💆‍♀️ “AI-ahhhhhh” – Equinox’s AI masseuse. Robinhood’s QB sneak. Millennials’ tantrum tax. +9/9/9 Hot Dog strategy.

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: The Best One Yet – “AI-ahhhhhh” – Equinox’s AI masseuse. Robinhood’s QB sneak. Millennials’ tantrum tax. +9/9/9 Hot Dog strategy. (August 22, 2025)

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of The Best One Yet, hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell, delivers three pop-biz news stories you can drop into any conversation. The focus is on: how AI is reshaping personal wellness with robot masseuses, Robinhood’s bold move into sports prediction markets, and the spiraling cost of childcare (“the Tantrum Tax”) in America. Peppered with humor, personal anecdotes, and their signature “T.Boy” takeaways, Jack and Nick set listeners up with stories to sound informed all weekend.

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Segment 1: The 9/9/9 Hot Dog Challenge (00:47–03:39)

• Viral Ballpark Challenge

  • The “9/9/9 Challenge” asks: can you eat nine hot dogs, drink nine beers, and watch nine innings of baseball? It’s spreading from Wrigley Field to Yankee Stadium.
  • “The 999 Challenge is the ultimate celebration of athletic gluttony.” – Nick (02:26)

• Why It’s Getting Harder

  • Faster games: Pitch clocks mean less time—30 fewer minutes—to accomplish the feat.
  • Higher prices: At San Francisco Giants games, nine beers + nine dogs = $227.69 (02:49).
  • Cultural shifts: American alcohol consumption is at an all-time low.

• Spin-offs & Humor

  • Nick and Jack invent the “9/9/9 Spa Challenge” (03:23): nine sips of rosé, nine mini cupcakes, over a 90-minute facial.

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Segment 2: Story #1 – Equinox’s AI Robot Masseuses (05:41–10:48)

• Equinox’s High-Tech Move

  • Equinox, a luxury gym chain, has installed robot masseuses at 60 locations. Powered by startup Escape, valued at $250M after raising $83M this year (06:41).

• How It Works

  • Not a humanoid robot: just two robotic arms, essentially “the C-3PO of the Swedish massage” (06:27).
  • Users wear provided spandex so the bot cameras can 3D map their body (07:56).
  • No nudity; no lotion—spandex is anti-friction.
  • Massage is shoulder-to-knee only (08:18).
  • Bedside controls let users adjust music, headrest, pressure, and see where the bot is working.

• Cost & Impact

  • $60 for 30 minutes; 48% less than a human if you include tip (08:45).
  • Generated $23M revenue in six months, with 400,000 sessions done (09:06).

• Employment & Economics

  • There are 29,000 unfilled massage therapist positions in the US; demand outpaces supply (09:46).
  • “The AI masseuse isn’t taking human jobs. It’s filling a gap in the labor market.” – Jack (10:14)

• Key Takeaway

  • Sometimes, AI fills holes where humans are unavailable. Robot massages are a rare case of technology creating, not destroying, opportunity—and making massages more affordable and accessible.

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Segment 3: Story #2 – Robinhood’s "QB Sneak" Into Prediction Markets (10:48–15:00)

• Robinhood’s New Feature

  • Launches prediction contracts for pro and college football—through an SEC-regulated market, not gambling. Powered by Kalshi.

• How It Works

  • Users can buy a “future contract” on a team to win; if the team wins, it pays out $1 (11:24–11:30).
  • Quotes: "Don't call it betting, Nick. It's not betting." – Jack (11:04)
  • Hawaii vs Stanford example: Hawaii contract trades at $0.56, Stanford at $0.45 (11:38).

• Regulatory Loophole

  • Sports betting is taxed at up to 51% in places like New York. Robinhood’s offering falls under financial, not gambling, regulation—far less oversight and cost (12:35).
  • “It’s like a QB sneak. They’re sneaking right past all the regulators.” – Jack (13:40)

• Brand Messaging Contradiction

  • Robinhood’s mission: become your trusted financial institution—bank accounts, credit cards, retirement products.
  • “Putting a bookie next to a financial advisor? That’s mixed messaging.” – Jack (13:51)

• Key Takeaway

  • Robinhood is deftly moving into a lucrative business, but blurring the line between investing and gambling could undermine its brand as a trusted institution.

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Segment 4: Story #3 – The Tantrum Tax: America’s Childcare Crisis (16:59–22:07)

• Exploding Childcare Costs

  • Childcare can cost $9,000–$29,000/year, and up to $140,000 for five years in high-cost areas like San Francisco or NYC (18:02, 19:02).
  • “The median cost of childcare where Jack lives is $21,000; where Nick lives, it’s $28,000 a year.” – Nick (18:02)

• Personal Impacts

  • Nick pays $19,000 for a part-time, four-hour-a-day outdoor preschool with no roof (“there’s literally no overhead”) (18:23).
  • It can take an extra $50,000 of income to pay for that $28,000 after taxes.

• Why Is It So Expensive?

  • Heavily labor-based: strict staff-to-child ratios (usually no more than 4 babies per adult), 70% of daycare revenue goes straight to wages, which are still often minimum wage (19:50, 20:06).
  • AI can’t change diapers; remote workers can’t monitor babies.

• Policy Experiments & Solutions

  • Florida: Tax breaks for businesses offering on-site childcare (20:36).
  • Michigan: Employer pays one-third of costs, state covers one-third (20:43).
  • Vermont: Payroll tax funds 10 free hours/week for ages 3–4 (20:50).
  • Business involvement is pivotal; laws passed in those states after companies got on board (21:02).

• Economic Impact

  • 1M parents can’t work due to lack of childcare, according to KPMG (21:08).

• Key Takeaway

  • “This isn’t a baby problem, it’s a business problem. And solving it unlocks a million workers.” – Nick (22:07)

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Closing Factoids & Quick Hits (22:18–23:28)

• Wyoming: First state to launch a stablecoin (“Frontier Coin”, ticker: FRNT); Federal Reserve meeting in Jackson Hole wraps up (22:31).
• Walmart: Absorbs tariffs better than competitors, raises prices by only 1% to gain market share (23:05).
• Starbucks: Embracing health/wellness, now pushing coconut water in stores (23:20).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The 999 Challenge is the ultimate celebration of athletic gluttony.” – Nick (02:26)
• “The AI masseuse isn’t taking human jobs. It’s filling a gap in the labor market.” – Jack (10:14)
• “Putting a bookie next to a financial advisor? That’s mixed messaging.” – Jack (13:51)
• “The crazy cost of childcare is called the tantrum tax. But businesses are part of the solution.” – Jack (21:21)

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Timestamps for Landmark Segments

• 9/9/9 Hot Dog Challenge: 00:47–03:39
• Equinox AI Massage Story: 05:41–10:48
• Robinhood Football Prediction Markets: 10:48–15:00
• Childcare Tantrum Tax Crisis: 16:59–22:07
• Closing Quick Hits (Wyoming, Walmart, Starbucks): 22:18–23:28

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Closing Tone

As always, Nick and Jack keep it light with rapid-fire banter, personal stories, surprise “challenges,” and crowd-sourced corrections from their listenership (“Akushnet” pronunciation, 23:42). The episode closes on celebrating listener birthdays, milestones, and the philosophy: “Celebrate the wins this weekend. Nick and I definitely will be. If you know, you know.” (24:43–24:46)

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For more pop-biz stories, subscribe and send your best baby name for Nick’s soon-to-arrive little one!

Transcript

[Jack]

This is Nick, this is Jack.

[Nick]

It's Friday. The Real Friday, August 22nd. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T. Boy.

[Jack]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

One week, Jack. We are one week to the baby due date. That's it. I know. Molly's doing amazing. She's floating in a pool downtown right now.

[Jack]

I'm so glad she's treating herself.

[Nick]

You know what we're doing this weekend, Jack?

[Jack]

What?

[Nick]

The baby name brunch. You know what that is?

[Jack]

Tell me.

[Nick]

Okay, we're basically just having brunch. Just talking baby names the whole time. We gotta finalize this thing. Wait, I thought you already had. I know. I thought I'd do. But there was a left field idea yet. We're still crowdsourcing names. If you got a baby name idea, drop it in the comments for us. For the brunch.

[Jack]

Wait, are you gonna call her Skibidi?

[Nick]

It's Skibidi, Jack. Three stories for today's T. Boy. What do we got on the Popizpod, Jack?

[Jack]

For our first story, Equinox, the Lux gym chain has installed AI robot masseuses at 60 of their locations.

[Nick]

But Jack and I think AI robots are actually a feel good story, literally.

[Jack]

For our second story, Robinhood just launched football betting. I mean, football predictions.

[Nick]

Can't say betting.

[Jack]

If we still were working at Robinhood, Legal would have us in their office right now.

[Nick]

Robinhood just pulled off the quarterback sneak of finance.

[Jack]

And our third and final story.

[Nick]

Get this.

[Jack]

Millennial parents spend up to $147,000 for the first five years.

[Nick]

Kid.

[Jack]

For childcare.

[Nick]

Jack and I call it the Tantrum Tax. And solving this childcare crisis starts with business.

[Jack]

But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[Nick]

Whoa. Fantastic mix of stories, Jack. Perfect mix to go into the weekend with.

[Jack]

This weekend, you may be challenged to the Nine Nine nine challenge.

[Nick]

Nine nine, nine. Nine hot dogs, nine beers, nine innings.

[Jack]

Can you consume nine dogs, nine brewskis in nine innings of baseball?

[Nick]

It's kind of like the ice buc split in the G, but with a side of Cracker Jacks.

[Jack]

The Triple 9 is going viral across stadiums from Wrigley Field to Yankee Stadium.

[Nick]

Can you crush 2,664 calories watching the.

[Jack]

Game while players burn as many calories playing the game?

[Nick]

Although Jack Babe Ruth kind of did the challenge and play the game at the same time, didn't he?

[Jack]

He didn't use steroids. He used Schlitz.

[Nick]

The 999 Challenge is the ultimate celebration of athletic gluttony.

[Jack]

But this 999 Challenge is becoming more challenging. Yeah.

[Nick]

Yeah. The challenge just got challenged, right, Jack?

[Jack]

Because first, baseball's gotten faster with the.

[Nick]

Pitch clock, so that's 30 fewer minutes to finish the food and beer of the challenge.

[Jack]

Second, baseball is getting more expensive to watch.

[Nick]

Yeah. The price of nine beers and nine dogs at a San Francisco Giants game. $227.69.

[Jack]

I hope they have a buy now, pay later option. And third, drinking alcohol in America just reached an all time low.

[Nick]

I mean, you were already gonna be that guy, Jack, but now you're really gonna be that guy.

[Jack]

Yeah, the kiss cam is gonna censor out whatever you're doing down there in the box scene.

[Nick]

I'm off camera, man. I'm off camera.

[Jack]

And it doesn't count unless you eat all nine buns.

[Nick]

But Yetis, don't forget that the 999 challenge isn't just for baseball. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

Have you heard of the 999 Spa Challenge?

[Nick]

Well, you probably haven't because we just made it up.

[Jack]

Nine sips of rose, nine mini cupcakes.

[Nick]

Over a 90 minute facial.

[Jack]

Challenge accepted.

[Nick]

Yes.

[Jack]

Put it on the company card.

[Nick]

We'll take two. Jack, let's hit our three stories.

[Narrator]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is the norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at Liz. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more.

[Nick]

So just start the show.

[Jack]

Start the.

[Nick]

Show, Start the show, Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

Airbnb.

[Nick]

Yetis, our show actually started as a side hustle over 10 years ago. It began in secret outside of our bank jobs.

[Jack]

We were worried we'd get fired, so we didn't tell our bosses and we even left our names off the website.

[Nick]

Now, that was our side hustle, a media startup. But there are other side hustles that.

[Jack]

Are a lot less risky than that and that have.00% chance of getting you fired. Like being a host on Airbnb.

[Nick]

In this economy, it's a fun and rewarding way to make money off the thing you're already paying for your house or your apartment.

[Jack]

I've hosted two previous apartments and my current chalet on Airbnb.

[Nick]

And when no one's using it why not welcome a family, a couple that just got engaged?

[Jack]

You already have an Airbnb. You just didn't realize it yet.

[Nick]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host we are.

[Jack]

Supported by Vital Proteins Yeties.

[Nick]

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[Jack]

And I'm a proud power user. I put the mocha or chocolate flavored vital proteins collagen in every mug of coffee I've drank so far this year.

[Nick]

I threw some into a pancake mix because like, why the heck not?

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

That's vitalproteins.com promo code T Boy for 20% off.

[Nick]

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For our first story, the big new thing in AI massage robots.

[Jack]

So we gathered the reviews, the financials and the details on these masseuse bots. And they show the optimistic outcome of an AI world.

[Nick]

Yeti's Equinox Gym. It is owned by the real estate giant Related Properties. The gym last valued at $8 billion.

[Jack]

They also own SoulCycle.

[Nick]

Yes, they do. But besties. This Balenciaga of the bench press has a new feature right over there by the Pilates studio.

[Jack]

Here's the news. Equinox has added robot masseuses.

[Nick]

I think it's called Robosus, jack. Basically the C3PO of the Swedish massage.

[Jack]

They're at sea 60 Equinox gyms and growing.

[Nick]

Now we should point out each of these AI robot masseuses is made by a startup called Escape.

[Jack]

This bot maker raised $83 million this year and they're now valued at a quarter of a billion.

[Nick]

And they are expanding from Equinox gyms to Four Seasons hotels. Basically, they are scaling the AI deep tissue, baby.

[Jack]

If you live near a boutique wellness center, they've probably got one of these too.

[Nick]

But besties. Here's what Jack and I find fascinating about this story. You see, most AI robot is not consumer facing, right, Jack?

[Jack]

For example, Amazon has nearly 1 million robots, but they're all working in the warehouses.

[Nick]

So to us, an AI robo masseuse is the rare robot you could actually encounter the next time you got some Tightness in your back over there.

[Jack]

Now, this is such new technology, we should explain how it works.

[Nick]

These are both robot, which are the.

[Jack]

Hands, and artificial intelligence, which is the.

[Nick]

Brains of the robot.

[Jack]

Although it's not a human form, it doesn't have legs, a body, and a head. It's just two robotic arms that come out from under the table. Like the thing that performed surgery on Anakin Skywalker to turn him into Darth.

[Nick]

It is borderline scary. But here's the surprise. Shockingly, no. You cannot just strip down naked in front of your robo masseuse.

[Jack]

Yeah, it's not as risque as you think. You have to wear specialized special clothing for the massage.

[Nick]

Yeah. Escape gives you stretchy spandex gear so that the robot camera can build a 3D model of your body and know what to target.

[Jack]

And that spandex is also anti friction for when the rubbing begins.

[Nick]

No lotion here. Now, once you're on the table, you're facing down over a floating screen that shows you where the bot is kneading and where it's gonna go next.

[Jack]

Cause you might not be comfortable with a robot. It's nice to know what's happening next.

[Nick]

It's an intimate experience. But here's the catch. This robo masseuse only does your shoulders to your knees. Your neck, head, and feet are considered too sensitive at the moment.

[Jack]

But that screen that's lying beneath your face, it also lets you adjust the headrest if it's too high or too low, lets you adjust the music, and it lets you control the pressure more or less.

[Nick]

Although you didn't even mention the best part. Jack, did you? Oh, yeah.

[Jack]

There's no awkward small talk.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's not like, oh, yeah, I'm from out of town. I assume you are too.

[Jack]

Now, let's talk pricing. The Equinox charges $60 for a 30 minute massage from one of these things, which is 48% less than the human massage option if you include the tip.

[Nick]

That's right. This T1000 robo masseuse doesn't get a tip.

[Jack]

But for Equinox, these masseuses have generated some revenue. $23 million in just the first six months of operation.

[Nick]

Equinox has done 400,000 AI robo massage sessions already.

[Jack]

So if robots are on pace to do a million Swedish massages this year, should the massage therapy industry be scared?

[Nick]

Is no job safe or sacred right now, Jack?

[Jack]

Actually, we have a surprise take on this.

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies curious about AI when it comes.

[Jack]

To the economy, Robo AI massages hit the sweet spot.

[Nick]

Yetis, the immediate concern about any AI robot is that it's zero sum. It'll take human jobs and replace us.

[Jack]

But the massage industry is an interesting example because there's a shortage of masseuses.

[Nick]

Yeah, Yetis, have you noticed you can never book the massage time you actually want? Well, it's because there are 29,000 unfilled positions for massage therapists right now.

[Jack]

Even though there's high demand for massages and low supply of massages and that's pushed the price of a massage up, it hasn't drawn enough people into the industry of massage therapy.

[Nick]

So AI masseuses are a rare example of AI bots doing a consumer job humans don't want to do.

[Jack]

The AI masseuse isn't taking human jobs. It's filling a gap in the labor market.

[Nick]

Plus, we think this could also increase the size of the whole massage market. Like we all love massages, but it is an expensive special occasion thing right there.

[Jack]

Robots can do them cheaper though, so they might offer a 20 minute massage for 20 bucks. Something a normal human run masseuse wouldn't do.

[Nick]

Look, besties, sometimes you want a two hour spa experience, sometimes you just want a 20 minute backbuster.

[Jack]

That's why when it comes to the economy, Robo AI massages could hit the sweet spot.

[Nick]

For our second story, to quote the great artist Hank Williams Jr. Are you ready for some football? Because Robin Hood is, is get this. The stock trading app just launched prediction markets so you can bet on pro and college football.

[Jack]

Don't call it betting, Nick. It's not betting.

[Nick]

Oh, I shouldn't have called it betting. I forgot, I forgot.

[Jack]

I'm sorry. We call it a financial QB sneak.

[Nick]

Yet is this Saturday, Stanford is playing Hawaii in college football's opening weekend. Neither team, by the way, is ranked.

[Jack]

But we know who's more likely to win. It's Hawaii. And we know because of Robinhood's prediction markets.

[Nick]

Because on Robinhood, you can now buy a futures contract for either Stanford or Hawaii to win that that one game.

[Jack]

And if your selected team wins, the contract is worth $1. That's how prediction markets work.

[Nick]

Yeah. Let's break it down a little further. Jack, how did the numbers go out there?

[Jack]

Well, Hawaii's contract is 56 cents right now and Stanford's contract is 45 cents. If your team wins, it's worth a dollar. That's how you make money. Robinhood users are betting that Hawaii is going to Win. Oh, shoot. It's not technically or legally betting they.

[Nick]

Are predicting because the news Robinhood announced on Tuesday this predictions market for pro.

[Jack]

And colle just in time for touchdowns and tackles returning to your living room this weekend.

[Nick]

Okay, but Jack, let's channel our coach Andy Reid here and go full financial philosopher on this thing.

[Jack]

Gambling versus prediction markets. Yeah. Is there a practical difference?

[Nick]

Not really.

[Jack]

Is there a legal difference? Absolutely.

[Nick]

Because besties online gambling has exploded since the 2018 Supreme Court decision. DraftKings is worth 22 billion bucks. Now, that's like five lifts.

[Jack]

But sports betting companies like DraftKings are highly regulated and shockingly highly taxed.

[Nick]

Get this, licensed sports betting apps in New York, New Hampshire and Rhode island pay 51% of their revenues in state taxes.

[Jack]

51%? That's like the highest tax in this country on anything.

[Nick]

We repeat, over half the money DraftKings makes in the state of New York on your bets end up up in Albany.

[Jack]

But what Robin's offering is technically not that. They're offering prediction contracts powered by Kalshi.

[Nick]

Now, you got to know prediction contracts during the 2024 election when they helped forecast who would ultimately win.

[Jack]

You see, Kalshee found a clever workaround. Even though, like gambling, you put money on a speculative event and hope that your pick wins.

[Nick]

What Robinhood's offering is technically an event contract. So it is subject not to gambling regulation, but to financial regulation.

[Jack]

Financial regulation is less onerous and less costly and way lower taxes than gambling regulation.

[Nick]

And that is why Robinhood can suddenly offer this football betting, not betting. I mean, predicting and bypass those state by state gambling laws.

[Jack]

It's like a QB sneak. That's what they're pulling off here. Yeah, it's like a tush push. And they're sneaking right past all the regulators who are trying to stop them.

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Robinhood?

[Jack]

Putting a bookie next to a financial advisor? That's mixed messaging.

[Nick]

Now, yetis, as Robinhood shareholders and former Robinhood employees who sold the company to Robinhood, Jack and I see the opportunity that Robinhood is pursuing right here.

[Jack]

Sports betting is a huge industry, and Robinhood found a way into it that sneaks past the costly regulations.

[Nick]

QB sneak. But you know what, Jack and I also can't help but notice that the messaging has a bit of a contradiction here. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

On the one hand, for a few years now, Robinhood has been pushing to become your number one financial firm. They got bank accounts, credit cards, even retirement accounts. In addition to stock and crypto trading.

[Nick]

But on the other hand, Robinhood's now offering the same thing as your neighborhood bookie. You can put your next paycheck on the Red Sox and let it ride.

[Jack]

When we worked there, we noticed Robinhood hated when it was described in the press or compared to gambling or casinos.

[Nick]

Robinhood never wanted to be compared to gambling. They wanted to be seen as a legit financial institution. That they are.

[Jack]

But setting up sports betting within this financial app, it undermines the message that they've been working on that Robinhood is your trusted financial institution.

[Nick]

Do Americans want their sports bookie in the same building as their financial advisor? Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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That's ziprecruiter.com tboy ziprecruiter the smartest way to hire AT&T business yeties Starting your own business. It ain't easy. When we first got our daily newsletter off the ground that led to this podcast a decade ago, we definitely did not get everything right.

[Jack]

Remember, we initially bummed WI fi off of hotel lobbies? Classic move. And then the concierge kicked us out. So coffee shop free Wi fi became our godsend.

[Nick]

Another latte shout out to all the.

[Jack]

Small business cafe owners. Your Wi fi is the real hero.

[Nick]

What's the code to the bathroom. Again. Honestly, if we could do it all over, we would probably invest in our own less bootleggy Internet.

[Jack]

If you need to connect your small business, you need AT&T business. They make connecting easy. Actually, they make so many things easy.

[Nick]

Which is the main thing you want in a provider. Less time stressing, more time for you to work on your business.

[Jack]

And yetis, there's never enough time.

[Nick]

So start a business, live your dream, and wake up to the power of ATT business. Business.att.com for our third and final story. Yetis, if you don't have kids, you didn't realize this. And if you do have kids, you didn't know how crazy it had gotten. Child care costs are now up to 30,000 bucks a year.

[Jack]

So we found three states solving the child care crisis and the one common element in each of those solutions.

[Nick]

All right, Jack, let's share the catch 22 of having kids in America. What is it, man?

[Jack]

Our low birth rate threatens the long term health of our economy. But having kids often requires one parent to leave the workforce.

[Nick]

So the money ain't mathing right now. Basically, we need more babies, but we can't aff to actually have those babies.

[Jack]

Yetis, when you consider the costs of childcare, if you're like a young couple thinking about having a kid, you might just get a Labrador and call it quits.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep dinking it over there. The median cost of childcare where Jack lives, get this, it's 21,000 bucks.

[Jack]

Where Nick lives, it's $28,000 a year.

[Nick]

Okay, Jack, our son Little Maximus is doing a part time preschool program this fall. Three days a week, like four hours a day. $19,000.

[Jack]

Nick, we have two kids getting childcare. That's 42 grand a year. And eventually Oakley's gonna need childcare.

[Nick]

I'm not trying to compete with you here, Jack, but he's also got a nanny and the preschool's an outdoor preschool. It doesn't have a roof. There's literally no overhead. And it's 19,000 bucks.

[Jack]

And if you consider the taxes, then Nick needs to make 50 grand of income to pay for that 28 grand a year for childcare in San Francisco.

[Nick]

Now, besties, we should point out the national average is lower, about 9,000 bucks a year for childcare, but it's easily 2x3x that in places where young people want to live most.

[Jack]

We call it the Tantrum Tax. It's the hidden huge cost that every millennial parent is paying right now.

[Nick]

By the way, Kindergarten. Remember, that's when your kids are five. So having a kid means five years of all this childcare.

[Jack]

So for someone in San Francisco, it's 140 grand to pay for your child to get from zero to five.

[Nick]

That's why Jack and I are launching a third podcast. But besties. We know what you are thinking right now. Why is child care so expensive?

[Jack]

Because people are expensive and childcare depends on a lot of people.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's a people y business model. You see, AI can't change diapers and remote workers. They can't sue the one year old to nap.

[Jack]

Elderly care, childcare and school, they're all expensive because people in this country just get more and more expensive.

[Nick]

But as Jack and I dove in t boy style, we noticed that childcare in particular is person expensive.

[Jack]

Because many states regulate a staffing minimum. There can be no more than four babies per adult at the childcare center.

[Nick]

And that's why, according to the Wall Street Journal, your typical daycare spends 70% of its revenue just on wages. The other 30% is on hot Wheels cars, by the way.

[Jack]

And yet here's the most brutal insult to injury. Those childcare workers, they get close to minimum wage.

[Nick]

Yeah, like their Average pay is 15 bucks an hour, usually with no benefits.

[Jack]

Because when four tiny people need one big person's full time attention, it's tough to make the economics work.

[Nick]

So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are everyone curious about childcare?

[Jack]

This is a business problem, not a baby problem. Businesses are part of the solution.

[Nick]

Yetis the cool thing about our country is that there are 50 states and each one can experiment and then the.

[Jack]

Other 49 states can learn from a successful experiment in the 1.

[Nick]

Here's some child care solutions we've noticed. In Florida, the state offers tax breaks to businesses that offer on site child care.

[Jack]

In Michigan, if An employer pays 1/3 of an employee's child care cost, the state will pay another third of it.

[Nick]

In Vermont, a payroll tax funds 10 hours per week of free child care for all three and four year olds.

[Jack]

And a key reason those laws got passed. In those states. Businesses were convinced to support those laws.

[Nick]

Because solving childcare with these ideas actually boost the broader economy.

[Jack]

According to KPMG, over 1 million parents in America would be working right now. But they can't because childcare is either unavailable or unaffordable.

[Nick]

Millions more parents are working, but they're frequently absent or late because their childcare is unreliable.

[Jack]

The crazy cost of childcare is called the tantrum tax. But businesses are part of the solution.

[Nick]

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us?

[Jack]

For the real Friday, Equinox's robot masseuses are on pace to do a million massages this year at their 60 gyms.

[Nick]

The AI robo masseuse. It fills a gap in the job market. And you know what? It hits the sweet spot.

[Jack]

For our second story, Robinhood launched prediction contracts for pro and college football games.

[Nick]

But putting a bookie next to a financial advisor to our buddies over Robinhood. A little bit of mixed messaging right there, if you know what I mean.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is the Tantrum tax. Childcare costs between $9,000 and $29,000 a year in this country because childcare is a very people y business.

[Nick]

But besties, this ain't a baby problem. It's a business problem. And solving it unlocks a million workers.

[Jack]

But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[Nick]

First, congratulations to the great state of Wyoming. You are the center of America today. Most important state in business right now.

[Jack]

First, Wyoming was the first state to launch a state stablecoin.

[Nick]

It's called the Frontier coin ticker symbol.

[Jack]

Frnt, short for frontier.

[Nick]

We don't know what they're gonna do with it, but they did it.

[Jack]

Plus, the Federal Reserve has a meeting in Jackson Hole that ends today. Jerome Powell speak about interest rates, inflation, tariffs and the economy in a press conference.

[Nick]

So we're bullish on those Wyoming ranches.

[Jack]

Literally. Second, how is the biggest retailer in the world dealing with America's big tariffs? Surprisingly well.

[Nick]

Yeah, Walmart says it's paying more tariffs than ever because a third of their merch. Yeah, shocker, comes from overseas.

[Jack]

But Walmart only raised prices by 1% last quarter in response to those tariffs.

[Nick]

Why? Because they're going going on the offense, as they put it. They're not raising prices much because they can and target can't.

[Jack]

They're stealing market share.

[Nick]

And finally, Starbucks is doubling down on coconut water as it leaps into health and wellness. Baby.

[Jack]

2025 is the year that Starbucks is trying everything and anything to bring back that coffee house vibe, including coconuts.

[Nick]

The new CEO is throwing the kitchen sink at. Well, the kitchen in this case. Now, time for the best fact yet. This one, sent in eloquently by James Polk, a yeti from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.

[Jack]

Push and play.

[Jim]

Hey, T boy team. Loved today's episode, but I had to chuckle when you guys pronounced Akushnit as a kushnet. As someone from Massachusetts, I can confirm the locals would be giving you a kush for that one. It's actually a kushnet where kush rhymes with push, not you. Maybe it's time for a golf ball sized correction here. Keep up the great work and don't worry, we still love you, even if your pronunciation is a little off par.

[Jack]

Jim's basically like, hey, you can't park the car here.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah, you did that well. You did that well. I think we're good for all. We never have to do another Boston correction again, Jack.

[Jack]

Hey, Jim, when we come to a Boston for a live show, we're getting you a dunkin on us.

[Nick]

If you know. Yeah, ya know.

[Jack]

But before we go, Yetis, another quick shout out to Nick. This man is technically disabled according to the laws of the state of California. Yes, technically. And yet he's produced four fantastic podcasts this week.

[Nick]

And I also gotta thank you, Jack. Thank you for leading the charge on the show over the last week and making every day a t. Boy.

[Jack]

Yeti celebrate the wins this weekend. Nick and I definitely will be.

[Nick]

If you know, you know. And before we go, a happy birthday to YETI man. Maxine, Katie's down in lovely Cape Town, South Africa.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Girish in St. Thomas.

[Nick]

And Jocelyn Kohler is turning 31 years old doing some logistics up in Chicago.

[Jack]

Happy 28th birthday to Caroline Ruthven in Asheville, North Carolina.

[Nick]

And Ritu Agarwal happy birthday just outside Boston. In Boston.

[Jack]

Happy 59th birthday to Sandy Shack Lady White in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

[Nick]

And Jack, we got a 14th birthday for Will celebrating the big one over in Galena Canyon.

[Jack]

Happy 40th birthday to Matt in Arlington, Virginia.

[Nick]

And Katharine Huppinger is 21 years old celebrating big with the Eagles of Idaho.

[Jack]

And congratulations to Claire Griego on the soft opening of Cafe Calaveras in Seattle, Washington.

[Nick]

Lovely. And Cadell Crisp and Kenosha Baker are getting married this weekend. Have a blast. You look fantastic. In Chesapeake, Virginia.

[Jack]

And finally, a big shout out to Chris Carpenter, a man who's born and raised in Madison.

[Nick]

Now besties, this absolute legend of a yeti sadly passed away earlier this year.

[Jack]

But Nick and I are honored to pay tribute to this man from his buddy and his business partner whom he converted to the show.

[Nick]

Celebrate that life of wins. And we'll take a little moment of silence before we head out for the weekend.

[Jack]

If Chris were here, he'd make it a T Boy. This is Jack. Nick and I both own stock of Robin if you like. The best one yet. You can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a.

[Jack]

Little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.

[Nick]

We want to get to know you, Mr. Gecko. You're a huge inspiration to us all. But who was your muse? My dear old Nan, she would tell me. Always remember to be true to yourself and to use that fast and friendly claim support on the Geico app. I follow her advice to this day. Get more than just savings. Get more with Geico.