- __[Bust](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/3kOsGkEHbBt1CqkaBXzvxc/articles/6NgSN4kssplfENc3RTUY6p/):__ Federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against crypto "wunderkind" Sam Bankman-Fried last week. Lawmakers and regulators could crack down on other centralized crypto players next.
- __[Power](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/7BujElyo2t6JbWrNXJ6eKK/):__ The US Department of Energy announced a [milestone](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-13/nuclear-fusion-energy-will-likely-take-decades-to-reach-commercial-viability) last week in the development of fusion energy. But commercial nuclear-fusion tech (picture: electricity, heating homes) could be decades away.
- __[Lux](https://snacks.robinhood.com/newsletters/4Jy0RmQnV60oK4MUgx5hqa/articles/7driDwhdTnucdUECh5IdPQ/):__ More Americans are heading to Europe to splurge at designer stores, courtesy of the strong dollar. While the shopping spree is great for European retail, it could discourage tourism and spending in the US.

ICYMI

Last week's highlights...

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 Report: US Army will buy 1 million drones

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 reported Q3 earnings that were not well received by the market, with shares cratering in after-hour...

 shareholder meetings are like no other. Where else does a man, just awarded a $1 trillion pay packa...

__Hot jobs eats…__ meet cool inflation treats. Last week's strong jobs report [surprised](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-15/us-jobless-claims-unexpectedly-drop-to-lowest-since-september) analysts expecting higher unemployment #s. Instead, new claims fell to their lowest level since September. That's not all: last week's inflation report showed that prices grew more slowly in November than experts had predicted (think: 7.1% in a year vs. 7.3%). Now some Wall Street analysts hope the US economy can avoid a recession with a Goldilocks-like "soft landing" (picture: a controlled economic slowdown).

- __Threading a needle…__ while doing cartwheels. Soft landings are difficult to pull off. They're rare too: the last one was in 1994.
- __Times’ve changed…__ Economists say that unlike in the ’90s, we're now facing dual supply shocks with Covid and Russia's war on Ukraine.

__The “[vibecession](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/08/recession-or-vibecession.html)” will be televised…__ With wage growth lagging behind inflation and countless headline-making layoffs — 114K tech workers have been axed since March alone — the economic vibe this year has been rough. But *reality's* been mixed. Gas is cheaper than a year ago, and 72% of those laid-off tech workers found jobs within three months. What's more, over half of those rehired workers got a pay bump. More bright news: just last week Fed Chair Powell said new growth-rate projections are not in recession territory.

Practically givin' it away (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Mixed

__Recession worries ≠ recession reality…__ CEOs have been forecasting economic doom and gloom for months. In June, __[JPMorgan's](https://robinhood.com/stocks/JPM/)__ CEO warned of an economic "hurricane," and last week __[United Airlines'](https://robinhood.com/stocks/UAL/)__ CEO said the company was preparing for a "mild recession." A recession could still happen. But it's also possible that the Fed's ongoing rate hikes could work as intended: slowing the economy down just enough for the fabled soft landing.

Cooling inflation and a hot jobs report prompt soft-landing talk, but the “vibecession” is hard to shake

__All aboard…__ cruise szn is back on. After the pandemic forced ships to dock for nearly three years, companies like __[Carnival](https://robinhood.com/stocks/CCL/)__ have sailed back to record bookings. Last quarter, the world’s biggest cruise operator saw its revenue jump 700% to $4.3B as more travelers hit the seas. Still, Carnival shares lost over half their value this year as the biz navigated higher costs (like: oil and gas) and lingering Covid disruptions. But as the travel boom heats up again, analysts expect smoother sailing and revenue growth when Carnival reports on Wednesday.

Events

Coming up this week...

__$6 mozz sticks…__ $5 delivery fee. NYC could soon let food-delivery apps charge restaurants more. Refresher: when the pandemic hit, lawmakers limited fees to 20% in the US's largest food-delivery market. Now __[Grubhub](https://robinhood.com/stocks/GRUB/)__ and __[DoorDash](https://robinhood.com/stocks/DASH/)__ are pushing a bill that would let them charge more $$ for perks like marketing. Supporters say the bill could help small eateries get greater exposure, while critics say it favors big franchises that can afford to splurge. The clock’s ticking: delivery apps hope that extra fees can help offset the higher wages that could go into effect in Gotham early in the new year.

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Inflation and job numbers prompt soft-landing talk, but the “vibecession” is hard to shake

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Argentina’s World Cup title victory yesterday was the first for superstar Lionel Messi and the third win for his country since 1978

💼 Cooler inflation meets hot jobs

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