Hey there weekday warriors,

(Heads up, if you already know the yuge news about the future of The Water Coolest, you can skip this part...)

By now you've probably seen the headlines and the posts about some changes at Barstool. And, well, things are changing on my end too...

After nearly two years at Barstool, The Water Coolest is going independent (again). And I'll be in the driver's seat, which means not a damn thing is going to change (except, the logo and some legal language... obviously).

"So, do I have to do anything?" - you, probably

Yep. We'll be sending from thewatercoolest.com domain (again). So, to ensure you always get the emails, you should tell your email provider that you're cool with getting emails from [email protected].

Here's how to do it...

1. Add [email protected] to your address book/tell your email provider we're safe (here are instructions for every email provider).

2. That's it.

I appreciate you coming along for the ride. And if you have any questions, you can reach out directly at [email protected].

Keep on snapping necks and cashing checks,

Tyler

PS, Have some questions? Concerns? Been hoping to collab? Just want to chat? Drop me a note >

+ US stocks "cut intraday cuts to close lower Thursday as rising Treasury yields pierced through early-day optimism following inflation data that surprised to the upside and signs of ongoing strength in the labor market." (Investing.com)

+ The 10-year Treasury yield "rose Thursday as investors weighed fresh economic data pointing to stubbornly high inflation." (CNBC​)

+ Oil "reversed early gains on Thursday in a volatile session, after a large build in U.S. crude stockpiles outweighed expectations that U.S. interest rates had peaked." (Reuters)

+ Bitcoin fell for a fourth day in a row thanks to CPI data. Turns out crypto isn't an inflation hedge after all. (Coindesk)

+ The three most talked about stocks on WallStreetBets in the past 24-hours were: 1) Visa +0.47% 2) Nvidia +0.30% 3) Tesla -1.57%.

The House that Blockbuster built

What's wrong babe? You've barely touched your Surfer Boy Pineapple Jalapeño Pizza made famous by the Netflix Original Series 'Stranger Things.'

Better late than never, I guess. Netflix is getting into a biz​ that Walt Disney pioneered like 50 years before Blockbuster fumbled the bag when it had to chance to buy the fledgling DVD slingers: IRL fan attractions.

Netflix is opening retail storefronts where fans can eat, pray, love play, shop, and eat called "Netflix House." Think: Rainforest Café meets Soho House, just with more Squid Games. The first two "Houses" will open in the US in 2025 and will host events, offer Netflix themed food, sell merch, and remind us why Peacock is a sad excuse of a streamer.

The experience will change every few months, which should give tourists something to look forward to after they hit Madam Tussaud's make fans regulars.

The idea isn't exactly novel for Netflix, but this is certainly their most permanent commitment to brick and mortar. In the past, NFLX has done promotional pop-ups related to Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and other shows.

So, how will it impact the bottom line?

It won't... directly. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said "don't focus that much on ... revenue and profit on that business. It's a lot about building fandom." That's code word for "we are literally just lighting money on fire."

Although it might not be as profitable as Disney's parks, the outlets could help build brands into household names.

Shares fell nearly 1.3% on the day. Of course, that might have had more to do with uncertainty about its animation studio​. Variety reported that Netflix is killing two projects currently in production and said layoffs are coming.

Or, you know, everyone might still be freaking out that ad sales are abysmal​.

+ Best 1-Year CD Rates for October 2023 (Read)

+ Americans Failed to Pay a Record $688 Billion in Taxes. The IRS Says That Will Change. (Read)

+ It’s Prime Time for Bosses to Pay Attention to Deion Sanders (Read​)

+ ICYMI yesterday... If It’s Under $5 It’s Free: The Logic of ‘Girl Math’ and ‘Boy Math’ (Read)

+ "CPIdon'treallygiveaf*ck." - investors

Despite all the hype, the markets' reaction to yesterday's consumer price index was, well, underwhelming. While regular old missionary CPI came in slightly higher than expectations, the "core" (sans food and energy) variety was right in line (0.3% month over month and 4.1% year over year).

The headline miss could've sparked a massive sell-off, but markets actually had themselves a morning before fading in the afternoon session. Why? Well, the current expectation is that the Fed won't raise rates in November (thanks, Treasury yields!)... and this inflation print probably didn't do enough to change the Fed's mind. (Read)

What else?

+ Welp, I certainly did not have "AMC CEO Adam Aron blackmail scandal" on my 2023 bingo card. Adam outed himself as the "CEO of a publicly traded company" embroiled in an online scam in a case that was previously made public. Some batsh*t lady from NY demanded he back up the Brinks truck. In return, she wouldn't expose his "online behavior" to the AMC board. This crime just screams "butthurt AMC bag holder." (Read)

+ Nothing says "you're terrible at your job" quite like the guy you replaced having to come out of retirement. Isn't that right, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek? Dollar General just re-installed its ex-CEO, sending Jeff Owen packing after less than a year. Turns out, overseeing slowing growth at a dollar store when everyone is looking for bargains is a death sentence. Plus, Jeff was catching all sorts of flak for creating a worse work environment than Amazon. DG had been fined more than $20M for all sorts of workplace violations, like... blocked fire exits. Shares of Dollar General were up almost 8% after hours. (Read)

+ Juul (and Altria): "Sucks to suck." The US FDA blocked the sale of 6 flavors of VUSE vapes in the US. Shares of British American Tobacco, which makes VUSE, fell almost 4% on the day. (Read)

+ Pour one out for DWAC. The SPAC that had raised more than $1B and had plans to merge with President Trump's TRUTH Social has decided to return the remaining $533M of investor money that wasn't already pulled out. For context, DWAC was trading around $15 yesterday and peaked at $97 early last year. (Read)

+ The show goes on. Talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (see: Hollywood studios) and the actors union have broken down. (Read)

Here's what I'm keeping an eye on today...

+ United Health, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and BlackRock report

+ Of course, the only thing that really matters is that the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie opens

+ Michigan consumer sentiment data drops

Yesterday, I asked Have you ever used "girl math" or "boy math?"

This one struck a nerve. Lots of fist shaking "that's what's wrong with this generation" emails. Don't kill the messenger.

Here's today's question...

Not going to lie... I totally forgot about Juul (which I'm sure the FDA is happy to hear)...

Is vaping (nicotine) still a thing?

Respond directly to this email and I'll share the best answers tomorrow.