That's one BFR

MARKETS

• U.S. markets: The S&P 500 is heading into a new week fresh off a five-day winning streak. The leading sectors? Financials and chipmakers (h/t Nvidia).

THE BIZ OF WEATHER

It Was a Wet and Deadly Weekend Around the World

Tropical Depression Florence ripped through the Carolinas, bringing "epic" rainfall and leaving at least 16 dead. Meanwhile, over in Southeast Asia, powerful Typhoon Mangkhut hit some of the most densely populated places on earth. It's killed dozens already.

In true Brew style, let's take a closer look at how these disasters relate to the business world:

1. When things get hairy...apps used for emergency response get a boost. Take Zello, for example. The walkie-talkie app has become a go-to resource in mass protests and natural disasters around the world, from Egypt to Venezuela to the U.S.

   * Last year, the app proved invaluable for rescuers during storms like Irma and Harvey. This year is no different. CEO Bill Moore said use in the Carolinas is up 20x in recent days.

2. During disasters like Florence, companies are using the opportunity to show they're more than just profit-making machines.

   * Airbnb has activated its "Open Homes" program, which recruits hosts to offer free accommodations to relief workers and people displaced by the storm.
   * Airlines and hotels are waiving cancellation fees in the affected regions. And, a few large hotel chains are allowing pets free of charge.

3. Gambling mecca Macau (a special administrative region of China) temporarily halted operations for the first time ever. FYI, Macau has 41 casinos which generated $33 billion last year.

   * Last week, Deutsche Bank cut its revenue forecast for the region, warning that high rollers won't be hitting the tables as often due to a slowing Chinese economy. This pause—during a weekend, no less—won't help.

4. Final question: What is the economic impact of major storms? A WSJ analysis shows that they're not as devastating as you'd expect (at least over the long term).

   * While of course storms devastate local communities, the rebuilding leads to "car purchases and construction that boost economic activity to replace property that was wiped out."

SPACE

SpaceX to Launch First Private Passenger Around Moon

ICYMI, Elon Musk's SpaceX will fly the world's first private passenger around the moon. And the lucky astronaut-in-training will be announced today.

The details: The BFR, or Big Falcon Rocket, is SpaceX's upcoming spaceship system comprised of two parts—a rocket booster SpaceX said will outcompete any ever built, and a spacecraft.

FYI, only 24 humans have ever journeyed to the Moon (great Yelp reviews, though). The last time our kind paid a visit there was the final Apollo mission in 1972.

• But, space tourism is becoming less of a moonshot these days. There's Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. If you've got a cool $30 million to throw around, you could be next.

Don't pull out your Buzz Lightyear bodysuit just yet, though. We all know Elon's a little loose with following schedules...and he said the BFR probably won't begin testing until 2019. SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell? She said the BFR will launch "within a decade."

+ Need some ammo for small talk today? Engage in reckless speculation on the identity of the passenger.

ENTERTAINMENT

Here’s Your Emmys Preview

Tonight, Hollywood (and Silicon Valley) will glam up for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. Here's what you need to know before you watch the show follow the live-tweets.

Checking in on the Lannisters: Yep, still killing it. HBO's Game of Thrones leads the pack (again) with 22 nominations. Westworld and Saturday Night Live each got 21 nods.

But change—much like winter—is coming. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon have challenged old-school networks with major hits including The Crown, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

• Netflix earned 112 Emmy noms this year. HBO only had 108. It's the first time in 17 years that HBO didn't receive the most Emmy nominations.

All that hard work Netflix is doing to unseat HBO comes at a cost, though. It's expected to shovel over $13 billion on content this year...more than double what it spent last year.

+ While we're here: In one of last week's quoteworthy CEO moments, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson said Netflix was "the Walmart" of subscription video, while his company's newly acquired HBO was "the Tiffany." This could get fun.

TRADE

Who Wants More Tariffs?

And now onto the drama that, in our view, got absolutely snubbed from the Emmys this year: the trade war between the U.S. and China.

The latest episode: Any day now, President Trump is expected to announce tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. These tariffs had initially been pegged at 25%, but now it's looking like that'll be dialed back to 10%, per the WSJ.

Here are two theories why:

1. A steep tariff could make holiday presents (which they say come from Santa, but really come from China) even more expensive.
2. The midterm elections are right around the corner. A super costly trade war isn't likely to help the Republicans'—and Trump's—cause.

What's the Chinese reaction? They're...not thrilled. Per the WSJ, officials might decline an offer from Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to meet later in the month.

The view from Beijing: "China is not going to negotiate with a gun pointed to its head," said an official.

MEDIA

Salesforce Co-Founder Marc Benioff Is Buying Time

Marc Benioff had an eventful weekend...the Salesforce.com co-founder/co-CEO and his wife, Lynne, will buy Time magazine from Meredith Corp. for $190 million.

If this seems oddly familiar...it was almost exactly five years ago when another tech billionaire acquired a legacy publication. That person was Jeff Bezos and that publication was The Washington Post.

Zoom out: This isn't Time's first rodeo with a new buyer—Meredith purchased the publication about eight months back and put it up for sale in March.

"Unique storytelling" and a "treasure trove" of culture aside, we all know what this is really about...Benioff's gunning for the "Person of the Year" title.

(FYI, the Benioffs say they won’t be involved with any of the day-to-day operations or editorial decision-making.)

CALENDAR

What’s on Tap

There's something this week for everyone...even ol' Blackbeard.

Monday: Emmy Awards, earnings (Oracle, FedEx), Constitution Day

Tuesday: UN General Assembly opens in New York, Bank of Japan meets, earnings (General Mills)

Wednesday: Yom Kippur, housing starts, Talk Like a Pirate Day

Thursday: Jobless claims, existing home sales, earnings (Micron)

Friday: International Day of Peace; it's the night in that Earth, Wind & Fire song (the 21st of September)

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Mary Daly will be the San Francisco Fed's next president. She's been a Fed economist since 1996.
• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon continues to walk back less-than-friendly comments he made about President Trump.
• FEMA will send a test text message from the president to your cell phone on Thursday. It's part of the agency's emergency alert system.
• Nike's controversial decision to use former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in an ad campaign has been good news for its stock price. It'll begin the week at an all-time high.
• Amazon is investigating employees leaking (and selling) internal data to third-party merchants, per the WSJ.

BREAKROOM

Trivia
Which of these casino games brings in the most revenue in Macau?

VIP Baccarat, Stud poker, Cussec, Blackjack, Roulette

(Answer located at bottom of newsletter)

Breakroom Answers