Plus: Trump Distances Himself From Potential Comey Criminal Indictment

Good evening,

A Missouri man has claimed half of the September 6th Powerball jackpot of $1.787 billion – the second largest in U.S. history. The self-described homebody is staying humble, telling the Missouri Lottery: “I’m a millionaire, a multi-millionaire, and I’m doing laundry last night.”

The winner, who is remaining anonymous and took a one-time lump sum of $410 million pre-tax, described losing sleep over the winning ticket before claiming his prize. He added, “It’s the best problem I’ve ever had.” With his earnings, he plans to take time off, relax at home, and spend more time with his wife.
The other winning ticket was sold in Texas, but that winner has not yet come forward publicly.

A massive win like that makes me, and probably all of us, think about what we’d do with that kind of money. Laundry would be one of the first things to go for me 😉

Lauren
Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Trump Signs Executive Order Advancing TikTok Sale, Says U.S. Will Control Algorithm

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday, advancing the sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets to a group of American investors.

The deal ensures China will no longer control the algorithm, Vice President JD Vance said from the Oval Office, where he valued the new U.S.-owned company at around $14 billion.
“The most important thing is that it does protect Americans’ data security and ensures TikTok is still accessible,” he said.

The deal will still likely need U.S. and Chinese regulatory approvals.

WHAT WE KNOW
ByteDance would maintain about a 20% stake in the U.S.-based company, with six Americans sitting on a new seven-member board overseeing TikTok’s U.S. operations. The U.S. would also take control of the app’s algorithm — the secret sauce that drives its highly addictive recommendation feed — which has been controlled by ByteDance under Chinese Communist Party oversight.

TikTok’s new U.S. entity would lease the algorithm from ByteDance under the terms of the deal.
- One major question is how the licensing terms will work. The U.S. and global versions of TikTok are expected to run in parallel, sharing both the core algorithm and TikTok’s video library. What remains unclear is if and how this setup will protect Americans from potential Chinese propaganda.
The algorithm and all American user data would be managed domestically by tech giant Oracle, which already provides cloud services for the app in the U.S. Its founder, Larry Ellison, is set to be part of the new U.S. investor group.
Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, who leads Fox Corporation, along with Dell CEO Michael Dell will also be investing in TikTok as part of a deal, Trump said over the weekend.

How we got here: A bipartisan group of lawmakers passed a law in 2024 requiring TikTok to sell to a U.S. company or face a nationwide ban, citing national security concerns. China was accused of disguising propaganda, division, and spyware as entertainment. With more than 170 million American users, or roughly half the American population, Trump has postponed implementation of the ban to allow for continued talks this year.

Industrious is where you want to work 🐝 💻

Industrious is the elevated office experience that any kind of worker deserves — from the solo-entrepreneurs with WFH fatigue, to the small businesses looking to expand into their first private suite, to the enterprise-level darling with a worldwide network. Industrious is the best co-working and member experience, period.

Alongside our pals at Mo News, we’re offering listeners (that’s you) 50% off your first Day Pass! Bookable at any location, Day Passes get you access to all co-working amenities so you can utilize Industrious as a place to focus, a place to gather, or a place to get your best work done.

Get 50% off your first Day Pass or Meeting Room with the promo code: MONEWS50!

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE TRACKING

Trump Distances Himself From Potential Comey Indictment After Calling Him ‘Guilty As Hell’

President Trump called former FBI Director James Comey a “sick guy” while distancing himself Thursday from a potential federal indictment that could come within days.

“I think I’d be allowed to get involved if I want, but I don’t really choose to do so… I can only say that Comey’s a bad person. He’s a sick person,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “He did terrible things at the FBI. But I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

Over the weekend, Trump directed a Truth Social post to Attorney General Pam Bondi, telling her to speed up prosecutions of his political enemies, calling them “guilty as hell.”

HOW WE GOT HERE
Trump fired U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert late last week for not pursuing cases against his opponents. Lindsey Halligan, a White House adviser and former Trump defense attorney with no prior prosecutorial experience, took his place as the top federal prosecutor in eastern Virginia.

Shortly after, MSNBC first reported that federal prosecutors in Virginia are preparing charges against Comey, accusing him of lying during 2020 Senate testimony — about the FBI investigation into possible but unproven Trump-Russia ties — regarding approving FBI leaks to the press.
- Comey enraged both parties by reopening the Hilary Clinton email investigation in 2016 and later launching the Russia election-interference probe. His firing in 2017 paved the way for the Mueller investigation.
Why now? The five-year statute of limitations on Comey’s 2020 testimony expires this Tuesday, Sept. 30.
- In Trump’s first term, the DOJ declined to prosecute, after the inspector general cleared Comey on leaking classified information.

A grand jury would still need to decide if charges move forward. Legal experts say the evidence looks thin.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Hegseth orders hundreds of military commanders to Virginia for unprecedented meeting (FOX)
Trump hosts Turkey’s Erdogan at White House, considers lifting a ban on F-35 sales to the NATO ally (AP)
Fighter jets scrambled to intercept Russian warplanes near Alaska (THE HILL)
Alabama to execute man for 1997 shooting death of store clerk (NBC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas condemns Hamas, calls for demilitarized state in UN speech (MO NEWS)
France’s Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to jail for campaign finance scandal (MSNBC)
A massive road collapse in Bangkok disrupts traffic and prompts evacuations (AP)
Polish man becomes the first climber to ski down the world’s highest mountain without supplemental oxygen (CBS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

Amazon to pay $2.5 billion to settle FTC allegations concerning Prime (AP)
Starbucks is closing more stores and laying off 900 workers (NPR)
The US economy grew at a 3.8% rate in the second quarter, significantly stronger than previously reported (CNN)
Million-year-old skull found in China suggests earlier origins of modern humans, scientists claim (BBC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rihanna welcomes baby #3 with A$AP Rocky (ABC)
1,200 Hollywood stars slam industry call to boycott Israel (TIMES OF ISRAEL) European soccer body UEFA set to vote to suspend Israel over war in Gaza (AP)
5,000 words, including “rizz” and “adulting,” added to Merriam-Webster dictionary in rare update (CBS)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… If you live in NYC or are visiting, there’s soon going to be a familiar voice over the subway speaker. Rapper Cardi B will voice new PSAs over New York’s subway system, the MTA announced Tuesday via Instagram.

The Grammy-award winner – raised in the Bronx – recorded announcements about safety and subway etiquette, adding in her personal flair: “Ride safe, keep it cute, and keep it moving. Okurrrr!“

The MTA has not said when Cardi B’s announcements will start playing. Cardi B is set to perform in New York City alongside Shakira and Tyla at the Global Citizens Festival on Saturday. She released her latest album, “Am I The Drama?” on September 19.