Axios

"We are making studies for a new product, but we don't have any concrete plans yet."

A new documentary from HR software company Workday and LeBron James-owned production company SpringHill is shining a light on skills-based hiring — the idea that people should be hired based on what they can do, not their formal educational background.

Why it matters: Only 38% of U.S. adults over 25 hold a bachelor's degree, according to the latest census data.

The outlook for inflation in the next couple of years may depend on when America's renters choose to move. A new report points to rents remaining a stubborn obstacle to overall inflation returning durably to 2%.

Why it matters: Rent is the key reason inflation remains elevated in key government data, even as private sector sources have pointed to a stabilization in rents.

Uber (NYSE: UBER) is weighing a takeover offer for online travel booker Expedia (Nasdaq: EXPE), per the FT.

Why it's the BFD: This would supercharge Uber's efforts to become a superapp.

• It also would be a homecoming for Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who led Expedia for more than a decade before joining the ride-hail giant in 2017.

By the numbers: Uber shares are up around 86% over the past year, giving it a $168 billion market cap.

• Expedia stock is up around 60% over the same period, including a big bounce on the FT news, giving it a $20.6 billion market cap (which isn't too different from where it was when Dara left).

The bottom line: Khosrowshahi was a protégé of Barry Diller, who was known for dealmaking, but hasn't struck too many large acquisitions in his time running Uber. The largest was buying Middle Eastern ride-hailer Careem for $3.1 billion, which it later unloaded for just $400 million.

• Alex Constantinople joined VC firm Greycroft as a partner and chief marketing officer. She's the former CMO of Zendesk and CEO of Outcast. axios.link/3Ns8U7A

• Brian Crandall joined TSG Consumer Partners as a managing director of the firm's portfolio operations group. He previously was chief client officer for Accenture's global PE group. axios.link/3A6KU6X

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Friday that it is investigating Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software over collision risks.

Why it matters: This is the latest regulator hurdle for Tesla, which has long faced scrutiny over potential safety risks associated with its driver assistance systems, which include its FSD and Autopilot programs.

If Vice President Kamala Harris wins the White House, one of her first fights may be over the future of Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan.

Why it matters: FTC chairs aren't usually well-known outside the Beltway, but Khan has become a trustbusting hero to progressive Democrats and even some MAGA Republicans like JD Vance.

Tesla's plan to put a can-do-anything-for-you humanoid on the market still looks a long way off.

Why it matters: CEO Elon Musk said last week at the company's "We, Robot" event that the Tesla Optimus humanoid "will be the biggest product ever of any kind."

Uber has explored the idea of acquiring Expedia, according to reports.

Why it matters: The deal, if it were to happen, would be Uber's largest ever acquisition and would present a new potential growth area for the $170 billion ride-hailing company.

Context: Uber's interest in the travel platform was described as "very early stage," and there are no current discussions underway, a person familiar with the process told the FT, which first reported the news.

Zoom in: Uber was originally presented with the idea by a third party, per the report.

• It reportedly then reached out to advisers. One of the areas it was looking at was how to deal with the fact that CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is a non-executive director at Expedia, having served as chief executive there for over a decade to 2017.

The impact: Both stocks moved, as tends to happen with merger news, however early. Expedia closed up 4.8%, while Uber lost 2.5%.

Harvard University on Thursday reported that it received $525 million in current-use donations during its last fiscal year, the second-most in the school's 388-year history.

Why it matters: Harvard is America's oldest college and the richest, with an endowment valued at $53.2 billion through the end of June.

Investment companies focused on crypto can't get enough of ETFs, but the SEC is another story.

Why it matters: Exchange-traded funds make digital assets more accessible, and can provide a security and compliance layer necessary for institutional investors.

The latest: Companies keep proposing new ETFs, for new cryptocurrencies and more complex options-based products, to the nation's securities regulator.

• Just this week, Grayscale proposed converting its Digital Large Cap Fund to an ETF and Canary Capital proposed a litecoin ETF.
• Bitwise filed for an XRP ETF earlier this month.

Zoom in: Grayscale's ETF would get an investor into bitcoin, ether, Solana's SOL and Avalanche's AVAX all in one instrument.

The internet was much more curious about former President Trump's stances on and involvement in cryptocurrency than that of his rival for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris, according to data from Similarweb, a digital intelligence platform.

Why it matters: Cryptocurrency became an issue in the top-of-the-ticket contest this year after Trump declared his support for the industry in May.

The crypto industry keeps checking with voters to see if their attitude about blockchains will show up in the ballot box.

Why it matters: This election is so, so close that anything that can nudge a voter to show up counts for something.

The latest: Today, the industry advocacy group Chamber of Digital Commerce released a poll with XandY Analytics of 1,004 adults, finding positive sentiment in both parties for candidates who want to update laws and regulations for the blockchain industry.

• 25% of Democrats and 21% of Republicans said that a candidate's stance on the industry could positively impact their decision to vote for them, according to the poll conducted Sept. 12–17.

In the gold paper (rather than a white paper) for the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial, it makes clear that Trump and his family are not staff or employees:

• "None of Donald J. Trump, any of his family members or any director, officer, employee or principal of the Trump Organization ... is an officer, director, founder, or employee of, or manager, owner or operator of Word [sic] Liberty Financial or its affiliates or the WLF Platform."

However, it also notes, on the same page, that:

• "Under the terms of the services agreement, DT Marks DEFI LLC (i) agreed to use reasonable efforts to request the owners and principals of DT Marks DEFI LLC, including Donald Trump, to promote the WLF and the WLF Protocol from time to time ... For these services and rights, World Liberty Financial agrees that DT Marks DEFI LLC will receive 22.5 billion $WLFI tokens and a right to receive 75% of the net protocol revenues as defined in the services agreement after deduction of agreed operating expenses and the initial treasury reserve." [our emphasis added]

The latest: As of this morning, World Liberty Financial has only sold 4% of its token supply.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will deliver a speech Thursday assailing broad-based tariffs. While her words implicitly target former President Trump, they also signify shifting intellectual currents within the Democratic Party.

Why it matters: If Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidency next month, it's unclear whether she will share the inclination toward trade barriers of Trump and President Biden or listen more to the views of those in her orbit who advocate for using them sparingly.

Retail sales rose last month by 0.4% as spending at clothing shops, restaurants and grocery stores jumped, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.

Why it matters: Consumer spending is the bedrock of the U.S. economy. The data suggests that foundation is solid, a good indicator the nation's economic activity is holding up.

Here's what's new on Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV+, Prime Video and Max.

What we're watching: A documentary about changing the way companies hire, a series about the "Satanic Panic" and a new season of "Shrinking."