How would you spend $1.7B? That’s the current Powerball jackpot — and winning numbers have yet to be drawn.

As financial writers, we can definitely think of better investments than the so-called “stupid tax”. But we might just have to buy a ticket, one time for the one time.

That private island ain’t gonna buy itself…

Finally, read to the end for some frightening jobs data foreshadowing…

— Brooks & Cas

If you’re only invested in stocks and bonds, you may be leaving performance on the table. Private markets offer:

Discover what private markets can do for your portfolio.

$ASAN ( ▼ 8.17% ) Asana stock rating reiterated by KeyBanc amid AI impact and tech headwinds (Investopedia)

$FIG ( ▲ 0.37% ) Figma's stock slumps after first earnings report to lowest since IPO (CNBC)

$GAP ( ▼ 0.65% ) Gap Is Expanding in the Beauty and Accessory Space (Bloomberg)

$TXN ( ▲ 0.29% ) Texas Instruments Stock Is Falling. Why Tariffs May Be the Culprit. (Barron’s)

$CIEN ( ▼ 0.34% ) Ciena soars after Q3, outlook surpasses estimates (SeekingAlpha)

WSJ: The DOJ opened a criminal probe into Fed Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, issuing subpoenas for evidence.

Reuters: US jobless claims rose to 237K while private payrolls grew just 54K in August, signaling a weakening labor market ahead of Friday’s report.

CNBC: The White House criticized Norway’s $2T wealth fund for divesting Caterpillar $CAT ( ▲ 0.68% ) shares over Gaza conflict concerns.

Bloomberg: Trump asked the Supreme Court to let him fire a Federal Trade Commission commissioner, escalating his agency shakeups.

AP: President Trump will host top tech CEOs including Gates, Cook, and Zuckerberg at a White House dinner, with Musk excluded.

The NFL season is here, and Wall Street expects it to bring a spike in sports betting activity.

Needham Research analyst Bernie McTernan said 71% of respondents in the firm’s preseason survey planned to place wagers with a regulated sportsbook, up from 60% last year.

That potential surge has analysts highlighting DraftKings $DKNG ( ▼ 1.96% ) and FanDuel-parent Flutter Entertainment $FLUT ( ▲ 0.94% ) as the sector’s leaders.

Both names carry Buy or Overweight ratings from Macquarie $MQBKY, Stifel $SF ( ▼ 2.63% ), JPMorgan $JPM ( ▼ 3.11% ), and Needham. DraftKings shares are up more than 30% year-to-date, while Flutter has gained almost 15%. Promotions appear consistent with last season, though private competitor Fanatics is offering more aggressive incentives.

Macquarie’s Chad Beynon said his firm views DraftKings and Flutter as “best positioned for near-term upside” tied to favorable NFL outcomes, iGaming momentum, and structural hold improvements. Stifel’s Jeffrey Stantial pointed to long-term scale benefits and rational competition but advised caution heading into kickoff, citing high expectations and regulatory risks.

JPMorgan’s Daniel Politzer suggested that the two companies could eventually capture an outsized market share, given their brand reach and technical resources. That said, in the near term, he expects adoption to remain gradual.

Historically, betting stocks have posted solid gains around the NFL opener, outperforming the S&P 500 by several hundred basis points in recent years, according to Morgan Stanley $MS ( ▼ 1.56% ) analyst Stephen Grambling. However, he also noted that momentum often fades within a month.

Whether through football wagers or new market expansions, the NFL season is once again a spotlight moment for gambling stocks. The question is whether they can keep the hype going after kick-off.

If you’re only invested in stocks and bonds, you may be leaving performance on the table. Private markets offer:

Discover what private markets can do for your portfolio.

Reuters: Senators clashed with Health Secretary RFK Jr. over his anti-vaccine policies, contrasting them with Trump’s 2020 vaccine drive.

CNBC: Trump nominee Stephen Miran said he’ll take unpaid leave from his White House role if confirmed as Fed governor.

Fox Business: Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, famed for redefining global style and Hollywood glamour, died at age 91.

AP: If Trump’s largest tariffs are struck down, importers could get massive refunds, but consumers won’t see reimbursements.

The Verge: The NFL is slowly adopting a new Schutt F7 Pro helmet, but critics and players are resisting the push. What makes a safe football helmet so elusive?

Pink slips before payrolls.

If Challenger and Grey are the appetizer, tomorrow’s BLS jobs report is the main course — and we’re catching some rancid whiffs from the kitchen.