Tesla will borrow; Maddow milestone; hello, ESPN8: The Ocho

Number of the day

$1.5 billion

That’s how much Tesla plans to borrow as it speeds up production of the Model 3, its first mass-market electric car. The Palo Alto company plans to offer notes due in 2025, using the money to strengthen its balance sheet. Last week CEO Elon Musk said investors should have “zero concern” about whether Tesla will be able to make 10,000 Model 3s per week by next year. Tesla just delivered the first 30 Model 3s to employees two weeks ago.

A Maddow milestone

For the first month since CNN’s Larry King owned cable news in October 2001, the most popular personality in prime time doesn’t work for Fox News Channel. Rachel Maddow of MSNBC is the new champ. Her network achieved other milestones in July, including its closest finish to Fox since 2000 and largest margin of victory over CNN ever. The numbers illustrate a surge in popularity at MSNBC, where politics has become prime-time entertainment. As late-night comic Stephen Colbert can attest, having President Trump as a regular punching bag is great for business.

Hello, Ocho

MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.

If you just can’t exist without watching stuff like trampoline dodgeball, cornhole and disc golf, Tuesday is the perfect day for you. Entertainment Weekly reported that to celebrate the eighth day of the eighth month, the ESPNU TV channel will change itself for the day into ESPN8: The Ocho, “bringing you the finest in seldom seen sports.” It’s all a nod to Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn’s 2004 movie, “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” So if quirky marketing is a sport, game on.

Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle