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Gourd morning. It’s the first day of fall, or autumn if you think you’re better than us. —Jamie Wilde, Sherry Qin, Neal Freyman

MARKETS Nasdaq 14,746.40 +0.22% S&P 4,354.19 -0.08% Dow 33,919.84 -0.15% 10-Year 1.325% +1.3 bps Bitcoin $40,235.73 -8.14% Uber $44.36 +11.49% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 5:00pm ET. Here's what these numbers mean. Markets: Stocks ended up mostly level after the big sell-off yesterday, showing that the impending Evergrande collapse hasn’t yet infected global markets as feared. Uber shares went into surge pricing mode after the company hiked its outlook and said it could be profitable on an adjusted EBITDA basis for the first time ever in Q4. Economy: The House voted along party lines to fund the government for the next few months and suspend the debt ceiling. Now, the bill heads to the Senate where it’ll face fierce opposition from the GOP.

MUSIC Universal's IPO Heralds Music's Renaissance Francis Scialabba The music industry’s rebirth reached a crescendo yesterday, when Universal Music Group, the world's biggest music company, went public in Amsterdam after being spun off from Vivendi. Its first day of trading was as pristine as the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling. Shares of the label, which represents mega-artists like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, leapt nearly 40% to give the company a market value of $55 billion Not too long ago, the industry was in the Dark Ages In the decade leading up to 2009—when we all went from copping CDs at Target to downloading Limewire files to our iPods—music sales fell 56%, per the Recording Industry Association of America. And record labels’ place in the digital era of music looked uncertain. But instead of backing out, some like Universal started shifting their strategies to earn royalties off of streaming services and social media platforms. Universal CEO and wannabe supervillain Lucian Grainge made all the right moves to set the company up for success in the new ecosystem. Here’s a quick timeline from the NYT: In 2013, Universal forged a deal with Apple to get its artists onto Apple Music two years before the service debuted. In 2017, it worked out favorable licensing terms with Spotify. Also in 2017, it became the first major music company to strike a deal with Facebook, granting it licenses across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the virtual reality platform Oculus. Earlier this year, the label announced a global agreement with TikTok. Now, Universal makes 70% of its revenue from streaming and publishing. The label predicts its revenue will grow at least 10% this year. And any losses from the pandemic shutting down live concerts have been offset by a giant bump in streaming. Global streaming revenue rose 20% in 2020, per the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Zoom out: Music’s renaissance period could quickly turn baroque, as the battle over who gets the biggest piece of the growing revenue pie—from artists to labels to streaming services—gets increasingly heated.—JW

CYBERSECURITY The Treasury Attacks Cyberattacks The Treasury Department issued its first sanctions against a cryptocurrency exchange yesterday to fight the growing problem of ransomware attacks. The target: Russia-based Suex, which is one of the most prolific money launderers in the crypto universe. 40% of its transactions involve unlawful activities, such as accepting payments from ransomware attackers and other cybercriminals. Why it matters: Ransomware attacks, surging 300% in 2020, have crippled supply chains and critical infrastructure by holding digital information hostage. Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest fuel pipelines in the US, was forced offline for six days in May. An Iowa grain co-op was hit by a cyberattack this Monday, and hackers demanded $5.9 million to unlock the organization’s data. The majority of crypto activity is legal, the Treasury Dept. stressed, but it can be exploited by bad actors and leveraged for ransomware attacks. Crypto’s decentralized nature can make it more difficult to track down hackers. Looking ahead…more sanctions on criminals in the digital currency space should be expected, officials said. + For more: Read our interview with a crypto crime fighter.—SQ

REAL ESTATE New York Is Becoming One Big Alphabet City COOKFOX Architects After months spent Zillow surfing, Google found its new dream home: the St. John’s Terminal on the west side of Manhattan. Costing $2.1 billion, it’s the priciest sale of an office building since the pandemic began and one of the most expensive office purchases in US history, per Real Capital Analytics. Because Google knows everything...are offices back? It's murky. Google will allow employees to work in a hybrid arrangement post-pandemic, and it recently pushed back its office re-opening to January 2022 due to the Delta variant. But in shelling out for this NYC office, Google is showing that “coming together in person to collaborate and build community will remain an important part of our future,” it said in a blog post. Big picture: Big Tech is more enamored with NYC than Buddy the Elf. As other companies dump their office space, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook have been gobbling up real estate in the US’ largest city over the past few years. Now, NYC is home to the largest number of Google workers outside of California.—NF

SPONSORED BY ATHLETIC GREENS Everybody’s Got a Body At Morning Brew we can exclusively reveal this scoop: Every lifelete you know has a body, and that body could most likely use some nutritional support. That’s where Athletic Greens comes in. Their groundbreaking product, AG1, is a comprehensive, convenient, and DELICIOUS drink made with 75 premium ingredients.  By creating an all-in-one nutritional powder that combines eight essential products—like a daily multivitamin, pre- and probiotic, a superfood complex, adaptogens, and more—Athletic Greens is leading a movement to empower people to take control of their health.  And being the go-getters they are, they came up with a name for all this wellness: Essentialist Nutrition. It’s all about giving your body the good stuff it needs in a simple, effective way. So do your body a solid and try AG1 by Athletic Greens today. They’ll even give you a year’s supply of Vitamin D and five travel packs for free.

GRAB BAG Key Performance Indicators Getty Images Stat: More than 70% of global coal-fired power plants rely on Chinese funding, but that number could soon dwindle. At the UN General Assembly yesterday, President Xi Jinping said China would stop supporting coal-fired power plants abroad. Geopolitics expert Ian Bremmer called the announcement the “single biggest thing” that could have come out of the UNGA. Quote: “I’m not sure the brand is positioned well for the next 10 years.” AT&T CEO John Stankey said that he hopes to refresh his company’s public image. He can start by partnering with Crocs. Read: America’s car crash epidemic. (Vox)

FOOD Happy Meals Get a Green Makeover McDonald's Your Happy Meal could soon consist of McNuggets, fries, and a copy of Jane Eyre. McDonald’s said it would “drastically” reduce the amount of plastic in the toys it hands out with Happy Meals by the end of 2025, replacing them with more sustainably made figurines or, in some cases, books or cards. The backstory: Happy Meal toys have been targeted by environmental activists for years, particularly in the UK where they were subject to a petition signed by more than 500,000 people in 2019. Why are Happy Meals such a target? Because in addition to serving billions and billions of burgers, McDonald’s slings more than 1 billion toys each year, which puts it among the largest toy distributors in the world. McDonald’s sold around 5,300 happy meals per minute (89/second) in 2016, according to calculations by Sense360. All that plastic eventually ends up in landfills. Zoom out: McDonald’s sprawling carbon footprint spans far more than Happy Meal toys; it’s also working to shift 100% of its packaging to renewable or recycled sources by 2025.—NF

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING Disney shares fell more than 4% after CEO Bob Chapek said that Delta-induced production delays will lead to lower Disney+ subscriber numbers this quarter. Mark Zuckerberg signed off on an initiative that would push positive stories about Facebook in the News Feed, per the NYT. DraftKings threw down a $20 billion offer to buy UK online sports betting company Entain, per CNBC. The US sued to block a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue, citing competition concerns. Here’s your iPhone 13 review, hot off the presses.

BREWS BETS Fall gives us life. Which also reminds us to tell you to get some life insurance quotes from Policygenius. You could save 50% or more by comparing quotes with the Policygenius pros, so ring in sweater weather with some sweet savings. Compare quotes here.* 3 foolproof ways to invest $500,000 and minimize risk. 1) Mansions. 2) Private islands. For everyone else, there’s the next best thing: masterpiece paintings. Brew Crew art investors outperformed the S&P 500 by 2x in 2020—now’s your turn. First 250 clicks skip the waitlist.* Earth, Wind, and Demi: Demi Adejuyigbe, the undisputed king of September 21, dropped a new video to celebrate the unofficial holiday. You can find his other 9/21 vids here. The view from above: Check out the winners of the Drone Photo Awards 2021. Internet gold: A beautiful scroll through vintage cocktail recipe books. *This is sponsored advertising content

GAMES The Puzzle Section Word Search: No matter which month you were born in, you're going to love today's puzzle. Play it here. Autumn Trivia Here are 16 individual leaves from Sporcle—see if you can identify them. 10 or more correct answers gets you a job at the US Forest Service. We’ll give you a word bank: Mulberry, Maple, Japanese Maple, Tulip Tree, Pine, Sycamore, Oak, Chestnut, Giant Sequoia, Hickory, Locust, Beech, Willow, Palm, Holly, Gingko

SHARE THE BREW Enjoying the Brew? Consider sharing it with a friend. When you reach 3 referrals, you'll be invited to Monthly Exclusive Events with our co-founder Alex and the biggest names in business.

Hit the button below to learn more and access your rewards hub. Click to Share Or copy & paste your referral link to others: morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=a17a7110

ANSWER 1) Chestnut 2) Giant Sequoia 3) Japanese Maple 4) Palm 5) Oak 6) Locust 7) Gingko 8) Hickory 9) Sycamore 10) Holly 11) Mulberry 12) Maple 13) Beech 14) Willow 15) Pine 16) Tulip Tree

Migrants' encampment along the International Bridge near the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas., yesterday. Photo: Julio Cortez/AP

Many Haitian migrants camped in the Texas border town of Del Rio are being released in the U.S., two federal officials tell AP.

• Haitians have been freed on a "very, very large scale" in recent days, according to one U.S. official, who put the figure in the thousands.

What's happening: Many are released with notices to appear (NTA) at an immigration office within 60 days. That takes less processing by Border Patrol agents than ordering an appearance in immigration court.

• The Homeland Security Department is busing Haitians to El Paso, Laredo and Rio Grande Valley, and this week added flights to Tucson.

Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

With more than two dozen world leaders appearing in person at the UN in New York for the first time during the pandemic, President Biden said that "as we close this period of relentless war, we’re opening a new era of relentless diplomacy":

We will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time — from COVID to climate, peace and security, human dignity and human rights. But we will not go it alone. 

Axios AM

By Mike Allen ·Sep 22, 2021

Good Wednesday morning, and welcome to fall. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,189 words ... 4½ minutes. Edited by Justin Green. Breaking: Former President George W. Bush’s first campaign event of the '22 midterms will be a fundraiser for Rep. Liz Cheney, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription). Please join Axios' Ben Geman and me today at 12:30 p.m. ET as we talk Climate Week with White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy and Environmental Defense Fund president Fred Krupp. Sign up here.

1 big thing: COVID saps public schools

Data: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Map: Sara Wise/Axios The pandemic has weakened public schools, with Zoom classes, teacher fatigue and student disengagement taking tolls. Charter schools have picked off hundreds of thousands of public school students during the pandemic, Erica Pandey reports for Axios What's Next. Private schools and homeschooling are also booming. U.S. charter school enrollment increased 7% between the 2019-20 school year and the 2020-21 year — a jump of 240,000 pupils, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reports. During the same period, non-charter public school enrollment dropped 3% — a whopping 1.5 million students. What to watch: Public schools that waffle over mask policies or delay the return to in-person learning could frustrate even more parents Share this story.

2. "Large scale" release of Haitians in U.S.

Photo: Julio Corte/AP The new wall: Texas Department of Safety vehicles line up along the bank of the Rio Grande to try to block new migrants.

3. U.S. becomes world stage

Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters After returning from New York, Biden — who used to commute home to Delaware every night when he was in the U.S. Senate — greeted Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office by saying: "I understand, Boris ... you came down on Amtrak, is that right?" Johnson: "I did.  And ... you’re a living deity — " Biden: "I am." Johnson: " — on Amtrak, I can tell you." Biden: "I’ve traveled millions of miles. ... If I were a conductor, I’d be number one in seniority."

A message from Bank of America

New help for striving communities

As the private sector innovates aid and financing, seeking holistic solutions to neighborhood challenges is the cornerstone of the approach. Businesses, which rely on healthy communities for their own prosperity, must play a big part in driving solutions. See why.

4. D.C. office boom grinds to halt

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

The decades-long office boom that remade the District has all but stopped, partly because of workplace trends, Paige Hopkins and Cuneyt Dil write in Axios D.C., which debuted this week. (Sign up here.) Why it matters: Dizzying construction reshaped the city, reinvigorated downtown and created bustling new communities.  Stunning stat: Only one new office building is scheduled for completion after 2022, commercial real estate firm CBRE says. "The pipeline is dwindling to zero," Randy Harrell, CBRE's Vice Chairman, tells Axios. "In a normal environment we'd see ... between one and two million square feet [of new office space] delivering every year in Washington." What's happening: Money to invest in new office construction just isn't there, Harrell says. He blames reports of high vacancy rates and the pandemic-induced exodus from major metros. Both catalysts make investment firms uneasy about new projects.  The home-building pipeline remains strong. And growth continues just outside D.C.: Amazon is pouring billions into its HQ2 just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Va. The company says its 350-foot-tall tower, "The Helix," will bring 1,900 jobs. Share this story.

5. Woodward/Costa channel Biden aides

George Stephanopoulos interviews Robert Costa and Bob Woodward on Monday. Screengrab: ABC

"Peril" — the instant bestseller by Bob Woodward and his Washington Post colleague Robert Costa — grabbed headlines for its Donald Trump reporting. But half the book covers President Biden, with Woodwardian channeling of top advisers' interior monologues: In a 50-50 Senate, each Democrat was a tall pole in the tent. Everyone was needed. [Chief of staff Ron] Klain recalled that they all thought that life in the Obama White House had been hard with 58 Democratic senators. He fantasized that if Biden had 58 Democrats, as chief of staff Klain would only have to work three days a week. (p. 347-8) When Biden announced his Afghanistan withdrawal decision in April, he "did not expect to see on television and in the newspapers so much critical commentary," Woodward and Costa write: Several days after the announcement, [Secretary of State Tony] Blinken and [national security adviser Jake] Sullivan were with the president in the Oval Office. ... "Mr. President," Blinken said, trying to provide some comfort, "this was an incredibly hard decision." ... Biden was standing by the Resolute Desk. Blinken could see the president was still carrying the burden of the decision. Presidents lived in the world of the suboptimal. Standing there alone, the president lightly tapped the desk. "Yeah," Biden said, "the buck really does stop here." (p. 391) Flashback: Then-Vice President Biden "told others privately in 2009, 'The military doesn't f--- around me,' more than implying they had with Obama." (p. 336) N.Y. Times review (subscription).

6. Facebook fights for its image

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Facebook is ditching apologies and taking a more combative stance against critics as it faces a barrage of negative coverage and leaked internal reports, Axios managing editor Scott Rosenberg reports. The New York Times reported (subscription) a Facebook "effort to show users pro-Facebook stories" in an "informational unit" marked as coming from Facebook: "[T]he move was sensitive because Facebook had not previously positioned the News Feed as a place where it burnished its own reputation." Facebook spokesman Andy Stone tweeted: "Kinda like the New York Times uses the New York Times to promote the New York Times?!" Keep reading.

7. SEC chair sees short life for crypto

Via Twitter

SEC Chair Gary Gensler said he doesn’t see long-term viability for thousands of cryptocurrencies, likening them to the wildcat banking era before federal regulation, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription). "I don’t think there’s long-term viability for five or six thousand private forms of money,” Gensler told the WashPost's David Ignatius at a virtual event. "So in the meantime I think it’s worthwhile to have an investor-protection regime." Translation: Regulation.

8. Exclusive: Leo DiCaprio backs cultivated-meat startups

Mosa Meat's cultured steak tartare. Photo: Redwan Farooq/Mosa Meat

Actor and environmentalist Leo DiCaprio is investing in a pair of cultivated meat startups and joining their advisory boards, Axios Future correspondent Bryan Walsh scoops. Why it matters: Cultivated meat — which uses animal cells to grow only the parts that consumers will eat, rather than an entire cow — is criticized by some greens for the energy it requires. DiCaprio will invest undisclosed sums in Dutch startup Mosa Meat, which made the world's first cell-based hamburger, and Israel's Aleph Farms, which produced the first cell-based steak ("Steak done right"). Share this story.

A message from Bank of America

Sustainable communities and the private sector

Bank of America is finding new ways to provide help to the communities it operates in. "Sustainable finance can be a powerful tool in addressing critical environmental and social issues affecting local communities around the country." - Bank of America Vice Chairman Anne Finucane. Learn more.

September 22 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Michael Faraday British physicist and chemist READ MORE FEATURED EVENT 1980 Solidarity formed READ MORE Advertisement Advertisement MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2015: American baseball player, manager, and coach Yogi Berra, who won a record 10 World Series while a catcher with the New York Yankees and was known for his unintentionally amusing non sequiters, died at age 90. [Take our baseball quiz.] 2002: Hundreds of thousands of rural protesters converged on London to demonstrate in favour of foxhunting, which two years later the House of Commons banned in England and Wales. [Sort fact from fiction in our English culture and customs quiz.] 1999: The dramatic series The West Wing, which was created by Aaron Sorkin, debuted on American television; it enjoyed high ratings with its depiction of the inner workings of the administration of a fictional U.S. president. [Test your knowledge of pop culture.] 1994: The first episode of Friends aired on NBC, and the show became one of the most popular sitcoms in the United States. [Read about 10 of the best American sitcoms, including Friends.] 1989: American composer Irving Berlin, who was perhaps the greatest and most enduring of American songwriters, died in New York City. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about music composers.] 1980: The Iran-Iraq War began when Iraqi armed forces invaded western Iran along the countries' joint border; fighting continued until 1988, and a formal peace agreement was signed in 1990. [Take our quiz about famous conflicts throughout history.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1976 Ronaldo Brazilian athlete 1958 Andrea Bocelli Italian singer 1791 Michael Faraday British physicist and chemist 1906 Ilse Koch German war criminal 1957 Nick Cave Australian musician and author 1515 Anne of Cleves queen of England SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY

Joe Biden FLIPS OUT - Takes Desperate Measure...   Read This Alert >>> Chris Wallace STUNS Viewers With Shocking Supreme Court Statement...   Read This Alert >>> Fox Pulls The Trigger... New CHANGE Announced   Read This Alert >>> Rape ALLEGATIONS Rock World Media... Heartbreaking Revelation!   Read This Alert >>>

Texas' New Curb: Law Cracks Down on Distributing Abortion Pill After 7 Weeks Special: Outrage Over Survival Food Anger at Haiti Airport Putting More Pressure on Biden

Columnists The Real Insurrection Will Not Be Televised Kurt Schlichter Looks Like None Other Than Brian Stelter Is in Need of a Fact Check Brad Slager Charity That Changes Lives John Stossel The Great Democratic Panic Byron York Twitter and the 'Fact-Checkers' Line Up for Biden Tim Graham Clarence Thomas and the Declaration of Independence Star Parker Biden Is Stabbing Nonunion Workers in the Back Betsy McCaughey Is Biden Bringing Terrorists From Afghanistan to America? Terry Jeffrey Mark Milley's Perception Warfare Deserves a Leavenworth Long Course Austin Bay		Tipsheet Mayorkas Presents Alarming Figures on the Afghan Evacuees Brought to US Leah Barkoukis Why a CNN Host Got Roasted by Liberals for Her Take on the California Recall Matt Vespa White House Staff's Latest Move Proves They Really Don't Want Biden Answering Questions Katie Pavlich Taliban Names U.N. Ambassador, Asks to Speak at Global Assembly Landon Mion Woke Ice Cream? Ben and Jerry's Unveils New Flavor That Will Aid the 'Defund the Police' Movement Landon Mion They Revolted? Haitian Migrants Took Control of a Federally-Contracted Bus at the Border Matt Vespa FBI Confirms Remains Found in Wyoming are Those of Gabby Petito Landon Mion
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The Case of General Milley Is a Test of America’s Constitutional Republic H. Sterling Burnett Bureaucrats and Politicians Seem Determined to Cripple a Lifesaving Alternative to Smoking Jacob Sullum A Tale of Two Pandemics Bob Barr Crypto Rules Another Example Of Congressional Ignorance of Emerging Innovation Josh Withrow Trump Vindicated on Covid Origin John and Andy Schlafly Congress Needs to Stop $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Daniel Savickas An Alternative Voice to President Biden’s Recent Vaccine Mandate Glenn Moots What Really Led to OnlyFans’ Flip Flop on its Porn Policy Haley McNamara When Politicians Call For 'Fairness,' They're Usually Lying Ben Shapiro If They Can Make You Vax, What Can’t They Do? Biden Mandate Ushers In More 'Crazy' Dan Backer		Psaki Confirms Border Patrol Agents Will Be Disciplined For Protecting America Katie Pavlich Dems, Media Double Down on 'Vicious Lie' That Border Patrol Whipped Illegal Immigrants Spencer Brown MSNBC Host Says Gabby Petito's Media Coverage is a Case of 'Missing White Woman Syndrome' Landon Mion Political Cartoons Bearing Arms Springfield, MA Buyback Yielded Whopping 38 Guns | Tom Knighton The Sad, Sordid Saga Of Cleveland's Anti-Gun Mayor And His Namesake Grandson | Cam Edwards Beto Not The Biggest Threat To TX Gun Owners | Cam Edwards NC Democrats Begin Push For Red Flag Law | Tom Knighton Vermont AFL-CIO Says No To Gun Control | Cam Edwards
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