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Geoffrey the Giraffe is back, y'all. Let's get into it.

By Allison Morrow

🦒 COMEBACK KIDS

Toys "R" Us is coming back to life…again. Maybe. 

The beloved store has had a rocky four years or so. Amazon came for its lunch with speedy delivery and cheap prices, and in 2017 Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its US stores. In 2019, under new management, it tried for a comeback, opening a couple of new stores, but those ultimately shuttered too, because, you know...pandemic. 

But on Thursday the brand announced yet another rebound plan: Toys "R" Us is teaming up with Macy's to sell toys online and in hundreds of store-within-a-store locations next year.  

Macy's, like other big department store brands, hasn't had an easy go of it either. The rise of online shopping, turbocharged by the pandemic, has forced many of Macy's rivals into bankruptcy. But the retailer reported far-better-than-expected earnings on Thursday, and its stock rose 19%. Even with pandemic uncertainty, it raised its outlook for the next 12 months.  

Together, the two brands could have stronger footing as they take on rivals like Target and Walmart. Amazon might have free shipping but it doesn't have Geoffrey the Giraffe, you know? My colleague Jordan Valinsky has more.  

🚀 MOON RACE

Rather than, like, solving world hunger, the world's two wealthiest humans are arguing over which one gets dibs on the moon.  

Here's the thing: Congress gave NASA only enough money for one space company to develop lunar landers. NASA gave the contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX, snubbing Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.  

So, surprise, surprise: Bezos has been fighting that decision, creating a public and at times petty battle between the companies. Last week, he escalated things by filing a complaint in federal court. 

WHY IT MATTERS 

The United States' approach to exploring outer space is at a turning point, my colleague Jackie Wattles writes. (She's got a great piece chronicling all the billionaire moon drama.) 

NASA's Artemis Program aims to put two people, including the first woman and person of color, on the moon by 2024. Eventually, the goal is to establish a permanent lunar settlement. 

It's also just a wild time for the space program: Hoping for innovation, the US is tossing two of its biggest egos into the ring and praying that some exciting new technology will emerge. Let's see what happens! 🍿   

🌊 SCENTS & SENSIBILITY

Febreze has come up with a new way to deceive your houseguests into thinking you're a person who actually cleans: A "scratch 'n sniff"-like fabric spray. Using "breakthrough touch-activated scent technology," Febreze is rolling out Unstopables [sic] Touch Fabric Spray (more on the strange name later). 

The regular Febreze spray that you've known and loved since you learned it could be a substitute for doing laundry in college isn't going anywhere. But as an adult you should know the jig is up — spritz all you like, but once that ocean breeze scent dissipates, you're left with a faint chemical residue smell and whiff of wet dog, because your dog is cute and you always let him on the couch. 

The new Febreze Touch claims to store scents in fabrics. So, you spray the couch, pillows, curtains, any soft fabric, and the fresh smell reemerges with every touch. You get a "refreshing scent experience" up to 100 times.

A note about the name: The misspelling of the word "unstoppable" was deliberate, a P&G spokesperson said. "Often when looking at brand names you want to choose something unique and spelling variations are one thing that can help make it stand out. That is the case with Unstopables." (Which, OK, but I don't have to like it.)

COME ON IN… 

The rollout of Febreze Touch comes at a tense moment in the pandemic, when vaccinated people are feeling cautiously confident about socializing indoors. Perhaps, when letting people in for a dinner party for the first time in over a year, you want to make sure the place looks and smells as clean as possible. 

To quote a marketing line from P&G's Downy laundry beads: "You'll smell like you have it together." 

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

🔻 Wall Street is fighting its Federal Reserve hangover and the Dow booked its third straight day of losses after the central bank suggested it could ease off the stimulus gas as early as year-end.

📱 Federal regulators renewed their bid to break up Facebook, filing an amended complaint in federal court alleging the company has monopolized social media and harmed competition.

🌯 Chipotle is testing vegan chorizo — its first new plant-based protein in seven years. 

🇨🇳 Chinese officials outlined a series of rules for live-stream shopping influencers, including how hosts should dress and speak in front of the camera — a new, more intrusive turn in Beijing's crackdown on private businesses. 

🐦 TWEET OF THE DAY

Yup.

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