Axios

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees "it's past the time to disagree and commit" to the return-to-office (RTO) mandate, according to a report released Monday from Insider that Axios confirmed.

The big picture: This is the latest internal event from Amazon surrounding the company's RTO policy, which was announced months ago and has sparked widespread employee pushback and protests.

Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver are teaming up for a new podcast set to launch Wednesday.

The big picture: The show will cover "the Hollywood strikes and beyond," and proceeds from the podcasts will go to out-of-work staff from the hosts' respective shows, according to Spotify.

Corporate America's attempt to use bankruptcy court to minimize certain product liabilities suffered another setback this week as 3M agreed to a $6 billion out-of-court settlement.

Why it matters: Whether financially healthy companies are allowed to use bankruptcy to reduce victim payouts has a direct impact on customers, shareholders and legal precedent.

Whether the Whopper is whopping enough is the subject of a proposed class-action lawsuit in a Miami federal court.

Driving the news: It's the latest in a long string of false advertising lawsuits that consumers have filed against fast-food restaurant chains claiming the food doesn't match the ads or menu boards.

A U.S. court sided with the shop behind the world's largest bitcoin trust, better known by its ticker symbol "GBTC."

Why it matters: The price of bitcoin shot through the roof immediately following the news on anticipation that spot ETFs will open up a wave of new demand from previously untapped investors.

The investment firm led by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker is in talks to back newsletter startup Front Office Sports, sources tell Axios. Discussions are ongoing and may not result in a deal.

Why it matters: It's the latest newsletter upstart being eyed by Zucker, who manages a $1 billion investment fund called RedBird IMI,

Demand for new workers cooled in July alongside more moderate hiring and historically low levels of layoffs.

Driving the news: The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) suggests the ideal labor market rebalancing that Fed policymakers want is underway. Vacancies are easing without a big jump in unemployment.

Staggeringly high government debt levels around the globe may stick — a huge shift from previous years that could come despite the warnings of economic damage this dynamic may cause.

Why it matters: Aging populations, worsening partisanship, steepening interest rates and other factors could make it less feasible for governments to reduce their debt — even if they want to.

Apple sent out invites Tuesday for a new launch event at its headquarters on Sept. 12.

Why it matters: Apple will unveil the new iPhone 15 and new Apple Watch models at the event.

The Daily Wire, a conservative media and entertainment company, will debut its first full-length docuseries Sept. 8 on X, three months after the controversial posting of its documentary "What is a Woman?" to the platform.

Why it matters: The Daily Wire's high-profile dispute with X, then called Twitter, over content moderation issues in June briefly called into question whether Musk would be able to continue to attract conservative media partners.

Two of the New York Times' unions have sent cease-and-desist letters to management over its new policies that will see the Times monitoring its workers' return to office via badge swipes, sources told Axios.

Why it matters: Despite reaching a historic contract agreement with the union that represents most of its editorial workers in May, the company's management continues to face a slew of contentious labor issues.

Yahoo is on a buying spree to bolster its core products, most of which have miraculously survived nearly three decades of internet tumult.

Why it matters: Yahoo was all but left dead by Verizon when it was sold to Apollo Global Management in 2021. Under its new owners, the company — founded in January 1994 — is getting a rare chance to reinvent itself.

Danaher, a Washington, D.C.-based life sciences conglomerate, agreed to buy Abcam, a British provider of biological reagents for $5.7 billion in cash (including debt assumption).

Why it matters: Abcam is often called the "Amazon of antibodies," and will allow Danaher to provide its lab equipment customers with a broad range of consumables.

Gina Raimondo spent more than a decade in venture capital, before becoming Rhode Island's governor and then U.S. Commerce Secretary. This week she's in China, in part defending the Biden administration's ban on U.S. venture capital investment in certain Chinese tech sectors.

Why it matters: Raimondo must do a delicate dance in Beijing — maintaining hawkishness without clawing into a still-vital trade relationship.

Women in the real estate industry have grappled recently with the dangers they face from potential clients. But some also reportedly faced misconduct from one of their own — the head of their powerful trade group.

Driving the news: Kenny Parcell, president of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), resigned late Monday after a New York Times report detailed sexual harassment allegations against him.

TechCrunch, the digital tech and business publication owned by Yahoo, has acquired StrictlyVC, a media startup, from longtime Silicon Valley journalist Connie Loizos. Loizos, who currently serves as TechCrunch's Silicon Valley editor, has also been appointed editor-in-chief and general manager of TechCrunch.

Why it matters: The deal represents Yahoo's commitment to TechCrunch under its new ownership. It also signals a shift by TechCrunch back to its roots covering venture investments and startups in Silicon Valley.

For the first time in years, bonds are paying a decent, after-inflation return, and that presents a challenge to the logic of owning stocks.

Why it matters: It could become a headwind for the stock market.

Immigrants are joining the U.S. workforce at much higher levels than normal.

• They're likely to account for roughly half a million new jobs over the next three quarters, per a new report from Goldman Sachs.

Ready or not, self-driving taxis are rolling into a growing list of American cities.

Why it matters: The hope is that autonomous vehicles (AVs) will boost safety and improve transportation access — but not everyone is thrilled about sharing the road with cars lacking a human driver.

Elon Musk and X face more than 2,200 arbitration cases linked to sweeping changes that followed the takeover he led last year of the platform then known as Twitter, according to a court filing Monday.

Driving the news: Former Twitter employees accuse X in the filing of not paying them their promised severance after massive job cuts and delaying their arbitration cases by not paying the corresponding filing fees, per CNBC, which first reported the news.

Business openings in the U.S. have exceeded 2019 levels every month this year, thanks to a surge in travel, events and get-togethers.

Driving the news: New listings of shops and services on Yelp are on track to beat 2022's all-time high, according to a new report from the company, published Tuesday.

The Department of Transportation fined American Airlines $4.1 million for keeping passengers on multiple domestic flights on the tarmac for hours without giving them a chance to deplane.

Why it matters: It's the department's largest fine for violations of its rule prohibiting tarmac delays of three hours or more on domestic flights, per a DOT statement Monday.