Michaels Stages a Crafty Comeback & Americans Don’t Read Anymore

Michaels Stages a Crafty Comeback & Americans Don’t Read Anymore

#886: SK Hynix is slated to begin public trading on the Nasdaq as a company that has seen its stock pop more than sevenfold in due to the AI memory chip crunch. The NYC Midtown building partial-collapse scare has given pause to investors who thought it was supposed to be a boom-time for the office-to-residential revolution. Stock of the Week: Arts & crafts store Michaels is seeing success under private equity owner Apollo thanks to the demise of its competitors. Dog of the Week: Reading literacy in the US is sadly low. Finally, Claude launches its own version of “Wrapped.”  Get 10% off using MORNINGBREW10 at altrarunning.com/morningbrew [http://altrarunning.com/morningbrew]  Get tickets for our trivia tournament! https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30 [https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30]  Grab tickets to our Performance Revue show! https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd [https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd] Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note]  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow]https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow%E2%81%A0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

People Love Watching the World Cup in Spanish & Dating Coworkers is OK Again?

#885: Meta launches an AI image-generator that can use users’ profile pictures and not everybody is happy about it. Telemundo is drawing nearly 4.6 million watchers for the World Cup who love hearing the broadcast in Spanish. Travelers entering and exiting some European airports have run into massive backups amid a rocky rollout of the EU’s new Entry and Exit System. Neal’s Numbers on Driscoll’s berry-boom, none of the 20 most populous countries are still in the World Cup, and dating coworkers are becoming more accepted.  Get 10% off using MORNINGBREW10 at altrarunning.com/morningbrew [http://altrarunning.com/morningbrew]  Get tickets for our trivia tournament! https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30 [https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30]  Grab tickets to our Performance Revue show! https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd [https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd] Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note]  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow]https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow%E2%81%A0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

American AI Companies Fend Off Chinese Copy Cats & Gen Z Loves Love Island

#884: American AI companies are sounding the alarm on Chinese companies copying their models through “distillation.” Stellantis officially opens its doors to the sale of the tiny car priced at under $15,000. The US is seeing its middle-aged population slowly shrinking and which could harm the economy. Love Island USA has been a rare hit that has captured and retained Gen Z’s attention.  Get 10% off using MORNINGBREW10 at altrarunning.com/morningbrew [http://altrarunning.com/morningbrew]  Get tickets for our trivia tournament! https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30 [https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30]  Grab tickets to our Performance Revue show! https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd [https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd] Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note]  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow]https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow%E2%81%A0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Xbox Hits Reset Button on Business & Netflix Has a ‘Season 2’ Problem

#883: Microsoft cuts over 4,000 jobs including its Xbox unit as it looks to downsize its gaming division. SpaceX joins the Nasdaq in less than a month of it becoming public. Netflix has a retention problem as it struggles to keep viewers hooked onto its shows after its first season. Grocery tourism is one of the hottest trends of 2026 and some say is the best way to experience a new city. Get 10% off using MORNINGBREW10 at altrarunning.com/morningbrew [http://altrarunning.com/morningbrew]  Get tickets for our trivia tournament! https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30 [https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30] Grab tickets to our Performance Revue show! https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd [https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd] Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note]  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow]https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow%E2%81%A0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Trump Accounts Are Now Live & Philosophy Majors Find Work in AI

#882: What you need to know about the Trump accounts that are now live. Scientists have made a cell from scratch for the first time. Bending Spoons raises $1 billion in its IPO. AI labs are turning to philosophy majors to help solve some of the tech’s most complex problems. Finally, what you need to know in the week ahead.  Get 10% off using MORNINGBREW10 at altrarunning.com/morningbrew [http://altrarunning.com/morningbrew]  Grab tickets to our Performance Revue show! https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd [https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd] Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note]  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow]https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow%E2%81%A0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]