s human-rights abuses. But US-China tension is rising in the financial arena too. __[DiDi](https://robinhood.com/stocks/DIDI)__ (the “__[Uber](https://robinhood.com/stocks/UBER)__ of China”) began [delisting](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/4Kd4lO6WFcc5HwEH5XR6SP/) from the NYSE two weeks ago under pressure from Chinese regulators. Meanwhile, US regulators [finalized](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/02/sec-issues-final-regs-that-allow-it-to-delist-foreign-companies-that-dont-comply-with-audit-rules.html) rules to *forcibly* delist foreign companies that don't follow auditing rules. We could see a wave of Chinese companies leaving US markets — which could hurt both American and Chinese investors.

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Stories we’re watching...

__Christmas gifts on New Year's…__ This holiday season is poised to be another [record](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/03/holiday-shopping-2021-spending-set-to-blow-past-records-nrf-says.html) year of gift-giving, but it hasn’t been so merry for __[FedEx](https://robinhood.com/stocks/FDX)__, which reports Thursday. Last quarter, FedEx’s profits cooled as wage hikes (see: labor shortage) and higher transportation costs added $450M in expenses. Plus, competition is hot: __[Amazon’s](https://robinhood.com/stocks/AMZN)__ on pace to become the largest US delivery service by early next year. FedEx has already cut its earnings outlook for the year, and it's still TBD how Omicron could affect the rest of the holiday shopping season.

__Unlimited breadsticks are back…__ Olive Garden owner __[Darden Restaurants](https://robinhood.com/stocks/DRI)__ has majorly rebounded from its pandemic plunge, as hangry Eggplant Parm-pounders hit dining rooms. Carbo-loaded quarterly sales jumped 51% from last year, even topping pre-pandemic levels. Darden’s profit more than 6X’d, as it cut back on marketing and kept its menu simple (no 146-ingredient linguini). Despite a national labor shortage, Darden added 34 new restaurants and is almost back to its pre-Covid staffing levels. Next, Darden serves up earnings on Friday.

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