Raphael Stevens

Robin Hayes will run Airbus’ North America business.
Hayes left JetBlue in February, saying he stepped down on the “advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it’s time I put more focus on my health and well-being.”
Hayes’ departure announcement from JetBlue came weeks before a judge knocked down JetBlue’s plan to purchase budget carrier Spirit Airlines.

Robin Hayes, chief executive officer of JetBlue Airways Corp., speaks during an Economic Club of New York event in New York, US, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Former JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes will run Airbus’ North America arm, replacing Jeffrey Knittel, the airplane maker said Monday.
Hayes left JetBlue in February after the airline’s planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines fell apart following a federal judge’s decision to block the deal in an antitrust lawsuit brought by the Justice Department.

Hayes, a longtime airline executive who has also held senior leadership roles at British Airways, will start in June. He will be managing Airbus’ business in the region, where it has expanded production of narrow-body jets in Mobile, Alabama. It has customers including Delta Air Lines, his former employer JetBlue and the carrier’s acquisition target Spirit.
When Hayes announced his departure from JetBlue in January, he said, “Extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it’s time I put more focus on my health and well-being.”

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Cricket world cup matches will take place in the U.S. for the first time ever in June, marking a push to grow the sport in North America.
Cricket is hugely popular in countries such as India and Pakistan. The average value of an Indian Premier League team has exceeded $1 billion, according to Forbes, and investors are taking notice.
Experts and fans say the historic world cup could open the doors for the sport’s future in the U.S.

USA Cricket Vice-Captain Aaron Jones poses next to a giant cricket ball, installed at a marketplace to mark 100 days to go for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, in Miami, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2024.
Chandan Khanna | Afp | Getty Images

A major cricket world cup is coming to U.S. soil for the first time in June as the sport sets out to chart its future in the U.S.
Cricket, a game similar to baseball, originated in England and has long been popular there. But the sport has boomed in India, the world’s most populous country, as well as some other former British colonies.

In the U.S., it is mostly immigrants and their children who enjoy cricket. But in 2023, the sport got a boost as Major League Cricket debuted in the U.S. with six teams: the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom.
And now, the U.S. men’s national cricket team will represent the home country in this year’s International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup. The teams play in the Twenty20, or T20, format, the shortest and most popular form of the sport. While traditional cricket matches can last as long as five days, a T20 match typically lasts around three hours.
This year’s world cup is co-hosted by the U.S. and the West Indies and will take place in three U.S. stadiums — in Texas, Florida and New York — as well as several locations in the West Indies.
“This is a historic opportunity for the U.S.,” said former ESPN cricket writer Peter Della Penna.

Success in India

While it hasn’t broken through in the U.S., cricket has seen success in such countries as Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies. But it’s arguably made the biggest mark in India, where it’s the most popular sport in a country of more than 1.4 billion people, according to research firm Statista.

Cricket is already a big business in the Asian subcontinent. In 2022, it accounted for 85% of India’s national spending on sports, according to ISPO, which hosts trade shows for the sports business.
And viewership continues to break records. Disney said its Disney Star Network broadcast of the professional Indian Premier League, or IPL, tournament in 2023 saw a record 505 million viewers in India, making it the first one to draw more than half a billion viewers.
The average value of an IPL team has exceeded $1 billion, according to Forbes, and investors are taking notice. In June 2021, private equity firm RedBird took a 15% stake in IPL team Rajasthan Royals for $37.5 million.
A year later, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the country’s governing body for the sport, sold television and digital broadcasting rights for a record $6.2 billion. That gave the IPL the second-highest per-match value for a sporting league in the world, behind the NFL, according to Jay Shah, honorary secretary of the BCCI.
The early June world cup matchups will bring some of that star power to the U.S., with a high-profile India-Pakistan competition and culminating in a U.S.-India match.
“[The U.S.-India] match has already been sold out with 34,000 seats at the venue in New York,” Della Penna said. “That just gives you a sense of the magnitude of the opportunity that [the U.S. is] going to have during the world cup — with a television audience that’s unprecedented for any match that the U.S. has ever been involved with before — when you consider the Indian market and other markets like England or Australia.”
The ICC’s decision to host part of the world cup in the U.S. — and especially the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match — was a strategic move to take advantage of the potential for growth in the country, according to USA Cricket. The U.S. will host the tournament a few years before cricket comes to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Della Penna, who has covered cricket for nearly two decades, also said the move is financially motivated.
“[The ICC] made sure to put the India and Pakistan match on U.S. soil because they know there’s a couple million people in the [South Asian] diaspora who are massive cricket fans,” Della Penna said.

Cricketers Liam Plunkett, center left, and Dwayne Bravo, center right, pose for pictures with children during a media day to mark 100 days to go until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosted in the West Indies and the U.S., at Times Square in New York City, Feb. 22, 2024.
Mike Stobe | Icc | Getty Images

Tasmai Krishnan, a teenage cricket enthusiast in India and host of podcast “Cricstatic,” said the sport is an “integral part” of Indian culture. With new sports such as pickleball gathering popularity, Tasmai said he hopes cricket will also grow in the U.S. and he’s interested to see how the U.S. will fit into the global cricket circuit after the world cup.
“Coming from an Indian perspective, this opens another range of cricket here because it unlocks another country that is going to be a fierce competitor in the future,” Tasmai said. “This is a great learning opportunity for the U.S. team, and to see a nation like the U.S. participating, it really fills my heart with joy.”

‘A dream come true’

The match between the U.S. and India will strike an interesting balance for Indian Americans in choosing which country to cheer for, Della Penna said.
One of those people is George Samuel, a resident of Nassau County, New York, where some of the world cup games will take place. Samuel is the head coach and director of Queens United Cricket Academy, which cultivates cricket skills for children and teens. Though he immigrated to the U.S. from India in 1987, he also coached cricket in England, Australia and South Africa. When he got to New York, he wanted to pass down the sport.
“I was super excited,” he said about learning the world cup would be taking place in his backyard. “I never thought that this was going to happen when I came to this country — it’s a dream come true.”
Samuel, who already has his tickets secured, said he believes this world cup will be a launching pad for cricket to take off in the U.S. — but he’s not rooting for either side in the final match.
“I like to see good cricket. I don’t have loyalty. I want to see the U.S. show good talent, and I want to see that good bat and bowl and lots of sixers,” he said. A “sixer” is the cricket equivalent of a baseball home run.
Samuel’s teenage son, Jeremy, said that despite his family’s Indian roots, he’s cheering for the U.S., the country he was born in, because he wants to play cricket professionally and for the U.S. team.
Jeremy also has his tickets for the world cup, along with his friends, none of whom have witnessed a major cricket match before.
“It’s really exciting to be able to watch it here — it’s 15 minutes away from my house,” he said. “It’s a big moment for us to finally see one. … It makes me feel happy because now more people will know about cricket and will start to play it.”
Others are more interested in supporting the Indian team against its traditional rivals.
California resident Mythili Sankaran, who said she has watched every match India has played in the last 25 years, said she isn’t even watching the U.S.-India match and is traveling to New York only for the India-Pakistan installment of the world cup.
“Growing up in India with the Indian team, we were always the underdogs. Now, India is one of the most, if not the most, promising and powerful team in world cricket,” said Sankaran, who said she played cricket at the university level in India before immigrating to the U.S.
“To be able to watch all these international stars, to watch an India-Pakistan match in the U.S. — I didn’t think I’d do that in my lifetime,” she said. “I think the cricket audience in the U.S. is maturing largely due to Indian Americans, and it’s about time.”
And ultimately, Sankaran said, she hopes the world cup marks the start of a new era.
“What I’m hoping is … people get to see women’s cricket in the U.S. as well,” she said. “The U.S. women’s cricket team is actually doing quite well, so I’m hoping that there will be a lot more awareness and visibility to that.” More

Most people taking GLP-1 medications say they are spending less on eating out at restaurants and ordering takeout, according to a new Morgan Stanley survey.
A smaller share of those surveyed say they are tightening their purse strings in the grocery store.
The findings add to concerns that soaring demand for GLP-1s could take a bite out of the bottom lines of some of the biggest restaurant companies and packaged food makers.
Some food and restaurant companies are more at risk than others.

A food delivery messenger carries a take out bag outside aSweetgreen in Manhattan on September 14, 2023.
Jeenah Moon | The Washington Post | Getty Images

A highly popular group of weight loss and diabetes drugs is decreasing some consumers’ appetites — and also how much they spend on food.
Most people taking those medications, called GLP-1s, say they are spending less on eating out at restaurants and ordering takeout, according to a Morgan Stanley survey released on Tuesday. A smaller share of those surveyed say they are tightening their purse strings in the grocery store.

The findings add to the mounting concerns that soaring demand for GLP-1s could take a bite out of the bottom lines of some of the biggest restaurant companies and makers of packaged snacks like Doritos, Oreos and Hershey’s Kisses. GLP-1s include Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss injection Wegovy and diabetes counterpart Ozempic, along with Eli Lilly’s popular weight loss treatment Zepbound and diabetes injection Mounjaro. 
The rising demand for these four drugs isn’t expected to ease anytime soon. In the new survey, Morgan Stanley analysts said they expect the market for GLP-1s to be worth $105 billion by 2030. They also estimate that 31.5 million people, or around 9% of the U.S. population, will take GLP-1s by 2035. 
“There is growing evidence that the drugs have a meaningful impact on consumer behavior and spending on groceries and restaurants,” Morgan Stanley analysts said in the survey. “All of these dynamics suggest GLP-1 drugs’ impact across consumer sectors is set to increase as drug uptake grows and the drugs reshape behavior among a demographic group that represents a disproportionate share of calorie consumption.”

But many food and beverage companies have reassured investors over the last few months that it’s still unclear how much those drugs will lower their revenue. Morgan Stanley also said in the survey that GLP-1s are a manageable long-term pressure on restaurants, not an “existential risk.”  
“Restaurants offer convenience and/or experience in addition to food, and that won’t change with GLP-1 usage,” the analysts said. But some restaurants may have to adapt to health-conscious consumer behaviors, they noted. 

Healthier fast-casual restaurants and coffee are better positioned to manage the increasing consumer use of GLP-1s, including Cava, Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Starbucks, according to Morgan Stanley. Domestic service restaurants and “more indulgent” fast-casual restaurants could face more pressure, including Jack in the Box, Wendy’s, Wingstop, Shake Shack and Portillos. 
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley views Hershey as the most at-risk among packaged food companies given its American consumer-focused snacking portfolio. Companies that offer healthy foods should benefit from GLP-1s, including Vital Farms, Bellring Brands, Simply Good Foods, the firm said. 
Among beverage companies, those that produce alcoholic drinks are at the highest risk. Those include Molson Coors, Boston Beer, Constellation Brands and Diageo, according to Morgan Stanley.

Boxes of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024. 
Hollie Adams | Reuters

Morgan Stanley conducted the survey of 300 consumers who are currently taking GLP-1 drugs in February. Those people are “early in their weight loss journey,” but are making substantial changes to their diets and spending, according to the firm.
When asked to gauge how their monthly spending on eating out at restaurants has changed since starting a GLP-1, 63% of the consumers said they are spending less, 28% said they are spending about the same amount, and 9% said they are spending more. Meanwhile, 61% said they are spending less on deliveries or takeout from restaurants, 31% said they are spending around the same amount and 8% said they are spending more. 
Fewer participants said they lowered their grocery spending since they started a GLP-1: 31% said they are spending less, 46% said they are spending around the same amount and 23% said they are spending more. 
The survey also found that people tended to stick with the same restaurant but changed the kinds of meals they ordered.
When asked whether they finish less of the food they order in one sitting when dining out, 42% of participants said “always” or “most of the time,” and 44% said “occasionally.” Forty-one percent said they are “always” or “most of the time” ordering smaller portions of food overall, while 43% said they are only sometimes doing that. 
Consumers in the survey reported reduced food consumption across the board, but the difference is most notable on snacks, confections, carbonated and sugary drinks and alcohol, according to the Morgan Stanley survery. Roughly half of people reported cutting consumption of regular sodas, alcohol and salty snacks by 50% or more since starting on weight loss drugs. Twenty-two percent reported stopping alcohol consumption entirely. 

Based on those results, Morgan Stanley forecasts that consumption of ice cream, cakes, cookies, candy, chocolate, frozen pizzas, chips and regular sodas could fall 4% to 5% by 2035. The firm also expects a roughly 3% decrease in consumption of alcohol, frozen popcorn or pretzels, crackers, cereals, cheese, gum or mints and energy drinks, among others. 
Pre-packaged fruit juices, soups, sports drinks, coffee, frozen diet meals, tea, granola and energy bars are among the foods that will see the least reduction in consumption, the firm said. 
Notably, the survey also found that 40% of participants reported smoking traditional cigarettes at least weekly before starting a GLP-1, but that number declined to 24% after treatment. Weekly e-cigarette use similarly fell from 30% to 16% of respondents. 
However, Morgan Stanley said it is cautious about drawing conclusions from the survey on the impact of GLP-1s on addictive behaviors such as smoking. The firm said it is monitoring the ongoing medical research in that area.

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Volkswagen workers in Tennessee have voted to join the United Auto Workers — marking the union’s first successful organizing drive of a foreign automaker.
UAW leaders and supporters are expected to use the win as a launching point for the union’s unprecedented organizing campaign of 13 automakers in the U.S.
The UAW previously failed to organize the Volkswagen plant amid greater outside political pressure and worker opposition in 2014 and 2019.

Kelcey Smith displays UAW buttons in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 10, 2024. 
Kevin Wurm | The Washington Post | Getty Images

Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have overwhelmingly voted to join the United Auto Workers — marking a major milestone for the union and its first successful organizing drive of an automaker outside of Detroit’s Big Three.
Union organizing passed with 73% of the vote, or 2,628 workers, in support for the UAW, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election. A total of roughly 3,620, or about 84%, of the 4,326 eligible VW workers voted in the election, the NLRB said. Seven ballots were challenged and three others were voided.

“In a historic victory, an overwhelming majority of Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have voted to join the UAW,” the union said in a release Friday night before official results were released by the NLRB. “While votes continue to be tallied, the outcome is clear: Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga are the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three to win their union.”
The NLRB still must certify the result, but barring any unexpected issues or challenges, the company is required to bargain in good faith with the union. The talks can be direct or go first through a mediator.
The sides have five business days to file objections to the election, according to the NLRB. If no objections are filed, the result will be certified.
VW confirmed the UAW’s win in a release Friday night but offered little additional comment.
“We will await certification of the results by the NLRB,” the company said. “Volkswagen thanks its Chattanooga workers for voting in this election.”

UAW leaders and supporters are expected to use the win as a launching point for the union’s unprecedented organizing campaign of 13 automakers in the U.S. following major contract wins last year with General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis.
President Joe Biden, who has heavily supported organized labor and the UAW, congratulated the union on its “historic vote.”
“Across the country, union members have logged major wins and large raises, including auto workers, actors, port workers, Teamsters, writers, warehouse and health care workers, and more. Together, these union wins have helped raise wages and demonstrate once again that the middle-class built America and that unions are still building and expanding the middle class for all workers,” Biden said in a statement.

In this aerial view, a Volkswagen automobile assembly plant is seen on March 20, 2024 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 
Elijah Nouvelage | Getty Images

UAW President Shawn Fain and others saw this week’s vote as the union’s best shot at organizing the VW plant following the strikes and record contracts at the Detroit automakers. Those agreements included significant wage increase, reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments and other benefits.
The successful organizing drive comes days after six Republican governors of Southern states, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, released a joint statement condemning the UAW’s push to organize in their states.
“We have worked tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to bring good-paying jobs to our states. These jobs have become part of the fabric of the automotive manufacturing industry. Unionization would certainly put our states’ jobs in jeopardy — in fact, in this year already, all of the UAW automakers have announced layoffs,” the statement said.
The UAW previously failed to organize the Volkswagen plant in 2014 and 2019 as it faced greater outside political pressure and worker opposition. Workers rejected union membership by just 833 to 776 votes five years ago.

UAW President Shawn Fain greets members attending a rally in support of the labor union strike at the UAW Local 551 hall on the South Side on October 7, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Jim Vondruska | Getty Images

The union will now set its sights on negotiating with VW. It will also look to an anticipated organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers at an SUV plant in Vance, Alabama.
Workers at the facility earlier this month filed NLRB paperwork for a formal election to join the UAW. The vote for 5,200 workers will occur from May 13 through May 17, the NLRB announced Thursday.
“The first thing you need to do to win is to believe that you can win,” Fain told Mercedes-Benz workers last month. “That this job can be better. That your life can be better. And that those things are worth fighting for. That is why we stand up. That’s why you’re here today. Because deep down, you believe it’s possible.”
Fain previously vowed to move beyond the Big Three and expand to the “Big Five or Big Six” by the time its four-and-a-half-year contracts with the Detroit automakers expire in 2028.

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