1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Markets Podcast. I'm Paul Sweeney, alongside 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: my co host Matt Miller. Every business day we bring 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: you interviews from CEOs, market pros, and Bloomberg experts, along 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: with essential market moving news. Find the Bloomberg Markets Podcast 5 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts, and 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot com slash podcast. Now, we want to 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: talk about the restaurant business with Lad Ricker's, the CEO 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: of zen Put. If you run a large restaurant chain, 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: you already know what the company does. It's a platform 10 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: used by huge names Domino's, Papa John's, uh KFC, five Guys, Chipotle, etcetera. Um, 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: I don't know exactly what it does flat, so I 12 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: know that you your platform helps people with safety, helps people, 13 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: especially giving the COVID situation. But what exactly do people 14 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: use zen Put to do? Yeah, of course, thanks for 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: having us so our customers. You said to make sure 16 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: that every time you walk into one of their locations, 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: the food and dying experience is great. There making sure 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: that the food is being handled and prepared to safely, 19 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: you know, taking temperature readings, making sure that the hot 20 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: food is hot. The cold food is cold, and particularly 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: given given last year with COVID, a lot of our 22 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: customers were used us to make sure that you know, 23 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: safety and clean procedures were followed, that they were being 24 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: done correctly, so that you and I, whatever we walk 25 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:24,919 Speaker 1: into one of these places, we know great, this place 26 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: is UM. This places following the like protocols and as 27 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: you were mentioning, that's correct. We worked with some phenomenal 28 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: brands that about UM and roughly about fifty locations across 29 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: a hundred plus companies, including including the Dominoes in Germany 30 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: and even there should grows technology in Germany as well. 31 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: So glad. You know, you walk past almost any restaurant 32 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: here in the States, whether it's a you know, part 33 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: of the national chain like a Papa John's or Chipotle, 34 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: or you know, an independently owned restaurant, almost everyone has 35 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: a help wanted sign in the window here. How bad 36 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: is the labor shortage in the restaurants slash fast food business? Yeah, look, 37 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: it's it's it's challenging right now. You know, there's a 38 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: there's a comment that we heard from our customers starting 39 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: a couple of months ago that said we felt like 40 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: we just got out of one pandemic and we're getting 41 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: into another one, but now one being the labor shortage. Look, 42 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: it's um, it's uh, it's challenging, without a doubt. I 43 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: think early on you had a shortage of people that 44 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: didn't want to go back. They were worried about you know, 45 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to get sick of it, I don't 46 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: want to get COVID potentially from somebody else in the workplace, 47 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: and so they bought out of it. Um that's now 48 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: fading a bit with vaccination. Vaccinations obviously where they are 49 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: today in terms of how many people are getting them, 50 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: um to, you're having a lot of people just kind 51 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: of question the type of work that they want to 52 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: be doing. All of a sudden they said, well, hold on, 53 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: I've been doing this for five or ten years, and 54 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: maybe I don't want to do this thing more. Maybe 55 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: I want to switch jobs and go to a different career. 56 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: And I think that the third piece of it a 57 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: little bit, and it kind of varies from the statements. 58 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: That is, some of the benefit the temporary benefits that 59 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: we have from the government that are coming in, but 60 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: are also you know, providing some some money these individuals 61 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: and so the customers a week talked to in regulations 62 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: are getting real creative, right for hitting out money just 63 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: to even get people walking the door for an application. 64 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: Fifty dollars just to interview, fives on your first paycheck 65 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: if you start within two to three weeks, and another 66 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: five drawars that anyone else that would recommend someone. So, um, 67 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: it's challenging for sure. So does this get sorted in 68 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: the next couple of months. We know those unemployment benefits 69 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: run out in September, and I realized, you know, there 70 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: are other aspects to this, but once those are done 71 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: and people have gone through savings, you'd assume they're gonna 72 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: want to go back and get fifty dollars for an 73 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: interview and five um to start off. Yeah, I'm actually 74 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: considering doing some interviews later today to get I think 75 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: I think as a whole you're probably gonna see that 76 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: exactly what you said towards maybe you know, my our 77 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: best guests is maybe towards the end of the summer 78 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: beginning of the fall, at some point we start to 79 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: hit some level of normality, and I think maybe people 80 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: start to kind of fade a little bit out of 81 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: the pandemic. To your point, the benefits start to run 82 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: out all of a sudden, jobs might be a little 83 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: bit harder to come by, right because some of these 84 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: places might might start finding the people that they need, 85 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: and people start to settle in into certain environments. UM 86 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: So I would imagine, you know, based on the things 87 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 1: that we're here and from from our customers, is that there. 88 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: You know, while this started off a couple of months ago, 89 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: it's very difficult. They found ways to deal with it. 90 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 1: Um A lot of it usually have to deal with technology. 91 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: How do you invest in technology to basically make the 92 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: people that do have at the store with the restaurant 93 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: a lot more efficient. They can get more done this way, 94 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: and so they're trying to find ways to increase that 95 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: so that hopefully by the time people do come back, 96 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: you know, and there and they're fully staff, they're rocking 97 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: and rolling, you know, on all cylinders that thirty seconds. 98 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 1: Is there a chicken wing shortage out there? Yeah, a 99 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: little bit. These uh, these these chicken uh, these chicken 100 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: wars have gotten very serious. I think the you know, 101 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: everyone's pushing into the chicken sere, which is the chicken wings. 102 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: Obviously wingstoff did a phenomenal job during the pandemic, but 103 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 1: the most searching pieces. As prices have gone up on chicken. 104 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: I think Winstoff came out a couple of weeks ago 105 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: with there now five stop UH brand that's delivery only 106 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: they're buying whole chickens trying to get a lower price 107 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: for the chicken, and then they're now selling a big 108 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: chunk of it off from some other way. But that's 109 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: UH should be good. Listen, Chicken from a lot of 110 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: these places is pretty solid, so it's we benefit of 111 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: consumers from these chicken wars. All right, glad, thank you 112 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: so much. We appreciated glad Rick deir CEO of zen 113 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: Pod giving us a son of the overview of what's 114 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: going on on the restaurant business fast food business. Obviously 115 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: the demand picking up dramatically supply side, particularly on the 116 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: labor A little bit challenge here as a deal with 117 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: the rebound right now, I want to get into UM 118 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: crypto and defy and everything surrounding it. Diva Balji joins 119 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: as senior editor at Bloomberg News. Talk to us about 120 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: what's happened here. I guess you know, as we broke down, 121 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 1: UM did you a below thirty thousand, A lot of 122 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: people took that as a technical time to buy in 123 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: and did so. Now we're bounced back up UM from 124 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: that level. What's what's the state of crypto currently at 125 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: this point, it's up about it's up to about thirty 126 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: four thousand for bitcoins specifically. You know, even stocks that 127 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: slump yesterday, crypto linked stocks that slumped yesterday have sort 128 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: of quickly reversed UM today. They're mostly all in the green. 129 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: You know, micro Strategy, which obviously was a huge focus 130 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: for a lot of investors yesterday because you know, they've 131 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: been making a bullish beat on bitcoin UM is also 132 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: back up today. So overall, you know, I don't want 133 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: to say it was a bit of a blip yesterday 134 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,559 Speaker 1: because that was a huge loss for a decent amount 135 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: of time. But you know, I also don't want I 136 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: also just you know, it's not exactly surprising, you know, 137 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: to see the type of volatile ride that bitcoin and 138 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: crypto stocks have. Yeah, that's kind of where I want 139 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: to go, give you the volatility associated with crypto and 140 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: particular bitcoin. For some naysayers or some folks that look 141 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: at this, they say, you know, the volatility is just 142 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: too great for this to be a real asset class um. 143 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: What are you hearing? Um? You know, generally people who 144 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: are invested in crypto currencies and bitcoin and the stocks 145 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: that are linked to them are very very well aware 146 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: of how volatile it is. And you know, some people 147 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: that we've spoken to generally what they say is as 148 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: much as it goes down, there's a chance of it 149 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: going back up and even higher. So, you know, they 150 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: seem to be very well versed or or knowledgeable in 151 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: the land of crypto and seemed to be generally or 152 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: at least the bulls are sticking to their guns and 153 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: believe that, you know, this is the place to be, 154 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: whether it's volatile or not. If you can stomach it, 155 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: you know, stay because you can potentially make money off 156 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: of it. Is there any uh, is there any merit 157 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: to trying to find a reason for the gains and losses? 158 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: I mean, we always cite China's clamp down on mining 159 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: or Elon Musk's tweet, But isn't a lot of this 160 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: really momentum driven in technicals. I think it's a combination 161 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: of both. You know, sometimes it is hard to sort 162 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: of pinpoint a specific reason on any given day. But 163 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: and you know, sometimes it could be the fact that 164 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: Musk is tweeting something about it that's really driving the shares. 165 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: But you know, there's definitely a part of it that's 166 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: momentum driven. You know, if it's a bunch of people 167 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: on Reddit who are talking about it and pushing the 168 00:08:55,480 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: stock higher, or just general market rotation. Um, they all 169 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 1: tend to play a part in this, you know, on 170 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: any given day. So let's broaden it out to some 171 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: of the derivative plays that the stock market plays for crypto. 172 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: I'm thinking coin based that was a really high profile 173 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: direct listing here. Are direct direct listings still a thing here? 174 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: Or you know, the coin base says it hasn't traded 175 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: very well, So I'm wondering if that kind of puts 176 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: a pall on that. Yeah, you know, it definitely was 177 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: something that a lot of companies were, you know, actively 178 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: pursuing or considering. I think what we've seen of late, 179 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: whether it's coin based or other direct list things that 180 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: have come through, is just the fact that you know, yes, 181 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: they are an alternative way to list your stuff, but 182 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: some of them haven't done as well. Like you pointed out, 183 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: with coin based UM as other ideas. So you know, 184 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: generally people seem to be questioning whether a direct list 185 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: thing is really the way to go UM for their company. 186 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: All right, we really appreciate it to be a bold 187 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: senior editor Bloomberg News joining us on the phone, talking 188 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: all things crypto again. Bitcoin up about two point eight 189 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: percent today, pushing up close to thirty four thousand, a 190 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: big reversal from it when it broke below a technical 191 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: support level of thirty thousand. Levet more coming up now. 192 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 1: I want to bring Dr Eric Servini. He is a 193 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: Gates Cambridge scholar and an historian. He wrote a book 194 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,599 Speaker 1: called The Deviance War, The Homosexual versus the United States 195 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: of America, and we bring him on UM to talk 196 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: about that obviously in relation to Pride Month and New 197 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: York City's Pride Week, which is this week. UM, Dr 198 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: thanks so much for joining us. UM. We have strewn 199 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: around the office a number of different Pride flags and pins, 200 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: and you know here at Bloomberg obviously, UM, we're very 201 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: aware of the situation. I think in New York City 202 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: as well, people are is it nash only as as 203 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: as as UM visible as it is on the coasts. 204 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: I think so, and thanks for having me. You know, 205 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: Pride goes back more than fifty years now, and it 206 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: started out as as a protest and as a reaction 207 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: to police violence at the Stone Wall in in New 208 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: York City. But it's really from that moment has grown 209 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: all across the country and all across the world. You 210 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: can rainbow flag, uh, not just on on logos and 211 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:33,439 Speaker 1: not just in parades, but in in houses and schools 212 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: all across the w entire world, and it's comes to 213 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: mean a symbol for equality. And I think that's something 214 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: that you'll start to see grow even more in the future. 215 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: All right, Well, the folks in Washington are friends in Washington, 216 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: and Congress are you? I guess there's the Equality Act 217 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: which is going back and forth. Give us the status 218 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: of what is the Equality Act? What does it seek 219 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: to do? And kind of where are we in terms 220 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: of the discussion in Washington. Sure, Well, until last year, 221 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: there was no federal protections for anyone who was lgbt 222 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: Q plus when it came to employment, when it came 223 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: into housing, public spaces, or services. And there was a 224 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: very important Supreme Court decision last year bus Dot versus 225 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: Clayton County, which for the first time, the Supreme Court 226 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: said that actually the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty 227 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: four protects queer folks in this country. The problem is 228 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: according to which administration is currently in power. Currently President 229 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: Biden issued an executive order saying he was going to 230 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: interpret that to mean that it applied to all sorts 231 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: of different areas where discrimination should be prohibited, so education, housing, 232 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: and healthcare. But the problem is, at any point, if 233 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: we had a different administration in office who interpreted that 234 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: Supreme Court case differently, UH, than very easily those protections 235 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: that we currently have UH could be stripped. So what 236 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: the Equality Act would do is cod if I and 237 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: make very explicit that Supreme Court decision to ensure that 238 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: this is a permanent protection for a very large and 239 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: growing minority in our country. Is at some point has 240 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: the movement shifted the zeitgeist of it from a gay 241 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: rights movement to really just a general political movement, because 242 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:26,439 Speaker 1: it's not just lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. There are many 243 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: many more letters and numbers now in UH involved. And 244 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: it's not just the rainbow flag I read today. There 245 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: are thirty different rainbow flags UM is it at some 246 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: point just a political dogma. Well, I think it's just 247 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: a community of folks who don't identify as straight or 248 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: cis gender meaning you're this, you identify as the same 249 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: way you were assigned at birth. Uh, And so there 250 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: are so many different gender identities and this goes back 251 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: thousands of years. What's new isn't the concept of being 252 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: non binary or not being male or female. What to 253 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: do is that binary itself? And so what you're starting 254 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: to see is people realizing that, especially younger folks, that 255 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: there are so many different varieties of humanity. And that's 256 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 1: true not just among straight people, but within the queer 257 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: community as well. There's so much diversity contained within that 258 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: one rainbow flag. In fact, it's changing, and I reginate 259 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: that there's an a sexual flag as well. I mean 260 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: there's it's it's almost like everyone except for a small group, 261 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: is contained into the in the in the movement. Right. Well, 262 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you look at our 263 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: Congress and you see a very small group it's running 264 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: our country. It's a it's white, this gender straight men. 265 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: And you know, there should be flags for everyone else 266 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: because given how ubiquitous we are, we should be also 267 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: in power. We should also have representation in media. So 268 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: I think that's why those flags are so portant, because you, 269 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: as you mentioned, there is a disparity between who is 270 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: actually in power, who has the wealth, and then who 271 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: actually constitutes this country. All right, Eric, thank you so 272 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: much for joining us. We really appreciate uh your time. 273 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: Dr Eric Servini Gates, Cambridge scholar and historian, also author 274 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: of the book The Deviance Wore The Homosexual versus the 275 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: United States of America. And you're right, Matt, the flag 276 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: is it seems to be growing and growing and growing. 277 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: Is more and more people you know, look to have 278 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: their positions is aired and and be you know, fairly represented. 279 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: So it's an issue that is important. Is you know, 280 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: Eric was saying, are the folks on the Congress are 281 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: you know, looking at a lot of these issues as 282 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: well from a legislative perspective. Um, and certainly for the 283 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: Biden campaign, kind of a a important issue. All right, 284 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: Let's talk technology, particularly artificial intelligence and how it's transforming 285 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: the financial services business. For that, we bring in Lisa Chi. 286 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: She's a senior research analysts for robot Global. Lisa, thanks 287 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: so much for joining us. Here, I'm probably fairly representative 288 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: of some people. Are a lot of people that during 289 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: the pandemic, I found myself doing a lot more digital banking, 290 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: a lot more banking on my phone. Talk to us 291 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: how the financial services industry is adapting. How well is 292 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: it adapting to technology? UM, Yeah, thanks for having me. UM. So, 293 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: I've been following the fintech industry for a while now 294 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: and and and it has really evolved, probably in the 295 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: past decade, has really seen a lot of advancement, and 296 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: obviously with the pandemic has accelerated all the activities around 297 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: e commerce. And just like you, I've also been home 298 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: and be doing a lot more online shopping and a 299 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: lot more of the kind of the touchless payment system. Right. So, 300 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: some of these dynamics that we're seeing and experiencing today, 301 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: UM is due to all these digitization that we're seeing 302 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: growth of IOP devices that definitely had a lot to 303 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: do with it. UM. I think ten years ago we 304 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: had just about a third of the world that we're 305 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: Internet users, and now almost two thirds of the world 306 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: has access to some type of Internet. So, and on 307 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: top of that, I think technologies around cloud services UM 308 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: combined with advanced compute power has really accelerated, so so definitely, 309 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 1: the financial industry has been real tremendous progress in terms 310 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: of innovation, and I think we're just at the tip 311 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: of the iceberg and what's to come talk to us? 312 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: I mean, I often wonder is that, you know, here 313 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: in midtown Manhattan, there's still a lot of bank branches around, 314 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 1: and I'm wondering what's the future of a branch commercial 315 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 1: bank branch because I can't even recall the last time 316 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: I went in one, right, I think UM definitely the 317 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: we've all received our if you had a credit card, 318 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 1: we all received that touch this UM credit cards in 319 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: the mail in the past six months or so. I 320 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: got a few exactly UM. I think the younger generation, 321 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: the millennials, definitely feel much more comfortable using their apps 322 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: to do their banking. And you saw the growth of 323 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: UM institutions like robin Hood, right, and you've got companies 324 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: that coin b is coming out, and and that that 325 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: use of the used platform in the apps have really 326 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 1: UM kind of dominated UM some of the usage and 327 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: mind share. So definitely, the banks and credit card providers 328 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: are kind of scrambling at the moment trying to find 329 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: some innovative solutions and really adapting to the world um 330 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: and I think that definitely we're seeing a combination of 331 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: the cloud and co put power and adoption of the 332 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: AI that's really making the experience for the consumer a 333 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: lot more user friendly, and I think we're going to 334 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: see a lot more innovations around that. I think the 335 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: biggest hurl, and while you still will see some of 336 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: the banking branches is because of the integration between the 337 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: back end solutions and then the front end. It's still 338 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 1: being worked on and that's still um I think we're 339 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: going to see a lot of spending around that UM 340 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: but I think that the industry is really um embracing 341 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: technology to offer that integration from the back influtions and 342 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: the front end, and you're seeing lots of progress. You 343 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: publicly don't really feel it on a day day basis, 344 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: but you believe it or not. Um AI is just 345 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: at the forefront of everything that we're doing. So when 346 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: you're banking, whether you're talking about your credit card transactions 347 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: are actually transferring money into different payment system like there's 348 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:51,679 Speaker 1: the wallets right venmo um cash up where we just 349 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: have so many options now and you could also trade, 350 00:19:56,359 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: you know, equities and bitcoins with our banking and then 351 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: at the same time you get a credit card and 352 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: a debit card. So you're seeing this integration of these 353 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: solutions happening and at the at the same time, UM, 354 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: I'm very concerned as a tech analyst to see what 355 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: are the industry doing. Are they doing enough to to 356 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: prevent fraud? And what type of data are they collecting? 357 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: And are we going to have this world where every 358 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: transaction that we're making, um where it's while it's going 359 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 1: to be personalized types of transaction and solutions that's going 360 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: to be coming to us, but in terms of marketing, 361 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: are we going to get flooded? Right? With marketing? You know, 362 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: whether it's a spam or alert notification throughout text, it's 363 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: really it's we're coming at a level where we're industries 364 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: really embracing technology. But are they going to be smart 365 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: and be thoughtful and how they're going to use the data? 366 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: I mean just writing just writing the New York City subway. 367 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: In my lifetime, I've gone from using the tokens um 368 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: to then swiping the metro card and now I just 369 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 1: tap my iPhone to the turnstyle and boom, I'm in, 370 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: So that's the good news. The bad news is I 371 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: think the MTA knows where I'm going at all times 372 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: now and that's a little scary. So it kind of 373 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: goes to your point of uh, security, are are there 374 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 1: are there some companies that are focusing on that? Yes, definitely, 375 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 1: UM there are many companies that are whether private and 376 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: public that's really helping with the either cybersecree types of 377 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: solutions or data protection and also fraud prevention. So right now, 378 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: um a I can figure out whether um, you can't 379 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 1: be definitely in two places at once. So it's basically 380 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: where there it's AI analyzing the feelings of transactions are 381 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: crying each day, so um while the financial service industry 382 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 1: is and I published for the last ten years. So 383 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: what we're seeing the instruction innovation is that AI application 384 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: is a really expanding and a very quick level. So 385 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: you're they're using predictive analytics to really improve the accuracy 386 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: levels and there's a lot of data around this where um, 387 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: if you've ever been in a store where your credit 388 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: card is getting declined, it's a terrible experience and and 389 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: the retail stories don't want to lose you as a customer. 390 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: The banks don't want to lose you. But some of 391 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: the data around it's really shocking that UM over a 392 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty billion dollars a year of transaction credit 393 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: card transaction UM is from false decline and over a 394 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: third of that customer stopped shopping at that retailer after 395 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: being falsely declined. So that's that's really shocking number. And 396 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: according to MasterCard data, over twenty percent of customers also 397 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: switch to their bank after experiencing some type of frauds. 398 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: So you're seeing companies like Fara ISAAC that has whether 399 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 1: it's credit you know, kind of score monitoring systems UM 400 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: services like Psycho scores, and you've got company like fly Serve. 401 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: They have solutions around this and they've been using AI 402 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: for probably the longest out of all the publicly traded 403 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: companies out there because they have so much data. But 404 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 1: we're we're seeing um um these companies continue to adopt 405 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: in and invest heavily an AI so so to really 406 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: improve the accuracy level. So I think I think that's 407 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 1: that's very important, I think, and I think that's very exciting. 408 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 1: All right, Lisa, thank you so much for joining us. 409 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: Fascinating stuff. Lisa Chai, senior research analysts at Robo Global 410 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: Technology overtaking and or disrupting, certainly the financial services industry 411 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: like never before. Just look at all the apps you 412 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: have on your iPhone. Thanks for listening to the Bloomberg 413 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: Markets podcast. You can subscribe and listen to interviews with 414 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast platform you prefer. I'm Matt Miller. 415 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: I'm on Twitter at Matt Miller three. Pet On bal 416 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: Sweeney I'm on Twitter at pt Sweeney. Before the podcast, 417 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: you can always catch us worldwide at Bloomberg Radio