☕ In the ring

WWE and UFC could join forces... April 03, 2023 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Facet]( Good morning. Don’t wanna steal any thunder from the Week Ahead section, but this week is simply stuffed: a historic day in New York with Trump’s arraignment tomorrow, Passover, Easter prep, the Masters, the jobs report, and probably a bunch of unexpected things that will pop up. Friday will be here before we know it. —Neal Freyman P.S. If you want more context on these stories and other headlines that we can’t squeeze into the newsletter, check out the Brew’s [daily podcast]( that I co-host. Today’s epi will be up around 10am ET. MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE Nasdaq 12,221.91 +17.67% S&P 4,109.31 +7.46% Dow 33,274.15 +0.42% 10-Year 3.471% -40.9 bps Bitcoin $27,983.65 +69.11% Microsoft $288.30 +20.64% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 3:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Investors have to feel pretty good heading into the first trading day of the second quarter. After all, last month saw the biggest banking failures since the financial crisis, and the S&P still closed up 3.5%. You can thank [two companies]( for that: Microsoft and Apple. These tech giants accounted for about half of the S&P’s gain in March. - Energy: Oil prices [jumped]( as much as 8% last night after OPEC and its allies made the surprising decision to cut output. The White House can’t be happy with the Saudis, since the production cut could be inflationary and lead to higher gas prices for Americans.  MEDIA [UFC and WWE could be the ultimate tag team]( [Vince McMahon]( Ethan Miller/Getty Images Endeavor Group, the parent company of UFC, is nearing a blockbuster deal to [buy WWE](and could announce an agreement imminently, CNBC reported yesterday, which coincidentally(?) was the second day of WrestleMania, WWE’s biggest event. A deal would mean that three huge personalities in media—Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, UFC President Dana White, and WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon—will be working at the same company. Not even Erik Spoelstra could manage all that ego in one office. A deal would also spawn a combat sports entertainment behemoth. WWE would have an enterprise value of $9.3 billion in the acquisition, CNBC reported, a significant premium over its current market value of $6.79 billion. And UFC, the largest global mixed martial arts organization, would be valued at more than $12 billion. So, how would this all shake out? The plan is to combine WWE and UFC into one publicly traded firm. - Emanuel, a Hollywood power broker, would remain CEO of Endeavor and also lead the new company. - Dana White would stay president of UFC and WWE CEO Nick Khan will become president of the wrestling unit. But it’s McMahon who comes out of this impending deal looking like a Logan Roy-level mastermind. With Endeavor scooping up 51% of the new company, he’ll cash out on the humble wrestling promotion he [bought from his dad]( in 1982 for $1 million and built into an entertainment juggernaut. McMahon had been shopping around WWE for months, and raised eyebrows when he asked $9 billion for his company. But Endeavor came in from the top rope to give him what he was looking for...and more. There is controversy surrounding these big personalities McMahon had temporarily retired in July following a scandal over hush money payments sent to women who accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct. White, meanwhile, was filmed slapping his wife on New Year’s Eve 2022 during an argument (he apologized for his behavior). Bottom line: Many corporate mergers come labeled with imagined “synergies,” but a UFC–WWE tie-up might truly be a 1+1=3 scenario. WWE could piggyback off of UFC’s success in bringing in sponsorship revenue, and it’s also exploring legalizing betting on its matches in several states. �  �  �  WORLD Tour de headlines [A rainbow shines amidst the remains of a neighborhood damaged by a tornado on March 31, 2023 in Little Rock, Arkansas.] Deadly tornadoes rip through the US. At least 69 tornadoes touched down across eight states on Saturday, leaving [at least 32 people dead](. In one harrowing incident, a roof collapsed at an Illinois theater where people were attending a heavy metal concert, killing one attendee. As it headed east, the dangerous storm system knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people, and when it reached NYC, lightning [lit up]( One World Trade Center. ([Here’s]( why the US experiences so many weather catastrophes.) Elon Musk escalates vendetta against the New York Times. Twitter [removed]( the NYT’s blue check mark on Sunday as the platform started phasing out legacy verifications in favor of a subscription model. But the move against the Times seems to be personal for Musk. He pushed for the defrocking after learning that the NYT was refusing to pay the fee required for verification, per the Washington Post. Twitter also intended to preserve badges for the 10,000 most followed accounts even if they didn’t pay up, according to the Times. The NYT, with 55 million followers, is the 24th most-followed account on Twitter. LSU downs Iowa for women’s basketball title. In the highest-scoring championship game ever, Jasmine Carson and the Tigers’ electric offense [overpowered Iowa]( 102–85, ending Caitlin Clark’s historic tournament run (the Iowa star scored the most points in a single NCAA tournament, men’s or women’s). The men’s tournament will wrap up tonight with UConn taking on San Diego State, which won in an epic buzzer-beater on Saturday. TOGETHER WITH FACET [Procrastination is costing you money]( It’s a new month, but nothing has changed with the economy. It’s still wild, and so are your finances. Stop procrastinating—it’s time for a money tune-up ASAP. Fortunately, spring’s here for a refresh . Much like spring itself, [Facet]( can give you a breath of fresh air. Their memberships include an expert financial planner and top-notch support from specialists across investments, taxes, and benefits. Oh, and there’s a limited-time $500 *kick-start offered to new annual members . Here are two easy ways to get started: - Take their [free 5-minute Financial Wellness quiz]( to unlock insights about your financial health. - Book a [free introductory call with a Facet expert]( to see if financial guidance is whatcha need. [Give your finances a spring cleaning](. GEOPOLITICS [Calls mount to #BringEvanHome]( [Evan Gershkovich smiling]( Dimitar Dilkoff/Getty Images Just five months after the US brought home Brittney Griner from Russian detention, it’s facing another prisoner’s dilemma following the brazen [arrest]( of American journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges last week. Outrage at Russia’s action grew over the weekend. In a rare phone call, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Gershkovich’s detention was [unacceptable]( and demanded Russia release him and another detained American, Paul Whelan. Top editors at 38 news outlets (including the Wall Street Journal, where Gershkovich works) called for Gershkovich to be [immediately released]( and accused Russia of “sending the message that journalism within your borders is criminalized.” The WSJ vehemently denies the allegations against its reporter. Griner and her wife, Cherelle, also spoke up. In an Instagram post, they [urged]( the White House “to use every tool possible to bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home.” Who is Gershkovich? A 31-year-old son of Soviet émigrés, he developed a deep interest in Russia and has been working there as a journalist since 2017. Gershkovich was also a talented soccer player: At his alma mater, Bowdoin College, he netted a [penalty kick]( to win an NCAA tournament game. Looking ahead…WSJ Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker said on Face the Nation that she’s “optimistic” about making contact with Gershkovich this week. �  �  �  CALENDAR The week ahead [Donald Trump in a closing elevator ]Dominick Reuter/AFP via Getty Images Trump arraignment: Following his indictment last week, former President Trump is expected to turn himself in to authorities on Tuesday in lower Manhattan. He’ll be fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken, but he isn’t expected to be handcuffed or led on a “perp walk.” We’ll also learn the specific charges filed against him, which for now remain under seal. Wisconsin Supreme Court election: On Tuesday, cheeseheads [will vote]( in what’s by far the most expensive judicial election in history (more than $37 million has been spent). At stake are abortion rights and legislative maps that could shape the 2024 presidential election. Also in the Midwest tomorrow, Chicago will hold its runoff mayoral election. Spring holidays: Kitchens all over the world are going to smell really good this week because Passover starts Wednesday night, and Easter is on Sunday. The stock market will be closed for Good Friday. Everything else… - McDonald’s is temporarily [closing its offices]( this week ahead of expected corporate layoffs, the WSJ reports. - Today, NASA will reveal the four astronauts selected to take a trip around the moon for the Artemis 2 mission. It’s slated for November 2024 at the earliest. - The Masters tees off in Augusta, GA, on Thursday. Tiger Woods will be competing. - The March jobs report will be released on Friday. TOGETHER WITH SECUREFRAME [SecureFrame]( Set compliance to cruise control. Need to achieve compliance with security and privacy frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA? Sit back, chillax, and automate the ride with [Secureframe](. Get complete visibility on critical compliance issues with actionable insights and unmatched guidance. [Schedule a demo]( to meet compliance reqs pronto. GRAB BAG Key performance indicators [USA, Deep South, Tennessee, Nashville, Broadway. ]Prisma By Dukas/Getty Images Stat: The city of hot chicken and Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse is also the nation’s hottest job market. [Nashville]( topped the list of the WSJ’s annual ranking of job markets, and it was followed by fellow Southern metros Austin, TX, and Jacksonville, FL. So, what’s driving the hiring boom in these cities? Tourism. The surging hospitality economy also helped cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, and New Orleans shoot up the rankings from the previous year. Quote: “I’m still alive.” Pope Francis, who will forever be known as the [Drippy Pope](, shared the good news after being [released]( from the hospital for a pulmonary infection. Rest up, Your Holiness—you’ve got a big week ahead of you. Read: Two profiles of Sam Altman, the man behind OpenAI. ([WSJ]( and [NYT]() NEWS What else is brewing - [A prominent pro-war Russian military blogger](, Vladlen Tatarsky, was killed in an explosion at a cafe in St. Petersburg. No one has claimed responsibility, but Russian nationalists are blaming Ukraine. - [Tesla’s]( price cuts helped it deliver a record 422,875 cars in the first quarter, topping projections. - [UBS]( may cut its workforce by 20%–30% (as many as 36,000 employees) following its emergency takeover of Credit Suisse, SonntagsZeitung reported. [Swiss prosecutors]( are also investigating the deal for potential criminal offenses. - [Ryuichi Sakamoto](, a Japanese composer, producer, and electronic music pioneer, died at 71. RECS [Monday to-do list image] Bad lighting: There’s something off about LEDs, but soon they’ll be the [only lightbulbs you can buy](. It’s not just you: Movies are [really dark these days](. Beautiful buildings: Drone shots of [early 20th-century American skyscrapers](. Parking lot nation: [These maps]( show how parking lots eat our cities. Humorous marketing news: Quick, funny, and effective, the Marketing Brew newsletter is your free ticket to industry insights and a community of fellow marketing pros. [Sign up here](. Test yourself: Wanna build a career that aligns with your values? The [CFA program]( tests your knowledge in subjects like investing, portfolio management, ethics, and wealth planning. Bettering yourself and your industry [starts here](.* *This is sponsored advertising content. GAMES The puzzle section Turntable: If your brain is still feeling a little foggy from the weekend, today’s Turntable will kick it back into gear. [Play it here](. Name change trivia We’ll give you the name that a famous person was given at birth, and you have to identify who we better know them as now. We’ll also give you a clue as to why they’re famous. Example: Peter Gene Hernandez → Bruno Mars. - Jorge Mario Bergoglio (very public figure) - Robyn R. Fenty (business mogul) - Carlos Irwin Estévez (actor) - Reginald Kenneth Dwight (musician) - Mark Sinclair (actor) AROUND THE BREW [Innovation conversation]( [Innovation conversation]( Today’s the day: Don’t miss our free event with famed restaurateur and author of Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara, about innovation and the keys to being a great leader. [Register now](—see ya at noon ET. Executives from brands like Doritos, Magnolia Bakery, and Digitas shared their secret sauce for collaborations. [Check it out](. Do you work from home because your employer is located in a different state? If so, there are some important tax tips you should know. [Get them here](. 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 - Pope Francis - Rihanna - Charlie Sheen - Elton John - Vin Diesel ✢ A Note From Facet Facet Wealth, Inc. (“Facet”) is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. This is not an offer to sell securities or the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities. This is not investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Offer expires April 30, 2023. *See Terms and Conditions and active promotions. Time value of money (TVM) is calculated by assessing the present value of a future amount, the corresponding number of years and interest rate, and multiplying the resulting factor and the future value. � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. 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