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WATCH: Trump says 'Medicare for All' doesn't work
The president was asked about Democratic candidates who want to use Medicare to provide universal access to health care — and he said his approach to have confidential drug pricing deals was superior.
Amazon Business is free to join: Is it worth it for your business?
Amazon Business gives companies access to business-only pricing, purchasing controls and millions of products. Learn who it's for and how to sign up for free.
Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices
Hey all, Jason here. When this hits your inbox, I should be en route to the airport — not to go anywhere myself, just to pick up my better half. I must admit, it’s been strange to be home alone (well, with two dogs) for two weeks! Really lets me “optimize” to spending more time on reading/writing/working, whether that’s healthy or not! Looking forward to getting back into a (somewhat) more balance routine. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading Compare Notes With the People Who Built Modern Fintech Partner content: Remitly CEO Sebastian Gunningham. Increase founder Darragh Buckley. Linda Du, Co-founder & President at Valon. They’ll unpack the decisions behind building and scaling major financial products: what they got right, what broke, what they would do differently, and how AI and new infrastructure are changing the operator playbook. Most events tell you where fintech is going. NerdCon puts the people who built the present in the room and asks them what comes next. Expect an operator-led conversation grounded in real products, real trade-offs and lessons earned the hard way. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% on Regular tickets with code FBW20 before standard pricing ends September 11. Meet the Builders Things To Know & Other Good Reads Advent and Stripe Abandon $50 Billion Pursuit of PayPal (Bloomberg) Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh (Wall Street Journal) The multiplying risks of financing data centres (FT) Let the Bond Market Speak (Wall Street Journal) Did we waste a crisis? Modest proposals to reform deposit insurance. (Fintech Takes Banking) Untangling Guggenheim: How Private Credit Built Its Own Universe (Net Interest) The Hater’s Guide To Circular Financing — Part One (Ed Zitron) Fiat Ventures Rebrands to FGV Capital, Announces $35M Oversubscribed Fund II (BusinessWire) Socure Announces Strategic Growth Investment at $5.2B Valuation and Acquires Agentic Operations Platform Fravity (Socure) Listen: When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well (Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast) Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices When Andreessen Horowitz led EarnIn’s $39 million Series B in 2017, Alex Rampell, a partner at the storied venture capital firm, described EarnIn’s small-dollar advance product as “free,” relying on “entirely on voluntary contributions instead of fees.” Rampell favorably compared EarnIn’s approach to typical payday loans, writing, “Payday loans historically have had the potential to be a slippery slope for consumers into financial distress: opaque systems and steep fees that are hard to repay and set individuals back further than where they started. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, that kind of slide into debt can be extremely difficult to recover from.” But EarnIn’s product — which, the company says, isn’t a “loan,” legally speaking — ends up being anything but free for most users. While it is technically possible to take a no-fee advance from the company, most users incur “Lightning Speed” (instant funding) fees and/or ostensibly optional tips that combined can equate to annualized percent rates that can reach over 1,000%. With an average term of 9.77 days, even fees and tips that are small on an absolute dollar basis are equivalent to high APRs on an annualized basis. A lawsuit filed last week by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against EarnIn describes the company and its product and business practices quite differently than Andreessen’s Rampell; “EarnIn’s business practices are unfair because they are immoral, unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous,” the complaint, filed in District Court in Denver, Colorado, says. EarnIn’s marquee product, Cash Out, isn’t a loan, the company says, as Cash Out is not “[f]orward [l]ooking” because “[t]he money is transferred based on earnings to date,” does not carry a mandatory fee to access funds, and is “non-recourse,” meaning EarnIn cannot pursue recovery from users who don’t repay advanced funds. EarnIn is sometimes referred to as an “Earned Wage Advance” service. Though, unlike some others in the broader category, EarnIn does not integrate with employers’ payroll or time and attendance systems. Rather, EarnIn attempts to verify a user’s income and employment, by examining direct deposit transaction data in their linked external bank account, by using GPS location and Bluetooth data to estimate a user’s time spent at work, if they work in a fixed location, and/or by having a user provided a work email address. While repayment is theoretically optional, as EarnIn would have no recourse, such as reporting non-payment to the credit bureaus or a collections agency, this is anything but clear to users of the EarnIn app, Colorado’s complaint argues. During the process of taking a Cash Out, users must agree to a preauthorized debit of the amount advanced, plus any expedited funding fee and/or tips. Though users technically can revoke this ACH authorization, the fact that they have this right isn’t presented to users during the Cash Out process, but rather is included in linked terms and conditions few users are likely to actually read. And users who do wish to revoke their ACH authorization must do so three or more days before the scheduled transaction date by emailing EarnIn’s customer support. Similarly, EarnIn’s marketing claims that it carries “no interest” and “no mandatory fees” is technically true, but is not the reality for many of the app’s users, the Colorado complaint argues. Further, EarnIn has extensively marketed to users the ability to “access your pay today,” to get “instant” funds, and to get funds “the same day you work” — when, in reality, this speed of access was only possible by paying the additional, undisclosed Lightning Speed fee. The Colorado complaint highlights this contradiction specifically, noting: EarnIn tells consumers that they can ‘Make any day payday with EarnIn’ and that there no ‘hidden’ or ‘mandatory fees.’ For a consumer to access their pay on the same day requested, they would have to pay the Lightning Speed fee. In the fine print of the advertisement EarnIn discloses that ‘[f]ees apply to use Lightning Speed,’ a direct contradiction to the larger text of the advertisement, and a fact that would not be immediately understood by a consumer as ‘Lightning Speed’ is not defined nor explained. Like other small-dollar lending services, rather than explicitly charge interest, EarnIn collects a markup on the optional Lighting Speed fee, which, given the nature of the transactions, many users opt for, as well as offering users the option to leave “tips.” EarnIn leverages either Real-Time Payments (RTP) rails or push-to-card via debit rails if a user opts for the optional Lightning Speed. But while these capabilities cost EarnIn, on average, $0.075 or $0.20 per transaction, respectively, EarnIn charges users significantly more. Initially, EarnIn charged as little as $1.99 for Cash Outs up to $24. But EarnIn has hiked these fees multiple times, and now charges $4.99 for Cash Outs up to $75 and $6.99 for those over $75. According to the Colorado complaint, EarnIn leverages “dark patterns” to manipulate users and to make it more difficult to avoid tipping. Examples of these “road blocks” highlighted in the complaint include: As of 2023, in the EarnIn app, a consumer attempting to get a loan under the default settings had to make at least eighteen separate taps to complete the transaction and reduce the tip to $0. There is an alternative method to leave a $0 tip, via the “Custom tip” feature, but EarnIn made this option difficult to access by visually deemphasizing it and positioning it near devices’ “home” button. Using language and imagery such as “Tip to pay it forward,” “Your generosity supports the service + helps,” “Your tips make a difference,” and “[t]he APR for this cash out is 0%. Your tips help support us.” While Lightning Speed and tipping are, in theory, both optional, in practice, users nearly always ended up paying something. According to the Colorado suit, users were charged either a tip or an expedite fee for more than 92% of transactions, with an average APR of nearly 388%. And, although the advances are “non-recourse,” EarnIn successfully collects on nearly all transactions — 99.18%, according to the complaint, which, Colorado argues, “demonstrat[es] that EarnIn’s advances function as high cost loans, not voluntary payments.” The share of EarnIn users incurring fees — despite the product being marketed as 0% APR — is hard to reconcile with Andreessen investor Rampell’s favorable description of EarnIn vs. “opaque systems and steep fees” associated with payday loans, which, Rampell says, can be “extremely difficult” for borrowers to extricate themselves from. According to Colorado’s suit, EarnIn’s Cash Out product “trapped many consumers in extreme cycles of high-cost reborrowing.” The suit gives an example of one consumer in the state, who took out a whopping 1,151 loans, paying a total of $4,038.50 in Lightning Speed expedited funding fees on loans that averaged the equivalent of 1,421% APR. Another Colorado user, the suit says, took out 1,033 loans, paying $8,561.22 in tips and fees at an average APR of 1,539% . These types of usage patterns demonstrate “the severe and repeated financial harm caused by EarnIn’s illegal lending model,” the Colorado complaint argues. In aggregate, from January 2023 through July 2025, EarnIn extended 3.1 million loans to 56,778 users in Colorado — an average of nearly 55 transactions per person during the time period. EarnIn lent more than $300 million and collected more than $16 million from Colorado users in Lightning Speed fees and in tips. Ultimately, the Colorado complaint argues that “EarnIn’s Cash Outs are loans under Colorado law, and EarnIn’s contention that its product is not a loan based on its disclaimer of any legal repayment obligation lacks any real-world significance given how the Cash Out transactions actually operate in practice.” Colorado further argues that “EarnIn was not working with companies here in providing consumers with funds but acted as a third-party lender and charged illegally high rates, used deceptive design strategies to extract some charges, and trapped consumers in repeat borrowing. Colorado will continue to stand up for consumers and hold companies accountable when they violate our credit laws or attempt to evade them through misleading practices.” Colorado’s suit alleges EarnIn assesses finance charge in excess of that permitted by Colorado law, that EarnIn failed to make legally required disclosures to Colorado borrowers, that EarnIn made supervised loans to consumers without obtaining the requisite license, that EarnIn violated the state’s Deferred Deposit Loan Act, that EarnIn engage in unfair and deceptive trade practices, and that EarnIn made false or misleading statements concerning price. The suit seeks a court order enjoining EarnIn from violating relevant Colorado laws, for EarnIn to refund amounts charged in excess of state law, fees, costs, and penalties, and other relief the court deems to be just. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Q2 Quarterly Banking Profile: Five Quick Takeaways The FDIC released its quarterly banking profile, which is always worth a read, for the second quarter. The profile provides an aggregate snapshot about the overall health of the 4,238 institutions whose deposits are insured by the FDIC, who, collectively, hold more than $26 trillion in assets and saw a total net income of more than $90 billion in the second quarter. Net income was up 12% vs. Q1 2026, with lower provisions and realized gains on securities helping to drive the improvement, somewhat offset by increases in non-interest expense and applicable income taxes. Overall net interest margin was basically flat quarter over quarter (up 1 basis point vs. Q1 2026), though community banks saw NIM grow by 10 basis points, to 3.81%. Unsurprisingly, given that interest rates haven’t changed, unrealized losses on securities changed little, edging up slightly to $326.7 billion vs. $325.1 billion in Q1 2026. Aggregate credit quality has remained benign, with asset quality actually improving slightly in Q2. Overall, institutions reported a 9 basis point decline in their past-due and non-accrual rate, to 1.44%. Net charge off rate also declined by 2 basis points, to 0.57%. And finally, the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund stands at $161.1 billion, making the DIF reserve ratio 1.48% — above the statutory minimum of 1.35%, but still below the designated target reserve ratio of 2%. [Paid Subscriber Exclusive] Nissan Withdraws ILC App, State Associations Plan BankChain Alliance, FDIC Defines “Unsafe or Unsound Practice” For First Time Automaker Nissan withdrew its application to charter a Utah industrial loan company and its corresponding application to the FDIC for deposit insurance last week, on August 19th. Nissan’s application had been outstanding for more than a year, as it originally applied in June 2025. Recent applications to the OCC to form national banks have been decisioned, one way or the other, substantially more quickly than has historically been the case.
Xbox CEO says next-gen Project Helix will be a “family of devices,” hinting at another Xbox Series S|X-style lineup
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says the next-generation Project Helix will launch as a “family of devices,” suggesting a tiered lineup similar to the Xbox Series S and X. Microsoft has confirmed AMD-powered hardware supporting Xbox and PC games but has yet to disclose pricing, release timing, or disc-drive options.
Hands-On: The Longines Master Collection Launches A New Monopusher Chronograph Alongside A Refresh Of The Triple Calendar Chrono
Longines carries momentum with strong specs, aesthetic refinement, and value-driven pricing in the chronograph category.
Running Back Pricing In 2026 Auctions
Drew Davenport continues his three-part positional breakdown with multiple ways fantasy managers can attack the RB position in 2026 auction drafts.
Meet the 18-year-old junk remover who vibe-coded his own pricing calculator and makes up to $15,000 a month
Carter Grandbois' first job paid $500 for 30 minutes of work. "That was kind of an eye-opener." He's part of a movement of Gen Z blue-collar entrepreneurs.
California's clashes over business regulation rage on as legislative session nears end
Unions, consumer groups, personal injury lawyers and environmentalists are battling business groups over surveillance pricing and anti-monopoly bills.
Limited-edition Xbox Series X25 reportedly costs €899.99, launches November 27
Dealabs reports a November 27 launch for the Xbox Series X25 at €899.99. Microsoft has confirmed the 1TB console but has not announced pricing yet.
New ASUS Googlebook leak shows more configurations and pricing details
The ASUS Googlebook CX9406 has been spotted on a retailer's website with 16GB of RAM, an Intel Core Ultra 5 chip, and a 14-inch touchscreen.
ASUS Googlebook CX9406 leak reveals early pricing, Core Ultra 5 and a 16GB RAM model
When the first benchmarks and regulatory filings for the ASUS Googlebook CX9406 surfaced earlier this month, the specs we had access to were loaded and the device already looked pretty amazing with...
Lamborghini's most extreme car just sold out its future
Scarcity is the oldest pricing trick in luxury, and it only works when the scarcity is real. Anyone can print “limited edition” on a box. Very few companies can cap production at a hard number, refuse to move it, and still watch buyers pay a premium for the privilege of waiting a year to take ...
SAPPHIRE unveils Radeon RX 9070 XT NITRO+ VCT CN 2026 edition
SAPPHIRE has another themed RX 9070 XT, this time based on the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour. Pricing and wider availability have not been announced.
Quarterback and Tight End Pricing In 2026 Auctions
Auction expert Drew Davenport makes his debut for The Huddle and breaks down multiple ways fantasy managers can attack the QB and TE positions.
iPhone 18 Pro Pricing: Can Apple Protect Its Profit Margins?
Facing higher memory and storage costs for the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple has several options to reduce the price rises while increasing the average revenue per user.
SpaceX’s High-Margin Software Business Could Soon Hit $33 Billion. Investors Are Underestimating It.
Wall Street is fixated on SpaceX's lockup expiration while analysts quietly model a software business inside the company that could dwarf Google Cloud by 2030. Here is why the market may be pricing the wrong asset entirely.
Kidpreneurs mean business
UND-hosted Kidpreneur Program gives Grand Forks students hands-on experience with branding, pricing, sales and entrepreneurship
New Insta360 X6 leaks confirm pricing with specs before global launch
New Insta360 X6 leaks have revealed pricing information and official specifications. Shared by a major retailer, the leaks confirm that the Insta360 X6 will cost significantly more than the Insta360 X5 in North America. Insta360 hopes to offset this $150 increase with major upgrades, though.
OpenAI targets heavy users with premium ChatGPT Business seats
Analysts say enterprise AI vendors are redesigning pricing models to better monetise high-intensity and agentic workloads.
OpenAI announces premium business pricing, as it seeks to increase revenue ahead of IPO
OpenAI announced premium business pricing, as it preps for IPO.
Same Knee Surgery, Twice the Price: Hospital Monopolies Push Up Healthcare Costs
A federal disclosure rule is offering new insight on the effect of healthcare monopolies on pricing, following a wave of U.S. mergers.
How hospital monopolies are driving up the cost of your health care
A federal disclosure rule is offering new insight on the effect of health care monopolies on pricing, following a wave of U.S. mergers.
Oscar Health Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
Oscar Health (NYSE:OSCR) reported record profitability for the first half of 2026 and raised its full-year operating outlook, citing membership growth, disciplined pricing, favorable utilization trends and lower administrative expense ratios. Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini said the company
iPhone 17 faces an early price rise a month before iPhone 18 Pro launch
Apple may raise the prices of the iPhone 17 roster on August 10, bringing the smartphones in line with other products affected by the memory pricing crisis.
GLVC Sports Network Announces 2026-27 Subscription Pricing, New Viewing Options
This academic year, GLVCSN will feature the introduction of a new sport-specific pass, discounted subscription opportunities, and continued all-access streaming packages.
Take-Two Boss Explains Why GTA 6 Is $80 And NBA 2K27 Is $70
'Given the hype around this title, I think we could have made any number of other pricing choices,' said Strauss Zelnick
Galaxy Z Fold8 duo and Flip8 exceed Samsung's pre-order targets in Europe
They go on sale starting August 7. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip8, the Galaxy Z Fold8, and the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra on July 22, and all three of them...
Huawei confirms MateBook Pro pricing, Kirin X90 Plus and Harmony OS laptop starts at $1,480
Huawei’s 970-gram MateBook Pro returns with the Kirin X90 Plus and higher prices. The base model costs around $1,480, while the top option exceeds $2,000.
Pixel Tag pricing leak sets up a direct showdown with Apple AirTag
A new leak reveals the Google Pixel Tag price and launch date ahead of the Made by Google event, positioning it against Apple AirTag.
Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment: The Third Circuit Deals Algorithmic-Pricing, Hub-and-Spoke Theory Another Hand
Antitrust scrutiny of information exchanges and algorithmic pricing tools has intensified recently—from public enforcers and private plaintiffs alike—as companies across industries increasingly...
GIGABYTE Reportedly Hikes GPU Pricing by Up to 40% in Japan
GIGABYTE is reportedly implementing a round of GPU price hikes ranging from 20% to 40%, depending on the model. According to Japanese hardware distributor CFD-BIZ, these price increases have been officially in effect since August 1st. While the specific GPU models affected by this pricing...
Debt Digest | Federal Debt is a Health Care Problem
Welcome David Ditch to the Debt Dispatch! We are pleased to announce a new regular contributor: David Ditch will be joining the Cato Institute as a Policy Analyst for Budget and Entitlement Policy later this week. David has more than a decade of experience in fiscal policy issues, with a particular focus on federal spending. He previously worked at the Senate Budget Committee, the Heritage Foundation, and the Economic Policy Innovation Center. David’s areas of expertise include appropriations, transportation, agriculture, federalism, grantmaking, and policy options for deficit reduction. Originally from the Rochester, N.Y. area, David has a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Rochester and a MA in Political Management from George Washington University. David currently lives in Arlington, VA. You may have enjoyed his earlier guest posts: CBO: New Highway Bill Has More Spending, Taxes, and Deficits Trump Administration’s Proposed Changes to Federal Grants Highlight Problems of Big Government Here are this week’s reading links and fiscal facts: The federal debt is largely a health care problem. In a new report, the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation find that “In 2026, federal subsidies for health insurance, net of related payments to the government, are projected to equal $2.4 trillion, or 7.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In CBO and JCT’s projections, those subsidies grow by 65 percent, reaching $3.9 trillion, or 8.4 percent of GDP, in 2036. Subsidies for Medicare contribute most to that overall growth, increasing by $900 billion. Over the entire 2026–2036 period, federal subsidies for health insurance total $33.6 trillion.” Cato’s Michael Cannon emphasizes, “The long-term federal debt problem is a health care problem. […] Only two categories of federal outlays will grow faster than gross domestic product (GDP): health care subsidies and interest payments on the debt. The former is, therefore, the primary driver of the latter.” The bond market fears deficits, not the loss of tariff revenue. Responding to a New York Times essay claiming tariff revenue has grown too important for a future administration to unwind, Cato’s Kyle Handley argues: “Bond investors are not attached to customs duties as a line item revenue source. They care about the government’s overall fiscal position.” He continues, “tariff revenue is a side hustle. And the Trump administration has already promised to dole out the funds through schemes like tariff dividend rebates, farm subsidies, and pay-fors on tax cuts or other spending.” Furthermore, “tariff revenue is simply not large enough to transform the government’s fiscal trajectory.” Take net interest for example: it “reached $970 billion in fiscal year 2025, absorbing 18.5 percent of federal receipts. Customs duties accounted for only 3.7 percent of receipts—and that was before refunds (see Figure 2).” Handley concludes, “The real bond-market concern is a large and growing interest bill, persistent budget deficits, and a political system unwilling to bring spending and revenue into alignment.” Medicare’s spending growth is driven by more volume and utilization. A Congressional Research Service report finds that Medicare spending “grew at an average annual rate of 7.3%” from 1985 through 2025, and the trustees project health care expenditures will keep rising “faster than gross domestic product (GDP) in most future years.” Citing CBO, the report attributes Medicare’s projected 2026–2036 spending growth to “23% from higher enrollment, 31% from inflation, and 47% from the growth of inflation-adjusted spending per beneficiary. In other words**, the largest single driver of Medicare spending growth during the next decade is expected to be higher volume and intensity of health care services.”** Boccia and Thakur explain: “as the economy grows, Medicare spending tends to grow at least as fast—and often faster—because the program automatically pays the bill for more and more healthcare consumption by seniors, even as prices rise.” The Fed has little control over market interest rates. Cato’s Jai Kedia documents that the Fed has held its rate target steady since December, yet “nearly every rate Americans actually borrow at has climbed over the same stretch.” Kedia continues, “The Fed did nothing, and the cost of credit went up anyway. […] Markets spent these months repricing macroeconomic events such as sticky core inflation, a volatile energy market driven by the conflict in the Middle East, and global trade disrupted by tariffs, among others. None of that required a policy change to show up in borrowing costs because markets, not the FOMC, set prices.” He concludes, “Accurately priced borrowing rates will come from credible disinflation and disciplined budgets and from a Fed content to follow the economy rather than pretend it leads it.” Nearly half of US farm income comes from taxpayers. Former Reagan OMB director David Stockman notes that “in the most recently completed full year (FY 2025) farmer incomes in the US totaled $97.8 billion, but fully 42.7% or $41.8 billion of that amount came from taxpayers, not the marketplace. Nor is this some kind of one-year aberration. If we look at the most recent decade as a whole, total farm income posted at nearly $708 billion, but, as indicated, fully $322 billion or 45% of this came compliments of US taxpayers.” Cato’s Chris Edwards explains why so little of that income is market-earned: “Farmers are businesspeople, but the government shields them from just about every type of weather and market risk. Furthermore, just about every part of the agricultural industry is subsidized, including insurance, loans, marketing, research, export sales, and land improvements.” The Debt Dispatch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Mega Pixel 11 series leak leaves nothing to the imagination
A new Pixel 11 series leak has given away detailed specs and pricing for the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Microsoft Raises Xbox Prices by Up to 43% in Europe and UK
Microsoft is significantly increasing the prices of its Xbox gaming consoles starting August 1st across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. We were aware that the pricing strategy for the United States market involves an increase of up to $150, depending on the SKU. However, it...
Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Stock Looks Cheap Even After The Take Private Deal
Caesars Entertainment stock is coming off a difficult five year stretch, with the share price down about 67%, yet recent valuation work suggests the market may now be pricing it too low. At the current US$29.75 share price, both the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) intrinsic value estimate and the market multiples point to a company that screens as undervalued rather than expensive. The share price has fallen roughly 67% over five years, which puts the recent recovery into context and raises the...
Xbox Series Prices Surge up to €200 in Europe as Microsoft Refuses to Bankroll the Troubled Division
Microsoft has raised Xbox Series S|X prices by up to €200 in Europe and £170 in the United Kingdom, making its sales prospect even more dire.
The supplement behind the C15:0 trend is now available as a gummy
The popular Fatty15 supplement is now available in gummy form. Discover the benefits of C15:0, ingredients, flavor and current pricing.
What Businesses Are Saying: Steady Overall With Pockets of Stress
Businesses reported durable demand from consumers and are keeping headcounts flat through the end of 2026. Pricing pressures continued, but with some pullback from low- and middle-income customers.
Latest iPhone 18 news, leaks, and rumors: Release date, colors, and pricing
The iPhone is almost old enough to vote. So, what do we expect from the upcoming iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro Max?
Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) Stock Looks Reasonable On Cash Flow But Stretched On Earnings
Sphere Entertainment stock has delivered a very strong 360.9% return over the last 5 years, while the latest valuation checks are more cautious, with the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) estimate pointing to upside and market multiples suggesting the shares are already pricing in a lot of good news. Recent swings in the share price add to the debate about whether the current US$148.32 level offers enough margin of safety. Over 5 years, Sphere Entertainment has returned 360.9%, which puts today’s...
Google's New Pixel 'Dynamic' Pricing Sounds A Lot Like 'Surge' Pricing
Google could rethink Pixel 11 pricing as memory costs rise, with a more flexible model that may leave buyers paying more at key moments ahead.
Immersive Experience Bolsters Sphere Entertainment’s (SPHR) Strong Performance
O’Keeffe Stevens Advisory, an investment advisory firm, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. During Q2 2026, the market experienced notable dispersion between perceived AI losers and winners. The firm has made investments early in AI infrastructure companies, which yielded gains during market repricing. The second quarter […]
India's HDFC Bank finds employees' conduct in deposit pricing matter was business overreach, not misconduct
India's HDFC Bank said on Monday its board concluded employees involved in the deposit pricing of an Indian state agency had engaged in business overreach, rather than acting for personal gains or with any improper motive.
Registration opens for fall summit on women's health
Early-bird pricing has started for the Northwest Ohio Women’s Health Summit, which will be held at the Glass City Center Oct. 10. The annual summit is ...
Universal Health Services (UHS) Stock Looks Undervalued As Shares Fell 29% YTD
Universal Health Services stock has slipped around 29.2% year to date, yet the valuation checks still lean toward the shares looking inexpensive on several fronts. This raises a clear question about whether the recent weakness lines up with the fundamentals. The roughly 29.2% decline year to date suggests sentiment has cooled sharply, even though longer term returns are less weak. For a healthcare operator like Universal Health Services, expectations around patient volumes and pricing can...
How AI Economics Is Changing For Startups And Small Businesses
AI’s efficiency fuels demand, not cuts it; Jevons Paradox drives rapid growth, reshaping pricing, access, and sustainability in the AI economy.
Lenovo launches Legion 24-1r and 27-1r 280Hz IPS monitors from $99
Lenovo has released two 1080p Legion gaming monitors with 280Hz IPS panels, 400-nit brightness and adjustable stands. China pricing starts at about $99.
Final Fantasy 14 reveals Nintendo Switch 2 release date and pricing, Final Fantasy 7 remake collaboration, more
At the 2026 Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Berlin today, Square Enix revealed the release date for the MMORPG on Nintendo Switch 2. It will be out on August 4, 2026. Here’s the lineup of pricing: Starter Edition – $19.99 Complete Edition – $59.99 ($41.99 with pre-orders) Complete Collector’s Edition – $139.99 ($97.99 with pre-orders) Dawntrail Expansion (requires base...
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 specs and pricing leak in full ahead of launch
A fresh leak purports to reveal the full specs sheet of the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2, as well as likely European pricing.
Apple’s rumored ‘Upgrade’ program brings lease-to-own pricing for iPhones, Macs, and iPads
Can a new upgrade program make up for higher prices?
The supplement behind the C15:0 trend is now available as a gummy
The popular Fatty15 supplement is now available in gummy form. Discover the benefits of C15:0, ingredients, flavor and current pricing.
Pokémon TCG: Pitch Black ETBs and Booster Bundles Are Back in Stock at Amazon — Snap These Up ASAP For Fast Easy Delivery
Amazon has finally restocked the Pokémon TCG: Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box and booster sets. Get the breakdown on pricing, set list details, and chase cards here.
Conversation With: Dr. Nagaraj Kikkeri, Hinkapin Health
The founder and CEO shares why she thinks healthcare pricing remains broken, what employers are demanding these day, and why compassion over cost should shape the industry's future.
iPhone 18 Pro Pricing Can Dominate Market And Start A New Super Cycle
The launch of the iPhone 18 Pro will also see Apple introduce new Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features, igniting a super cycle of sales.
The great 340B debate: Point vs. counterpoint vs. finger points
From the right come heated calls for reform if not outright overhaul of the 340B Drug Pricing Program. From the left, vociferous insistence on letting 340B be, albeit with modest tweaks and fixes. From hospitals and drug manufacturers: finger-pointing.
Bank of America Sees Nvidia’s Next $20 Billion Business. Here’s Where NVDA Stock Could Go
Bank of America just flagged a hidden revenue engine inside Nvidia that the market is still ignoring, and the numbers suggest Wall Street has been pricing the wrong business this entire time.
Real Estate Photography Business: Nathan Cool's 2026 Plan
Nathan Cool shares 15 years of real estate photography experience on rebuilding a sustainable business in 2026. Master skill-building, targeted marketing, full-service bundling, and pricing strategy to attract quality clients.
Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) Stock Trades Below Fair Value Following Its 62% Slump
Flutter Entertainment has had a tough run over the past year, with the stock down 61.9%, yet current valuation checks still flag it as looking cheap against its fundamentals. High profile interest from investors such as Michael Burry has sharpened the focus on whether the market has pushed Flutter too far to the downside or is correctly pricing in regulatory and competitive risks. Over the last 12 months, Flutter Entertainment's share price has fallen 61.9%, which puts recent interest from...
Massive Pixel 11 leak just revealed almost everything about Google's next phones
Google accidentally listed the entire Pixel 11 series on Amazon, revealing pricing, specs, colors, and storage options nearly a month before launch.
More deleted Pixel 11 Amazon listings reveal full US pricing and specs
Now deleted Amazon.com listings for the Pixel 11 lineup have revealed almost everything about the phones, including the US pricing and specs.
Leak reveals nearly full spec sheet for Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2
Ahead of a July 22 Unpacked event, a new report details battery upgrades, chip changes, and pricing for Samsung's next smartwatches.
Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 pricing and Bluetooth version leak
A new report has revealed the pricing of the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 alongside their upgraded Bluetooth version.
3rd Annual Youth Farmers Market in Hampstead
The 3rd Annual Youth Farmers Market Saturday, at the Hampstead Farmers’ Market on Panther Drive. Every booth was created, managed, and staffed by young entrepreneurs who have developed their own products, pricing, branding, and…
Eight school-based health clinics close in Southwest Virginia as federal funding pressures mount
The outreach program had served as an extension of health services into communities where access to primary care is limited. It has been funded by reinvesting savings from a federal drug pricing program back into the communities the clinics serve.
Germany's lower house of parliament passes healthcare reform
Germany's lower house of parliament on Friday approved a bill to overhaul the creaking health insurance system that has drawn fierce opposition from drugs companies which fear tougher pricing measures will harm profitability and reduce investment.
Merkley Joins Push to Kick Private Equity Out of Kids' Sports and Stop the Ripoffs
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced he joined Senate and House lawmakers in supporting the Let Kids Play Act, legislation to stop Wall Street from pricing kids out of sports. The proposed legislation bans private equity firms from taking over youth sports, shutting down the vulture practices they use to jack up costs, and getting money back to the families who […]
Meta launches Muse Spark 1.1, promises cost-effective AI
Meta launches a new AI coding model, Muse Spark 1.1, which is priced aggressively, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. He called out rivals' "extreme" pricing.
Delta’s Basic Business Offers Cheaper Luxury Ticket With Fewer Perks
The airline’s strategy reflects a push toward a la carte pricing even for premium tickets.
Roundup: Walmart pricing / Recovery from Arthur / Turner Industries
Value-focused strategy: Walmart is lowering prices on thousands of items, including beef, Coca-Cola, produce and household goods, to help shoppers facing high food costs. The retailer says the cuts are part of its value-focused strategy, especially as grocery inflation remains a concern. President Donald Trump praised the move, though Walmart did not say the price […]
Why Buy a Small Power Bank When Anker's 160W 14-Port Docking Station Is Back to Near-Black Friday Pricing?
For a limited time, you can grab this 14-in-1 solution selling for nearly $100 off at Amazon.
Here's how much the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Flip8 foldables will cost in South Korea
The foldables are expected to be announced later this month. Last week, the European pricing for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z foldables surfaced online....
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
Sony Discusses Potential Future PlayStation Plus Price Hikes
Sony says it continues to balance value and pricing for PlayStation Plus, addressing the possibility of future subscription increases.
Holland & Knight Health Dose: June 30, 2026 | Insights
Senate Committee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Bill Cassidy released a discussion draft making changes to the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
Sony Spurs $1,000 PlayStation 6 Rumors
Rumors of sky-high next-gen consoles have been floating around for about as long as the next-gen consoles have been confirmed as in development, but it seems as though Sony CEO, Hideaki Nishino has all but confirmed $900+ pricing for the PS6 in a recent Q&A session following an official Gaming & Net...
Suspicious Steam Machine clone from China costs just $688, has a Ryzen 5 5500 with an RX 6750 GRE GPU
A Chinese listing shows a Steam Machine clone with an RX 6750 GRE for $688, but spec errors and pricing math make this listing look very suspicious.
“The Cheaper the Better,” Says Valve About its Steam Machine Pricing, but Don’t Expect a Price Decrease “Any Time Soon”
"The cheaper the better" is Valve's official line for how it would like to price the Steam Machine, but don't expect it to happen soon.
New iPhone Ultra report has new pricing and release timing info
Apple’s highly anticipated foldable iPhone is launching this fall, but a new report today claims you might have to wait...
This Is Probably Your Last Chance to Buy a Cheap MacBook for a While
Apple has dramatically jacked up the price of MacBooks, making the current Prime Day pricing that much more enticing.
Valve Quietly Walks Back Steam Machine 4K 60 FPS Performance Claims
Valve's Steam Machine has earned more than its fair share of skeptics, thanks to performance claims and more recently its unfortunate pricing. More recently, though, Valve has seemingly taken some of this criticism to heart and silently changed some of those performance claims on the Steam Machine p...
Steam Machine Sells Out in Japan Despite Woeful Pricing
As was the case with the Steam Deck, Valve is selling the Steam Machine via Komodo Station, an Asian reseller that serves much of South-East Asia, and as a result, it skips the reservation and lottery system that is currently in place on Valve's own Steam Store. While this doesn't combat issues like...
Pre-RAMpocalypse Steam Machine Pricing was ~30% Cheaper
It's no secret that Valve's Steam Machine is launching at possibly the worst moment for both PC and console gaming hardware, given the ongoing DRAM crisis, but Valve engineer, Pierre-Loup Griffais, has recently shed light on the pre-RAM crisis pricing of the Steam Machine, revealing that it was neve...
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ reviews are here, Intel Arc G3 Extreme takes the lead in performance and pricing
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review embargo lifts today, giving us the first independent look at Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme handheld platform.
AMC taps investors for $200M to pay off 2027 notes
AMC sold 95.25 million shares in a registered direct offering and plans to use proceeds to redeem $125.5 million of 6.125% notes due 2027.
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. Announces Pricing of $200 Million Registered Direct Offering of Common Stock
LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMC) (“AMC” or “the Company”), announced today that it has…...
SanDisk announces $3000 PS5 SSD as component pricing surge continues
$2960 plus tax, to be exact.
June 17 Playbook: Data Centers Scrambling PA Politics
🌞 It’s Wednesday! The halfway mark Headlines. Fight Over US Datacenters Is Scrambling Pennsylvania Politics. Energy Future A Defining Issue in Gubernatorial Race. PA Supreme Court Blasts Philly DA’s Office. “Charm Pricing” 🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. We’re Not Gonna Take It. Twisted Sister PA Weather☀️ Meadville | Mostly…
2 ways SpaceX can further justify sky-high valuation: Morningstar
The firm argues investors are pricing in "moonshot" scenarios for the company's business lines.
Steam Machine Performance Benchmark Leak Signals Approaching Launch
Since the news broke that the Valve Steam Machine would be delayed, there have been countless conversations online about how the Steam Machine would be dead on arrival because of its expected pricing and aging internals—a six-core Zen 4 CPU and a Radeon Navi 33 GPU with 8 GB of VRAM—but a recent set...
Microsoft weighs DeepSeek for Copilot Cowork
Microsoft will also shift to usage-based pricing for the enterprise agent.
Sony: The Market Is Mispricing Its Entertainment Transformation
Sony’s record FY2025 shows Music & image sensors driving profits.
Apple Could Eventually Bring An OpenClaw-Like Competitor To Multiple Platforms, Offering Personalized AI Agents At Flexible Pricing
Consumers could have another reason to invest in a Mac, iPad or iPhone, as Apple could bring its own AI agent like OpenClaw in the future
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra Bonus Just Got Better In The U.S.
Samsung's new pricing strategy is clearer with a new promotion that bundles a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro 4 with Galaxy S26 Ultra purchases, alongside a major discount.
South Korean business group urges power market reform
S. Korea's business lobby called for electricity market reform, saying AI data centers, renewables and energy storage require real-time pricing.
UofL Health, southern Indiana hospitals among list of facilities Trump is warning over price transparency
UofL Health Jewish Hospital and two southern Indiana hospitals are among dozens of facilities in Kentucky and Indiana that received notices from the Trump administration to provide pricing information.
Trump administration warns hundreds of hospitals to increase price transparency or face fines
The Trump administration has warned more than 500 hospitals that they are failing to provide the public with basic pricing information — arguing that the lack of disclosure is keeping healthcare costs higher than they should be.
World Cup travel boost hasn't materialized for U.S. businesses
The expected travel boom from the World Cup is looking like it will be a city-by-city, match-by-match test of pricing power.
More than a Perk: 401(k)s are a Benefit Small Business Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore
Two leaders discuss how automation, transparency, and smarter pricing for 401(k) plans are changing the game for employers looking for a competitive advantage.
Data centers and surveillance pricing big issues for N.Y. Legislature
Friday was the last day of session.
New York state lawmakers pass bill targeting surveillance pricing
Gov. Kathy Hochul would need to sign the bill for it to become law.