Axios

Joshua Kushner's Thrive is now investing in pro sports, agreeing to buy a small stake in the San Francisco Giants.

• It's being done via a new holding company called Thrive Eternal, which will focus on assets with "qualities that cannot be replicated by technology."

Why it matters: This feels like an asset-gathering gambit by Thrive, which now joins the same IPO watchlist as General Catalyst and Andreessen Horowitz.

You can learn a lot about the indomitable nature of the human spirit by training for and tackling a marathon.

Why it matters: It's a tremendous physical feat. But standing at the finish line — watching thousands of people arrive after 26.2 miles of pain, doubt and persistence — may be even more gratifying.

• I witnessed it this week at the atmospheric end of the Boston Marathon.

Several major sportsbooks have contributed tens of millions of dollars to a new super PAC to support sports betting throughout the country, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Traditional sportsbooks have been advocating for broader legalization amid rising competition with prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.

Jigsaw puzzling isn't just a solitary bad-weather activity anymore — it's snapping into place as a social sport.

Why it matters: Puzzling's shift from solo to social mirrors a bigger trend: People are turning analog or "grandma" hobbies into in-person communities.

The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday it is banning transgender women from competing in the female category, while also instituting DNA-based sex testing for all female athletes.

Why it matters: The move revives sex testing, which was previously dropped in part due to the emotional distress inflicted upon female athletes who discovered their biological makeup was actually more complicated than they were aware of.

Opposition to prediction markets is gathering pace in Congress, with another bill set to be introduced Thursday that would impose a sweeping ban.

Why it matters: Prediction markets now offer the chance to risk money on sports, politics, news and entertainment throughout the country — but critics say it is gambling and is rife with insider trading.

America's youth soccer programs will get a boost from a new partnership between Bank of America and the sport's governing body as this summer's World Cup approaches.

Why it matters: About 2 in 3 U.S. park-and-rec departments lack sufficient fields, courts and facilities to serve local youth — and about 4 in 5 don't have enough volunteer coaches, according to the National Recreation and Park Association.

Major League Soccer has rolled out plans for a mini-season in early 2027 as it makes a major calendar change that will align it with much of the rest of the world.

Why it matters: The long-awaited scheduling change will make the league more competitive during the summer transfer window, something MLS executives, including Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta, eagerly await.

Americans view prediction market trading as more like gambling than investing, according to a new poll by Ipsos and the American Institute for Boys and Men.

Why it matters: Prediction markets have emerged as an increasingly popular — and controversial — way to bet on everything from sports and politics to business, news and entertainment.

Most people making March Madness brackets will be getting help from AI — and 37% will solely rely on it — according to a Hard Rock Bet survey.

Why it matters: AI can be a helpful tool for bracket-building, but only if used thoughtfully.