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đ America Runs on OnlyFans?
Plus: Polls show a virtual tie between Trump and Harris...
Do you know where the term computer âbugâ comes from?
The answer would be a literal bug. On this day in 1947, Harvard engineers found a moth stuck in one of the components of a Mark 2 computer. They taped the insect in their logbook and labeled it "first actual case of bug being found.â Thus they de-bugged their computer.
Does anyone else want to know the origin of the term âcookiesâ now?
𤍠The OnlyFans economy
đşđ¸ Trump and Kamala tied
đ Tyreek Hill's eventful commute to work
âMax, Max, and Owen
KEY STORY
Hostage Video Released
Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polinâs parents endorsed the sharing of a video Hamas took of him days before they killed him
Israel discourages sharing hostage videos, deeming them a form of psychological warfare. Israeli media typically wonât broadcast them without consent from the victimâs family
On Thursday, Hamas released a tape of Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American, taken hostage from the Nova Music Festival and killed by Hamas at the end of August. Hours later, his parents â who have been outspoken proponents of a ceasefire and hostage deal â said the video should be shared as a âwake-up callâ
Dig Deeper
In the video, Goldberg-Polin says, âI canât remember the last time I saw the sun or took a breath of fresh airâŚWorst of all is that my own country, Israel, has been trying to bomb me nonstopâ
He then called on Americans to secure a ceasefire before saying, âKeep on fighting, and hopefully, I believe Iâll be home soon. Donât stop. I love youâ
KEY STORY
Itâs a Dead Heat
Polling averages show a dead heat between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump ahead of Tuesdayâs debate
The average of national polls has Harris up by 1.4 points, but a New York Times/Siena poll released Sunday has Trump leading by a point
In all seven swing states â Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona â polls show the candidates within 1.5 points of the other
Polls have historically underestimated Trumpâs popularity: National polls overestimated Hillaryâs support by 1.6 points on average and Bidenâs by 3.9
Dig Deeper
Betting markets suggest the polls are once again undercounting Trumpâs support
Most have him leading by a slim margin, while polling expert Nate Silverâs model, which has historically performed more accurately than the averages, has Trump with a 60%+ chance of winning
ROCAâS PARTNERS
Secure an 8% Dividend Opportunity Before 9/12
Monogram (Nasdaq: MGRM), known for its autonomous robotic surgical systems, completed a crowd-funded public offering and Nasdaq listing last year. Whatâs next?
They just filed for FDA approval to commercialize their patented tech. Currently, Monogram is offering preferred stock with an 8% dividend (in cash or kind) at $2.25/share. Their common shares closed high as $2.98 in the past seven days
Monogram plans to end the Series D Preferred offering on September 12, 2024
*This is a paid advertisement for Monogram Technologies Series D Preferred Stock offering. Additional information on the company and risk factors related to the offering can be found in the prospectus supplement, and the accompanying base prospectus has been filed with the SEC. https://www.monogramtechnologies.com/
KEY STORY
OnlyFans Pays Big
OnlyFans paid out $7B+ last year as the platformâs user base and revenue boomed
The platform â which lets âcreators,â who mostly make adult content, charge fans for exclusives â reported a 33%+ increase in both the number of creator and âfanâ accounts, as well as a 20% increase in net revenue. New filings show OnlyFans now has 305M fan accounts
OnlyFansâ parent company paid $6.6B to creators in 2023, a $1B increase from the previous year, as well as $631M in dividends and additional payments to its owner
Dig Deeper
Fans on the platform can pay for subscriptions, tips, on-demand content, and private messaging with creators. OnlyFans takes a 20% cut from all transactions
OnlyFansâ CEO described 2023 as a âstrong year,â calling the platform âa leading digital entertainment company and a UK tech success storyâ
KEY STORY
Starliner Returns Alone
Boeingâs Starliner spacecraft touched down in New Mexico, ending its tumultuous first mission
The Starliner returned without its two-astronaut crew after NASA deemed the aircraft too risky to fly. The pair will be ferried from the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth aboard a SpaceX rocket next year
The empty Starliner returned to Earth without any apparent issues
A NASA representative called the Starlinerâs return ânear flawlessâ but said determining its future will âtake a little timeâ
Dig Deeper
Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi praised his companyâs efforts: âI want to recognize the work the Starliner teams did to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, reentry, and landing⌠We will review the data and determine the next steps for the programâ
The company would need NASAâs approval to continue ISS operations
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
đ US stocks dropped sharply on Friday, ending their worst week in 18 months
đââď¸ Edmundo GonzĂĄlez, the opposition candidate who appeared to have defeated President NicolĂĄs Maduro in recent Venezuelan elections, fled Venezuela
âď¸ Donald Trumpâs sentencing in his Manhattan âhush moneyâ trial was delayed until after the election
đ¤ Kendrick Lamar was announced as this seasonâs Super Bowl halftime show performer
𪧠A 26-year-old Turkish-American woman was killed at a protest in the West Bank, apparently by Israeli troops
COMMUNITY
đ§ Todayâs question: What was the highlight of your weekend?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
đ° The juice is loose (again): Tim Burtonâs âBeetlejuice Beetlejuice,â the sequel to the 1998 cult classic âBeetlejuice,â earned $110M at the domestic box office during its opening weekend
đ˛ Big Phone Energy: Two YouTubers set a Guinness World Record for the worldâs largest smartphone replica by building a 6.74-foot-tall iPhone. It has a fully functioning camera, flashlight, and charging port
And the Oscar for best home run reaction goes toâŚ
đ¸ Toad-ally illegal: Peruvian authorities confiscated 390 endangered Titicaca water frogs poached for their alleged aphrodisiac effects. Over the past 15 years, the speciesâ population has declined by 80%
đž No party in the USA: The United States was represented in the menâs and womenâs US Open finals for the first time since 2002 but failed to capitalize. Taylor Fritz lost the menâs final to world #1 Jannik Sinner, and Jessica Pegula lost in the womenâs final to world #2 Aryna Sabalenka
đ What a day: Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill was detained on the way to Miamiâs stadium ahead of his game Sunday for a âtraffic incident.â In the game, he scored a TD and celebrated by pretending to be handcuffed
ROCA WRAP
Monday Madness
Here are a set of quirky stories to start your Mondays off.
A Grave Mistake
Police arrested a 47-year-old woman after she allegedly burglarized a Las Vegas funeral home, stole a casket with a body inside, and dumped the remains in the process.
Late last month, officers responded to a report of a body found face down in front of the funeral home. Upon investigating, they discovered an open door and âflower petals on the floor leading out the door,â with surveillance footage showing the woman breaking a window, unlocking the door, and carrying the casket out, with the body later found nearby.
On Thursday, officers arrested the suspect after someone recognized her at a convenience store and alerted authorities. She claimed she âwas not trying to be malicious and was apologeticâ but admitted to being the person in the video.
She faces charges including grand larceny, burglary of a business, and disturbing human remains.
The Real âNightmare on Bibury Streetâ
An Ohio homeowner says sheâs received complaints from her community for setting up her annual Halloween display earlier than usual this year.
She has erected the display, titled âNightmare on Bibury Street,â for seven years with assembly â which takes over 100 hours to complete and dismantle â typically beginning in mid-August.
However, she began earlier this year due to her husbandâs cancer diagnosis, resulting in the alleged complaints. The city told her she could keep the decorations up but suggested waiting a week or two, which she says isnât feasible due to her husbandâs health.
Despite the backlash, she maintains her love for sharing the display with the community and says she has received hundreds of supportive comments on social media.
Same Beetlejuice, New Name?
âBeetlejuiceâ star Michael Keaton, 73, says he wonât be going by Michael Keaton but will instead use a new name â Michael Keaton Douglas â on future acting projects.
According to Keaton, he couldnât use his real name, Michael Douglas, when he started acting in the 1970s because of the other Academy Award-winning actor of the same name. A Screen Actors Guild rule prohibits members from using another memberâs professional name, leading him to pick the name Keaton from a phone book.
While âBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceâ â a sequel to the 1988 hit horror comedy âBeetlejuiceâ â opened in theaters on Friday, it still credits Keatonâs traditional stage name for his reprisal of the iconic Beetlejuice role.
No Laws When Youâre Playing Claws
Rio de Janeiro police executed 16 search warrants targeting the âclawâ arcade game.
Police said the games trick people into thinking itâs a skill game, when in reality, itâs a game of chance, like a slot machine. Alleging that gangs have set up the claw machines to defraud unwitting consumers, they seized claw machines and their plush toys, as well as laptops, cell phones, and a firearm from arcades. A similar raid saw 80 machines taken away this May.
EDITORâS NOTE
Final Thoughts
Hope you all had a great weekend. It was a rough weekend for Max T and Rocaâs third cofounder Billy due to Notre Dameâs stunning, insane, and inexcusable loss to Northern Illinois. Maybe weâre overreacting, but our therapist told us itâs healthy to pin your wellbeing to a bunch of 19- and 20-year-olds playing a meaningless game. At least Max F got his Bills win!
âMax and Max