☕️ Game day drama

Why a popular new video game is so controversial... August 27, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [Monogram]( Good morning. Here’s the story, morning glory: Oasis is getting back together. The brothers behind the beloved but long-dormant British band, responsible for the song currently being strummed horribly in college dorms across the world (“Wonderwall”), announced a reunion tour next year with 14 dates across the UK. Anticipation had been through the roof, given that Liam and Noel Gallagher publicly feuded and broke up following a backstage brawl in Paris in 2009. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, and they probably won’t be available for long: More than 4% of the British population applied for tickets to see Oasis play the Knebworth Festival in 1996. —Cassandra Cassidy, Sam Klebanov, Molly Liebergall, Abby Rubenstein, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 17,725.77 -0.85% S&P 5,616.84 -0.32% Dow 41,240.52 +0.16% 10-Year 3.818% +1.0 bps Bitcoin $63,053.91 -2.07% Nvidia $126.46 -2.25% Data is provided by *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 6:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks had yin-yang energy yesterday with the Dow closing at a [record high]( while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq fell as investors got antsy about Nvidia’s earnings report tomorrow and pulled back on tech companies. The AI chipmaker dipped, along with competitors like Broadcom and Micron.  Markets Sponsored by Monogram 8% dividend yield opportunity: Preferred stock is often unavailable to the public, but [Monogram]( (Nasdaq: MGRM) is offering everyone the opportunity to purchase Monogram preferred stock with [an 8% dividend](. SPORTS [NFL poised to welcome private equity ownership]( [NFL Field]( Kang/Getty Images Before the Chiefs and Ravens kick off another season of Heisman House commercials, the NFL is finishing up some business. The league is expected to [vote]( today to allow private equity ownership of franchises, marking a significant change to its ultra-exclusive ownership club and paving the way for nicer stadiums with comfy seats. The vote, all but guaranteed to pass, is a historic softening by the NFL, which will be the last of the major sports leagues in North America to permit private equity ownership. The NBA, MLB, and NHL currently allow PE to own up to 30% of a team, while the NFL’s expected cap is 10%. Why this is happening: NFL teams have gotten too [expensive](. It’s nearly impossible to buy a team if you’re not a multi-billionaire, and even then, you probably need some reinforcements to meet liquidity requirements. (See: Josh Harris and 15 of his friends buying the Washington Commanders for $6 billion.) This is a problem for the NFL because: - It severely limits the number of possible owners. - It ties up existing owners’ money in the team itself, leaving them without much to spend on improvements, like new stadiums. Enter private equity. Like a fairy godmother dressed in Brioni, private equity will free up owners’ cash, allowing them to get some of their quarter back. It will also make deals easier by streamlining a source of capital to seven approved PE firms, including big names like Ares and Blackstone, as well as smaller, sports-centric ones like Arctos Partners and Dynasty Equity. What’s in it for them? Bookoos of money and a big payday when a team gets resold. Over the last two decades, the NFL’s total value has gone from $23.46 billion to $190 billion, according to Sportico. Looking ahead…there are still some unknowns, like whether the league will allow unapproved firms to get in on the play. As for who will make the first deal, favorite guesses include Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, who wants to build a new stadium.—CC PRESENTED BY MONOGRAM [Beyond Nasdaq…lies new investment potential]( [Monogram]( [Monogram (Nasdaq: MGRM)]( known for their autonomous robotic surgical systems, completed a crowdfunded public offering and Nasdaq listing last year. What’s next? They just filed for FDA approval to market and commercialize their patented AI joint replacement tech. By the year 2027, 50% of knee replacement surgeries will be robotic—up from 12% today. Now, Monogram’s offering [a new chance for investors]( the opportunity to invest in preferred stock with an 8% dividend (in cash or kind). Their common stock closed as high as $3.40 in the past week, but the unlisted preferred stock (which is convertible into one share of common) is available for $2.25/share. [Monogram currently plans to close the Series D Preferred offering on September 12, 2024](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Donald Trump and Kamala Harris]Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, Rebecca Noble/Getty Images The Trump–Harris debate isn’t quite set yet. The presidential candidates’ campaigns are [arguing]( over the debate Donald Trump was originally scheduled to have against Joe Biden on Sept. 10 on ABC, with Trump signaling he may pull out of the event (he previously agreed to attend with VP Kamala Harris at the other lectern). Trump cast doubt on whether he might show up by criticizing the host network as biased against him, and now the campaigns are locking horns about whether microphones should be left on or muted when the other candidate is speaking. Harris’s camp wants them on, something Trump has claimed he’s open to but his campaign won’t sign off on. Israel and Hezbollah escalated, then pulled back. There’s still plenty of tension and concerns about regional warfare in the Middle East but for now, Israel and Hezbollah seem to have [stepped back]( from the brink after exchanging attacks over the weekend. On Sunday, Israel sent 100 warplanes to take out thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon that were pointed at Israel for an attack the militia said was a retaliation for Israel killing one of its top commanders last month. Though both sides have said the conflict is ongoing, things remained quiet after the incident. Meanwhile, negotiators continue to try to help Israel and Hamas reach a deal for a [cease-fire]( in Gaza, and Iran has vowed to retaliate for Israel’s killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran. France’s president says Telegram founder’s arrest was not political. French President Emmanuel Macron [defended]( the [arrest]( of Telegram’s Russian-born CEO, Pavel Durov, at a French airport, saying France is committed to free speech and it was “in no way a political decision.” Prosecutors say the arrest was part of a wide-ranging investigation, opened in July, that touched on the messaging app’s role in crimes including child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud. Under French law, they can detain Durov, who has not been named as the investigation’s target, for questioning until tomorrow. Telegram said Durov has nothing to hide. SPACE [1st commercial astronauts will walk in space]( [Polaris Dawn mission ]( Humans will soon take their first steps in space without any prompting from the government. The SpaceX-operated Polaris Dawn mission will carry a four-person crew of civilian astronauts on a [daring cosmic adventure]( the first spacewalk undertaken by people not employed by a national space agency. It’s expected to launch later this week at the earliest after a helium leak stymied plans to blast off this morning. Billionaire entrepreneur and enthusiast pilot Jared Isaacman will lead the five-day space voyage aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which will serve as a landmark test flight for private scientific space exploration. Cosmic itinerary Isaacman will be accompanied by his longtime friend and colleague, Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, as well as SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. - The quartet will first soar past an extreme radiation zone as far as 870 miles above Earth, an altitude not visited by humans since NASA’s last lunar expedition in 1972. - They will then descend to 435 miles above Earth, where Isaacman and Gillis will step out of the spacecraft while rocking SpaceX’s sleek new spacesuits for a quick but risky spacewalk that will require the entire vehicle to depressurize. The astronauts will collect data on the health effects of space and test Starlink laser-based communications. It’s just the dawn: Two additional Polaris missions are planned: a controversial project to move NASA’s Hubble Telescope and a first-ever crewed flight of SpaceX’s jumbo Starship spacecraft, designed for lunar and martian travel.—SK TOGETHER WITH WAYFAIR [Wayfair]( Deals worth fall-ing for. Get up to 70% off on thousands of indoor and outdoor gems during Wayfair’s Labor Day Clearance, now through Sept. 3. Score huge price drops, [fast shipping]( and bragging rights on snazzy furniture, grills, decor, and, yes—even hot tubs. Send summer off with a bang and [welcome fall in style](. GAMING [The drama with this wildly popular new monkey game]( [Black Myth: Wukong gameplay]( Science Interactive Technology Co. China is making a big splash in the world of joysticks with its first major video game, Black Myth: Wukong. It’s a visuals-forward adventure rooted in Chinese mythology that has [shattered]( records since launching last week but has also been controversial. The game was so hotly anticipated that some China-based employers gave workers [time off]( to play, according to the Straits Times. - In Black Myth’s first 24 hours, it became the most-played single-player game on Steam and the second-most-played game on the platform overall. - Its developer, Game Science, sold 10 million copies in 83 hours, making it one of the fastest-selling games ever. - Black Myth turned profitable on Day 1 and made $450 million in its first three days. Players find the [graphics]( so appealing that there’s been a real-life [tourist rush]( to the temples and shrines shown in the game. Why are people mad? IGN [reported]( on sexism and toxic culture at Game Science in November. Then, before launch, the game’s marketing team instructed livestreamers to avoid mentioning “feminist propaganda, fetishization,” “COVID-19,” and “China’s industry policies, opinion, news, etc.” in their gameplay reviews…which predictably [backfired](. One 8-hour Twitch stream of Black Myth, titled “Covid-19 Isolation Taiwan (Is A Real Country) Feminism Propaganda,” garnered more than 300,000 views.—ML STAT [Prime number: Gen Z calls in sick](#) [A hand with a friendship bracelet that says "OOO".]Illustration: Anna Kim, Photo: Adobe Stock The days of trying to subtly inch down the conference room table away from your coworker with the hacking cough may finally be behind us as more Americans are taking sick days—Gen Z especially. Human resources platform Dayforce found that sick leave jumped 55% from 2019 to 2023, while data from Gusto, which serves 300,000+ smaller businesses, showed 30% of white-collar workers taking sick days last year, a 42% hike from 2019, Business Insider [reports]( when 21.1% took sick leave. Both platforms also found younger workers were leading the not-toughing-it-out charge: Dayforce said sick leave rose more from 2019 for workers under 35, and Gusto found that the 24–35 set was taking more sick time than older colleagues. Experts attribute this post-pandemic rise in calling out to several factors, including Gen Z’s willingness (and need) to take mental health days. NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [Special Counsel Jack Smith]( asked an appeals court to revive the classified documents case against Donald Trump, saying Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to dismiss the suit jeopardizes a longstanding government practice for appointing prosecutors. - [Apple]( has announced “it’s glowtime” for a Sept. 9 event during which the company is expected to debut the iPhone 16. - [Uber]( was fined 290 million euros ($347 million) by Dutch regulators for transferring driver data from the EU to the US. It’s one of the biggest fines ever issued under the EU’s data privacy law. - [Edgar Bronfman]( withdrew his bid for Paramount, paving the way for the company to merge with Skydance as planned. - [Ikea]( is piloting its own secondhand online marketplace to rival eBay and other resale sites, with the first tests taking place now in Oslo and Madrid. - [Red Lobster]( will be led by a former P.F. Chang’s CEO if a court approves the seafood chain’s exit from bankruptcy. RECS [Tuesday To Do List] Celebrate the season: A [recap of the trends]( of summer 2024 based on every “of the summer” headline. Make your bed: A sushi-inspired method for getting a [cover onto a duvet](. Watch: Tracking the [changes to sci-fi]( over the last 70 years. Read: How a [professional whistleblower]( made millions of dollars. Invest: Preferred stock is often unavailable to the public, but [Monogram]( (Nasdaq: MGRM) is offering everyone the opportunity to purchase Monogram preferred stock with [an 8% dividend]( *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Brew Mini: Today’s Mini is guaranteed to make you smile—clever clues, a fun grid, and all-around good vibes. [Play it here](. They played both sides In honor of MLB catcher Danny Jansen playing for both teams in the same Red Sox–Blue Jays game yesterday, here’s a trivia category of other people who’ve held contradictory roles. - This football player, who played both defense and offense, won back-to-back Super Bowls with the 49ers and Cowboys. - This actor was cast as one of the most beloved heroes in cinema (Gandalf) and one of the most powerful villains (Magneto). - A onetime union leader in Hollywood, this Republican US president famously said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The party left me.” - She won the Best Actress Oscar for Monster’s Ball and the Worst Actress Razzie Award for Catwoman. - This musical artist’s first album was a contemporary Christian record released in 2001. She then pivoted to secular music, adopted a stage name, and dropped her second album, One of the Boys, in 2008. SHARE THE BREW [Share Morning Brew]( with your friends, acquire free Brew swag, and then acquire more friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We’re saying we’ll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWER - Deion Sanders - Sir Ian McKellen - Ronald Reagan - Halle Berry - Katy Perry Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: bookoos, an Americanized slang version of the French word beaucoup, which means “a lot.” Merci to Jessica from Austin, TX, for the suggestion. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. ✢ A Note From Monogram This is a paid advertisement for Monogram Technologies’ Series D Preferred Stock offering. A prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus have been filed with the SEC. Before making any investment, you are urged to [read the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus]( carefully for a more complete understanding of the issuer and the offering. The securities offered by Monogram are highly speculative. Investing in these securities involves significant risks. The investment is suitable only for persons who can afford to lose their entire investment. Investors must understand that such investment could be illiquid for an indefinite period of time. There is no existing public trading market for the Series D Preferred Stock. Monogram does not intend to apply for listing of the Series D Preferred Stock or the common stock purchase warrants on a national securities exchange or quoted on an over-the-counter market. DealMaker Securities LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA | SIPC, located at 105 Maxess Road, Suite 124, Melville, NY 11747, is the Intermediary for this offering and is not an affiliate of or connected with the Issuer. Please check our background on FINRA’s BrokerCheck. Written by [Neal Freyman]( [Abigail Rubenstein]( [Cassandra Cassidy]( Sam Klebanov, and [Molly Liebergall]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Interested in podcasts? - Check out ours [here]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( // [FAQ]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright © 2024 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 22 W 19th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011