Friday morning news drop
Why is Russia invading Ukraine and what does Putin want? For months Russia’s Vladimir Putin denied planning to attack Ukraine, but on Thursday he announced a “special military operation” in the country’s Donbas region. The announcement on live television was followed by reports of explosions in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv as well as other parts of the country. (BBC)
Autopsied bodies and false flags: How pro-Russian disinformation spreads chaos in Ukraine In Russia, military might and KGB-inspired disinformation go hand in hand. (Grid)
Efficiency Rules – The future of retail The future of retail is all about customer productivity. At Canadian Tire Hillside, owner Justin Young is thinking outside the box to create an in-store experience that is efficient, engaging and technologically informed. (Douglas)
It’s Ugly Out There Since 1950, the S&P 500 has declined 10% from its highs 25 times. Twelve times it fell more than 20%. A coin toss that a correction turns into a bear market. It’s important to point out that most investors don’t have all of their money in the S&P 500. The numbers don’t adequately convey the stress felt by some investors, so let me break it down… (Irrelevant Investor)
S&P 500 Charts Are So Bad Even Bulls Are Looking to Adjust Bets Stocks under pressure on Ukraine-Russia tensions, hawkish Fed S&P 500 living on edge of support, says Piper’s Craig Johnson (Bloomberg)
Shopify’s Evolution Even with a toehold in the consumer space, though, Shopify has remained a company that is focused first-and-foremost on its merchants and its mission to “help people achieve independence by making it easier to start, run, and grow a business.” That independence doesn’t just mean one-person entrepreneurs either: good-size brands like Gymshark, Rebecca Minkoff, KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, and FIGS leverage Shopify to build brands that are independent of Amazon in particular. (Stratechery)
What It’ll Take to Get Electric Planes off the Ground The lithium-ion battery is good for moving cars short distances, but aviation requires longer-lasting power. Maybe we need to try other elements. (Wired)
The Millions of People Stuck in Pandemic Limbo: What does society owe immunocompromised people? Close to 3 percent of U.S. adults take immunosuppressive drugs; at least 7 million immunocompromised people—a number that’s already larger than the populations of 36 states, without even including the millions more who have diseases that also hamper immunity, such as AIDS and at least 450 genetic disorders. (The Atlantic)
Videos of the Week
Chaos in Duluth | Red Bull Heavy Metal 2022 Highlights After a nearly two-decade hiatus, Red Bull Heavy Metal is back - and heavier than ever. Taking place at the iconic Cascade Park in Duluth, MN, Red Bull Heavy Metal played host to 40 of the world’s top rail riders in a day-long street snowboarding competition unlike any other.
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa - Hallways: "The experience of skiing chutes, couloirs, ridges, and corridors are also correlated to the way bike trails snake and wind through the land. What we do on the trail is fun, but it's the 'where we are' factor that really grabs me in either environment."
CHAD KERLEY - THE WAY OF THE MASTER - LOCKDOWN RAW CUT
CULTCREW/ CHAD CURTIS/ 2022 One of the coolest things in BMX is the unique individuals that make up this community...Chad Curtis is exactly this, super original, passionate, creative, BMX lifer...Stoked to finally show you some of his shredding...
DYLAN RIEDER 5 years since Dylan Rieder passed away. In my opinion he was the coolest to ever step on a skateboard, and the world is so much less cool without him.
Cold Call: Felipe Nunes Hop on the mission with Felipe as he tackles a behemoth bank ride and comes back for more. Grit doesn't even begin to describe this guy.
Cold Call: Bob Burnquist Bob shows us around the compound, hoppin' the channel switch in his concrete bowl and closing out at the Mega.
Andy Anderson Joins Etnies Skate Team
MASHER: Houston Gregson treks down to Texas, catching clips with T-Hawk, The Muscle, Rune, Andy Mac and more. This crew can kill some ‘crete.