3rd Period Walkman Break

PRESENTED BY TIME-LINE

TGIF, Future Party. The Emmys are this weekend, and host Nate Bargatze has cooked up a pretty ingenious plan to keep speeches on time. He’s pledging $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club — but there’s a twist. Every time a winner goes over the 45-second limit, he’ll dock $1,000 from the total. Finish under the cutoff? He’ll add money back in. Guess we’ll find out who really cares about kids come Sunday!

Paramount, A Skydance Corporation (yes, that’s the full name), is reportedly planning to make an offer to acquire all of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The Big Picture: When David Ellison wrapped up the Paramount deal a few weeks ago, he told the press that he and his backers — RedBird Capital and big papa Larry Ellison — were ready for more. A play for WBD would be an even bigger fish compared to Paramount’s market cap… but then again, so was Skydance compared to Paramount Global.

Behind The Scenes: The WSJ reports that Paramount is preparing a majority-cash bid for WBD — backed by the Ellison family and all that fresh Oracle money from Wednesday’s stock pop.

The Fine Print: Even if WBD were to accept a bid, there’s no guarantee that a merger of the two storied studios would pass regulatory scrutiny… even with the recent greenlights for Disney–Fox and Amazon–MGM.

Ironically, many analysts and industry watchers believe Zaslav was siphoning off his declining TV assets to make the studio division and HBO Max more attractive for acquisition, with NBCUniversal pegged as a likely suitor.

Coming Soon: With Paramount making an early play for WBD before it officially puts up the “For Sale” sign, a bidding war could soon be in the cards.

Starting in our 30s, some key cellular processes begin to slow down, making us feel tired and weak over time.

This decline impacts not only our physical strength and endurance, but also reduces our quality of life — making everyday activities harder to enjoy.

Luckily, scientists have discovered a way to shape how we age.

Mitopure® by Timeline targets the root cause of this cellular decline and is clinically proven to increase cellular energy, giving our bodies the energy they need to function optimally.

The results? Double-digit increases in muscle strength and endurance — without any change in exercise.

Take aging into your own hands.

TFP readers get 30% off with code 30TheFutureParty for a limited time, while supplies last.

Order Now

_{^{*500mg Mitopure® have been shown to (1) induce gene expression related to mitochondria function and metabolism and (2) increase the strength of the hamstring leg muscle in measures of knee extension and flexion after 4 months in overweight 40-65 year olds.}}

Amid a growing wave of school districts outright banning smartphone use during school hours, teens are discovering older tech that can — shockingly — play music without an internet connection.

Why It Hits: Nostalgia for analog tech was already on the rise among younger generations seeking ways to disconnect and enjoy a higher-quality experience. Ironically, school boards’ decisions to restrict smartphone use — including New York City’s move last week — may be what pushes the trend into the mainstream.

Between The Lines: What was banned in schools in 2008 is now welcome in 2025.

The Future: So far, the introduction of these old-school devices has been mixed. A high school in Missouri emailed students asking them to leave their new MP3 players at home. Meanwhile, a high school in New Hampshire only bans internet-connected devices — so early-aughts Best Buy faves are fair game. Parents are already noting that kids seem to be socializing more since the bans were implemented.

Getting your head out of a screen is a great way to get more face time with friends. Who knew?

Next Up: Since these devices require students to buy music as digital downloads or physical albums, the CD you’re spinning or cassette you’re playing could become the new high school status symbol. It really does feel like 2008 again.

The Anthem Awards deadline is September 19th, 2025 — just one week away!

Join past winners like The Daily Show, Sesame Workshop, and World Central Kitchen in sharing your story and championing your resilience.

Recognizing work across diversity, health, human rights, sustainability, and more, the Anthem Awards are the top honor for social good.

Enter Now

77.7% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Do you connect a company’s success with the personal wealth of its founder?

“I connect a company’s success with the personal health and quality of life of its employees.”

“It’s satisfied clients and product popularity that indicate a company’s success.”

“I work for a very successful event entertainment company, and my founders are by no means extremely wealthy. They live comfortably, give back a lot to the community, and reinvest much of what they make back into the company. I have a lot of respect for that. As artists, we understand that greed and wealth aren’t the goals of our work.”

“Of course, every employee is critical to a company’s success. But the owner puts their money on the line and carries the worry 24/7 — so I have to give the owner most of the credit.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🗞️ Newsletter publisher Puck is nearing a deal to acquire Graydon Carter’s Air Mail digital media brand.

🏈 Paramount is kicking off a new sports-entertainment division under former Skydance president Jesse Sisgold.

💀 Eli Roth’s The Horror Section has tapped lifestyle brand Blackcraft Cult to be its consumer-products partner.

🤖 The FTC is opening an inquiry into how seven tech firms — including Meta, OpenAI, and xAI — evaluate the risk their chatbots pose to minors.

👀 Microsoft AI head Mustafa Suleyman says building AI systems that are smarter than humans is “dangerous and misguided.” Yikes.

💉 Sana Biotechnology has developed gene-edited pancreatic cells using CRISPR that could be a game-changer for treating diabetes.

⚾ Fear of God has inked a multi-year partnership with MLB, kicking off with capsule collections for the LA Dodgers, NY Yankees, and Chicago Cubs.

🖼️ Sotheby’s commissions have slipped by 20% as the luxury economy cools.

📦 Gmail is launching a new Purchases tab to make it easier for users to track their ecommerce packages.