🥔 “Surge Potato Pricing” — Instacart’s personalized pricing. Utah’s for-profit football. Australia’s teen insta-ban. +In-N-Out’s 67.

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet

Episode: 🥔 “Surge Potato Pricing” — Instacart’s personalized pricing. Utah’s for-profit football. Australia’s teen insta-ban. +In-N-Out’s 67
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: December 11, 2025

Overview

In this fast-paced 20-minute episode, Nick and Jack break down the three biggest pop business stories of the day, diving into Instacart’s controversial personalized pricing, the historic for-profit pivot of a major college football program, and Australia’s world-first social media ban for teens. Along the way, they discuss the surprising trend of businesses banning certain numbers (like In-N-Out banning "67"), corporate culture, and the broader implications of new tech and regulation trends.

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Story 1: Instacart’s Personalized Pricing Controversy

[05:38 – 10:09]

Key Points

• Consumer Reports Bombshell: An investigation revealed that Instacart uses AI to charge different customers different prices for the same grocery items at the exact same time and store.
• How it Works: Prices for identical grocery carts varied by as much as 23% between users (“personalized potato pricing”).
• Instacart’s Response: Instacart admits to experimenting with AI-powered pricing but claims these are just random tests on select non-essential items and chains, not targeting individual spending habits—though the optics are bad.
• Ethical Concerns: Consumer Reports also found Instacart displays inconsistent “original prices” (strikethroughs), misleading customers about “discounts.”
• Potential for Abuse: The hosts warn about a slippery slope to “AI surveillance pricing,” where the platform could potentially leverage data to charge the maximum each individual is willing to pay.

Notable Quotes

• “Imagine if a cashier said, ‘Yeah, that pack of gum, that's $1 for you, but that's $1.23 for you.’"
  — Jack (06:50)
• “It doesn’t feel like an experiment, Jack; it kind of feels like an experiment in dishonesty.”
  — Nick (08:02)
• “Learning that a tech company is helping grocery stores raise prices— that’s the wrong headline at the wrong time in the wrong industry.”
  — Jack (09:56)

Takeaway

[09:09 – 10:09]

• Groceries are a fiercely price-competitive industry. News that Instacart is enabling price hikes— when inflation is top-of-mind for every American— was met with outrage and hurt Instacart’s stock (-6%).
• Companies like Uber and airlines already do dynamic pricing, but groceries are different: everyone needs them, and they’re built on the perception of “always the lowest prices.”

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Story 2: University of Utah Sells Out—Literally

[10:09 – 14:48]

Key Points

• Historic Deal: The University of Utah is selling a minority stake in its athletic department to Otro Capital (NY-based private equity) for $500 million, valuing the program over $1 billion—richer than some NHL teams.
• New Corporation: The partnership creates a new for-profit entity: Utah Brands and Entertainment Company. The university retains majority control, but Wall Street gets a say (and a share of profits).
• PE Playbook Arrives: Expect new investments in facilities, increased athlete pay, higher fan costs (more expensive parking, branding deals), and cost-cutting on non-revenue sports.
• The Blurred Line: Now that student athletes can be paid and top coaches make millions, the only difference between pro and college (D1) athletics is the nonprofit “mission statement.”

Notable Quotes

• “Gordon Gekko is the new sophomore quarterback.”
  — Nick (10:21)
• “The only difference between pro and D1 college sports? It’s the mission statements.”
  — Jack (14:48)
• “What happens when ‘Veritas Lux Scientia’ and ‘virtus’ clash with DraftKings, who's offering $100 million to put billboards all over campus?”
  — Jack (14:18)

Takeaway

[13:44 – 14:48]

• Utah is the first, but won't be the last—other universities and conferences are exploring similar deals. With private equity demanding profit, future funding for lesser-watched sports and how athletics fit university missions is now in question.

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Story 3: Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban—A Global First

[17:06 – 20:55]

Key Points

• Groundbreaking Law: Effective immediately, Australians under 16 are banned from all major social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). Enforcement is up to the platforms, who must now verify ages using multiple methods.
• Why? 20% of American teens are on social media “almost constantly.” Social platforms are pegged as psychologically addictive—akin to cigarettes, which are also banned for kids.
• Enforcement Hurdles: There are questions about effectiveness: will kids use VPNs, loopholes in app stores, or migrate to less-regulated (and potentially more dangerous) sites?
• Global Repercussions: The world is watching Australia; 77% of Aussies support the ban, and there's majority support in the US— but policy is stalled here by “whataboutism” (endless objections).

Notable Quotes

• “The Kangaroo TikTok Kid Block.”
  — Nick (18:09)
• “In America, we don’t have regulation — we have whataboutism.”
  — Jack (19:51)
• “All these ‘what abouts,’ they are valid points that lobbyists raise to stop social media regulation from happening.”
  — Jack (20:30)

Takeaway

[19:51 – 20:55]

• The US is stuck in a cycle of “what about the VPNs? What about privacy?”—holding up action despite public support for regulation. Australia’s bold move may serve as a bellwether for global social media policy.

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Viral Moment & Pop Culture: In-N-Out Bans #67

[01:24 – 03:12]

• In-N-Out skips order number 67 to prevent viral, disruptive mosh pits by Gen Z (they celebrate the number when it’s called).
• Other famous number-bans:
  • Apple’s Weather app skipped “69”
  • iPhone and Windows skipped versions 9
  • No 13th floor in buildings; in East Asia, number 4 is considered unlucky
• “67 has been 86’d.” — Nick (02:11)

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Quick Hits and Extra Nuggets

[21:41 – 22:48]

• Federal Reserve cuts the interest rate: “Hawkish cut”—one more cut expected in 2026. (21:41)
• Hinge founder quits to launch a new AI dating app; funded by Match, creating a “love triangle.” (22:13)
• Rivian (EV company) building its own AI assistant, plus now offers a bike—‘You literally can't spell Rivian without AI.’ (22:48)

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The Best Fact Yet

[23:01 – 23:38]

• Origin of the ‘cha-ching’ sound: Created by James Ritty in the 1800s to prevent employee theft in his Ohio pub—his cash register (“Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier”) popularized the classic sound of money.
  • “That famous cha-ching sound has become our universal soundtrack of money.” — Richard Blythe (23:30)

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Notable Quotes

• “67 has been 86’d.” — Nick [02:11]
• “Imagine if a cashier said, ‘Yeah, that pack of gum, that's $1 for you, but that's $1.23 for you.’” — Jack [06:50]
• “It doesn't feel like an experiment, Jack; it kind of feels like an experiment in dishonesty.” — Nick [08:02]
• “Gordon Gekko is the new sophomore quarterback.” — Nick [10:21]
• “The only difference between pro and D1 college sports is the mission statements.” — Jack [14:48]
• “Kangaroo TikTok Kid Block.” — Nick [18:09]
• “In America, we don’t have regulation—we have whataboutism.” — Jack [19:51]
• “All these ‘what abouts’…doesn’t mean we should do nothing.” — Jack [20:38]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• In-N-Out “67” ban and business number superstitions: 01:24 – 03:12
• Instacart’s pricing exposé: 05:38 – 10:09
• Utah Utes’ athletic PE deal: 10:09 – 14:48
• Australia’s social media teen ban: 17:06 – 20:55
• Quick news hits: 21:41 – 22:48
• Best Fact Yet (cha-ching cash register): 23:01 – 23:38

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Tone and Style

The hosts deliver incisive business news with quick wit, playful commentary (“T Boy style!”), and relatable analogies—balancing seriousness about consumer trust, ethics, and societal impact with light, energetic banter and pop culture asides.

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For those who missed the episode:
You’ll come away understanding why Instacart’s AI price “experimentation” could trigger a huge PR crisis, how a private equity deal at a major university may reshape college sports as we know them, and why Australia’s bold stand against teen social media may (or may not) ripple worldwide. Plus, you’ll never look at the number 67—or the sound of cash registers—the same way again.

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick, this is Jack.

[B]

It's Thursday, the new Friday, December 11, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T Boy.

[A]

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

[B]

Yetis yesterday, Jerry Powell of the Fed gave us the interest rate cut we all asked for for Christmas.

[A]

Although our central bank said it only plans one additional cut next year for all of 2026.

[B]

Come on, Jerry. We need a Hanukkah gift, too, man.

[A]

If you want mortgage rates to come down. It was mixed news yesterday.

[B]

Well, stocks, surprisingly. And this pod is our best one yet. Jack, three stories for today's T boy. What do we got on the show?

[A]

For our first story, Instacart got caught doing personalized pricing.

[B]

Real thing.

[A]

Different prices for different customers at the same grocery store.

[B]

Besties, are you paying $1 for bananas? But your buddy is getting charged $2.

[A]

We have an explanation for it. Mm. For our second story, for the first time ever, a big university sold a piece of its athletic department to Wall street investors.

[B]

The University of Utah Utes athletics is officially a for corporation. College sports is the new pro sports.

[A]

And our third and final story yesterday, Australia became the first country to ban social media for kids under 16.

[B]

Is Instagram the new cigarette? We'll dive in T boy style.

[A]

Speaking of banning, Nick, before we hit.

[B]

Those wonderful three stories, what a mix of stories for the new Friday.

[A]

In N Out Burger has banned the number 67 at all of its restaurants.

[B]

True story. Eddies will explain 6, 767.

[A]

Two consecutive numbers that Gen Z has turned into secret code.

[B]

What's it mean? We don't really know. And you know what? Neither do they either.

[A]

And whatever urban dictionary says, that's not right either.

[B]

Nobody really knows.

[A]

But the new viral trend is to gather at an In N Out burger and wait for order number 67 to be announced.

[B]

And when order number 67 is announced, the kids go crazy.

[A]

Push and play.

[B]

Let's hit the table.

[A]

In N Out doesn't want their restaurants becoming mosh pits, whatever that was. So now they're skipping order 67.

[B]

67 has been 86.

[A]

But it's not the only business in history that has banned a particular number, is it, Nick?

[B]

That's right, Jack. For years, Apple's weather app wouldn't show you the number 69.

[A]

It was really bizarre. We covered it on this pod. True. They would Skip straight from 68 to 70. They'd never show 69.

[B]

If you live down in Tampa, never turn 69 degrees Fahrenheit.

[A]

Now tech companies have also dropped the number nine in a case of roundup marketing.

[B]

Yeah, there was never an iPhone9 or a Windows 9 operating system.

[A]

In fact, Apple and Microsoft skipped straight from version 8 to version 10 to signal faster innovation.

[B]

Sorry besties, if you own an iPhone 9 Max plus, that's not a real thing.

[A]

It's basically a folkly but an iPhone.

[B]

But Jack, we can't forget about the earliest number banned of all.

[A]

The elevator your building skips the 13th floor.

[B]

We're just like airlines skip the 13th row.

[A]

Except in East Asia. Nick, 13's not unlucky. The number four is unlucky.

[B]

So besties, if you found another number that's banned in business but we didn't mention here, drop it in the comments.

[A]

Or don't drop it. Cause we don't want an unlucky result from my Spotify algos.

[B]

In the meantime, Jack, let's hit our six seven stories. Oh my God. 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. So just start the show.

Start the show.

First a quick word from our sponsor.

[A]

Now a quick break. Switching topics to one of our favorite sponsors, Vital proteins Yetis.

[B]

One of the 3T boy team goals next year is to grow huge on YouTube.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Or old enough, Nick. I still remember you could give your MySpace page a soundtrack. Music started playing when someone visited the webpage.

[B]

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[A]

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For our first story. Instacart just got caught using AI to charge different prices for different people, AKA personalized pricing.

[A]

How much does a dozen eggs cost on Instacart? Well, that depends on what their AI thinks of you. Yeah.

[B]

Are you an investment banker or an intern? You're gonna pay different for those eggs?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yetis. Let's just kick it off. T Boy style bombshell headline from Consumer Reports published this week is like Wall Street Journal meets page six of the New York Post.

[A]

Here's the headline. Instacart's AI enabled pricing experiments may be inflating your grocery bill.

[B]

Get this. Nine reporters at Consumer Reports and a nonprofit news organization and a think tank.

[A]

Outed Instacart with this investigation. Do grocery prices change depending on who's using the app?

[B]

Am I getting charged $5 for Doritos, but my buddy Timmy's getting charged six bucks?

[A]

Maybe, Nick.

[B]

Maybe.

[A]

Because in this investigation, Consumer Reports got 437 volunteers and asked them to buy the same 20 things on Instacart at the same time from the same grocery store.

[B]

Now, Jack, you think everyone would pay the same price for those same things, right?

[A]

Everyone had different prices for the same 20 items. Yeah, the prices varied by as much as 23%.

[B]

Besties. Imagine if a cashier said, yeah, that pack of gum, that's $1 for you, but that's $1.23 for you.

[A]

That's the analog equivalent of what just happened on the Instacart app.

[B]

And we're not calling this surge pricing. We're calling it personalized potato pricing.

[A]

Now, Instacart acknowledged that this report is true. They do show different customers different prices. But it wasn't exactly an admission of guilt from Instacart.

[B]

Yeah, what we found fascinating is they framed it kind of like a techy.

[A]

Flex Right, Jack, Instacart said that these price differences are actually all experiments.

[B]

You see, they're using AI to help grocery stores test higher prices in the Instacart app.

[A]

Basically, Safeway is wondering, if I charge a buck more for this box of oatmeal, will customers buy it? This lets them test that theory as an experiment.

[B]

That does make sense. You could see a tech company doing it. However, the report also said Instacart's being dishonest about original prices.

[A]

The prices they strike out to show you that you're getting a good deal with their price.

[B]

Jack, let's whip up an example here. Let's look at the same $4 saltine crackers that are making me thirsty.

[A]

One person in the study sees that the original price was $5. The other person sees that the original price is $6. Only one of those can be true. Nick.

[B]

Yeah, it doesn't feel like an experiment. Jack kind of feels like an experiment in dishonesty.

[A]

But, Nick, things could get even worse. Not surge pricing, AI surveillance pricing.

[B]

Because besties beyond Instacart AI knows exactly how much you're willing to pay. They could charge each person a maximum.

[A]

Price because the AI knows if you're an investment banker type who has lots of money, or if you're an intern type who's living paycheck to paycheck.

[B]

Now, again, Yetis, Instacart says that's not what's happening here. They say these are random tests only attend grocery chains and only on non essential grocery items.

[A]

But the state of New York just passed a law to make AI optimized ripoff pricing illegal. It's the first state to do so, but probably not the last.

[B]

Now, Basty's, Uber and Lyft, they charge different prices depending on the person. You already know that.

[A]

Airlines and car dealerships do the same.

[B]

Thing, but we gotta ask personalized prices on pickles.

[A]

Grocery stores might love this idea, but everyone who buys groceries, which is literally everyone, hates this idea.

[B]

So Instacart stock dropped 6% yesterday on this PR problemo. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Instacart and beyond?

[A]

This is the wrong headline at the wrong time in the wrong industry.

[B]

Yeah, Yetis, Instacart is using AI to help grocery stores raise prices. Obviously a bad headline, but you know what? The timing is bad too.

[A]

Because the prices of everything are too high. That is the only thing Americans are united about is the inflation situation is out of control.

[B]

But you know what? This is also the wrong Industry to be caught messing around with prices.

[A]

Yeah, grocery. What's Walmart's slogan, Nick?

[B]

What is it again, Jack?

[A]

Always lowest prices. Always.

[B]

Oh, and Amazon and Costco. Their number one rule is that nobody offers a lower price. Nobody.

[A]

The CEO of Costco would break a box of eggs over somebody's head if he heard that the competition was offering lower prices.

[B]

Yeti's Grocery is a cutthroat industry. Thin margins, minimal profits, permanent price wars.

[A]

Learning that a tech company is helping grocery stores raise prices. That's the wrong headline at the wrong time in the wrong industry. Hey, how much did you get for these pickles?

[B]

For our second story, the University of Utah is finalizing a first of its kind deal, selling a piece of the athletic department for 500 million bucks. Gordon Gekko is the new sophomore quarterback.

[A]

Wall street is tackling the Fighting Utes football program. And this will not be the last of these deals.

[B]

Yetis. Back in business school, Jack and I had a bunch of buddies who went into private equity. Right, Jack, what's the playbook here?

[A]

You buy a company with a bunch of debt, you find ways to boost profits, and then you sell the company seven years later for a gain.

[B]

Some of our buddies bought factories, some of them bought shoe brands. One of our friends, private equity firms bought a chain of funeral homes.

[A]

But for the first time ever, a private equity firm is about to buy a college football program.

[B]

To quote John Madden stockbroker, are you ready for some finance ball?

[A]

Here's the news. The University of Utah is about to sign a deal with Otro Capital, which is a New York based private equity firm.

[B]

And here are the details. Otro is giving the university 500 million bucks for a minority ownership stake in the athletic department.

[A]

$500 million investment that values the Utah youth's athletic program at over a billion dollars.

[B]

Jack, I hate to say it, but that is more than some NHL hockey teams.

[A]

That is big money. Oh, $1 billion. That's more than half of the university's entire endowment.

[B]

Bestie's Wall Streeters are willing to pay so much because it's a bunch of ex athletes who just want to get back in the game.

[A]

Yeah, put me in, coach. Yeah, I'm your new boss, so yeah, put me in. Give me an E. Give me an X. Give me an I.

[B]

Give me a T. Exit.

[A]

Oh, nice.

[B]

B term. But Jack, pause the pod for a second. You happen to be a backup starting former varsity D3 college quarterback who also worked for a Wall street bank. Yeah. So can you please sprinkle on some context for us.

[A]

Yes, Coach. This deal actually creates an entirely new corporation at the University of Utah.

[B]

That's right, a for profit corporation. It's called the Utah Brands and Entertainment Company, which kind of sounds like a Salt Lake City casino.

[A]

Utah Brands and entertain will take ownership of the University of Utah's athletic department, which will remain majority owned by the university.

[B]

Basically, private equity gets a minority ownership in exchange for 500 million bucks cash and operating the business.

[A]

The school keeps majority ownership though, so it keeps decision making power for everything in the athletics department.

[B]

Now, Jack, that's the structure of the deal.

[A]

But what's the playbook of the deal? The same as any PE business. Boost revenue, cut costs to widen the profit margin.

[B]

So you're going to see this new company invest in facilities for the athletic.

[A]

Department, make sure that star sophomore doesn't transfer to Michigan.

[B]

You're going to see them raise some prices on you. If you're a fan.

[A]

Parking, you're going to need new student loan for that prime tailgating spot, Jack.

[B]

They're also going to find and create some new revenue streams.

[A]

Strike two. That strike is brought to you by CrowdStrike. Protect your home, online security.

[B]

And of course private equity is going to find a way to cut some costs.

[A]

Do we really need to paint their helmets after every game, Nick?

[B]

Yeah, sorry, Notre Dame. But what this new corporation is going to do, biggest of all maybe is manage the largest expense in the NCAA player salaries. That's right. Because this season the University of Utah paid student athletes 21 million bucks.

[A]

That is 1/5 of the department's $110 million in annual revenue.

[B]

Jack, as a former backup lacrosse face off guy, feel like someone owes me some money here. Jack.

[A]

Hey, we made the team, dude. We made the team.

[B]

We made the team. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our Budd in the NCAA?

[A]

The only difference between pro and D1 college sports is mission statements.

[B]

Yetis Utah is the first, but we don't think the last to get a Wall street money in exchange for part ownership of their athletic department.

[A]

Kentucky and Clemson have deals in the works. So does the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences.

[B]

You see, when college players started getting paid a few years ago, college sports became pro sports.

[A]

By legal definition, coaches are getting millions, players are getting millions now, and team valuations are in the billions.

[B]

The only difference though is in those pesky Latin words, the university's mission statements.

[A]

What we're really interested in is what happens when Veritas Lux Scientia and virtus clash with DraftKings, who's offering $100 million to put billboards all over campus.

[B]

Best news, if athletic departments have Wall street investors who demand profits and returns, will they continue funding sports that don't generate revenue, like track, swimming and fencing?

[A]

What happens when university sports becomes a for profit business?

[B]

The only difference between pro and D1 college sports. It's the mission statements.

[A]

It's the Latin mission statements.

[B]

Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[A]

Audible.

[B]

Yetis. I just listened to a wild audiobook on my flight back to New York. Here's what it's called. Gods of New York.

[A]

It's about four men. The four men who ruled New York City the year that you were born.

[B]

Nick, I gotta give my parents credit.

[A]

Check.

[B]

New York in 1988 was insane. It was like mob bosses, gang fights, and all these subway cars covered in graffiti. It's like seeing how the city was run when my mom was, like, pregnant with me. I'm blown away by this whole new imagination.

[A]

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Explore bestsellers, new releases, or find a wild story that takes you back to the year that your mom gave birth to you.

[B]

Yeah, last night while I was doing the dishes, Jack, I listened to a story about the abysmal late 1980s New York Yankees.

[A]

Yeah, I feel bad for your dad. At least the Giants were winning back then.

[B]

Besties. There is more to imagine when you listen.

[A]

Sign up for a free 30 day audible trial. And your first audiobook is free, so visit audible.comtboy for the holidays, I'm hosting people every single weekend, and I don't know any of them.

[B]

What is wrong, Nick?

[A]

They're actually paid customers. I'm hosting them at my chalet using Airbnb. I actually have two bookings lined up while I'm away bringing in really good money for the holidays.

[B]

Oh, okay, I got it. Yeti. Jack's been an Airbnb host for the last couple years. He's got a better rating than Santa.

[A]

I'll be at home for Christmas under the Christmas tree, But the day after, I'm heading south to visit the family. And while I'm gone, I'm hosting guests on Airbnb.

[B]

And with the revenue generated on Airbnb, Jack, you're probably booking massages.

[A]

For you and Alex, it's an entire little side business. I have an income statement now. It offsets my cost of travel and ensures I'm getting the most of the assets I own.

[B]

It's a write off.

[A]

All of my guests have been super respectful. Not only do I have a 5 star rating, I have given my guests 5 stars too.

[B]

So, besties, treat yourself with the trip and treat someone else with a stay.

[A]

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

[B]

For our third and final story yesterday, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media completely for teens.

[A]

Zuckerberg tried to stop it, but Australia did it anyway. So what happens next in the United States?

[B]

Yetis. Look, we're all guilty of it. We all use social media too much. And nobody's debating that.

[A]

Unless you have the impulse control of that toddler who passed the marshmallow test.

[B]

I know what you're talking about.

[A]

Then you wish you were on Instagram less still.

[B]

This headline is gonna shock you.

[A]

A Gallup poll published on Tuesday found that 20% of American teens are on social media and I quote, almost constantly.

[B]

Bestie cigarettes are chemically addictive. Social media apps are psychologically addictive.

[A]

Most countries ban cigarettes for kids, but only one country bans social media for kids. Australia.

[B]

Here's the news. Effective Yesterday, Aussies under 16 years old are forbidden from using social media apps.

[A]

Now, all Australia's schools already ban phones. True, but now those phones are banned from having social media apps on them.

[B]

Besties, add it all up and we're calling this the Kangaroo TikTok kid block.

[A]

It's a good one.

[B]

It rolls off the tongue and the news. But the news raises a bunch of questions. You're probably asking mainly, Jack, how are the Aussies gonna enforce this?

[A]

With their Esafety Commission, a real thing in Australia that decides what apps are considered social media and therefore are banned for teens.

[B]

So let's whip up the whiteboard here. Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat threads, TikTok, Twitch X, YouTube and Kickstarter. That's what's currently banned in Australia.

[A]

But Roblox and YouTube Kids, those are not banned for teens. At least not now. The list will change in the future.

[B]

Which leads to the next question. Jack, who's checking the IDs to get into these apps?

[A]

The law in Australia requires the apps themselves to verify IDs. And they can verify in various ways, not just with a government id.

[B]

It basically zucks the bouncer here. Just like that bar in your hometown. The apps face big fines if they're caught allowing underage people inside.

[A]

Now, can kids view tweets or watch videos on YouTube when they're not logged in? The answer? Interestingly, yes, they can.

[B]

That's right. The non logged in experiences are actually okay for kids in Australia because it's.

[A]

Only once you log into a social media app that the algorithms begin to addict you.

[B]

Exactly. After you input your username and password, that's when you're hit with the endless scrolling, the suggested videos, the push notifications and the DMs from the creepy dudes.

[A]

So will other countries follow Australia's precedent? It depends on. The whole world is watching Australia to see how this social media teen ban works out. Or as we call it, the Kangaroo TikTok Kid blog.

[B]

If you're a 12 year old and you try getting on YouTube right now, you will get punched by a kangaroo. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies down under in Australia?

[A]

In America, we don't have regulation, we have whataboutism.

[B]

Yeah, Deez, you know what critics of this law in Australia are asking? They're asking, what about the VPNs?

[A]

Yeah. Kids can get around a social media ban by tricking the apps to into thinking that they're logged in from somewhere else.

[B]

And Jack, what about the app stores?

[A]

Meta says that Apple and Google should be responsible for checking IDs, not Instagram and Facebook.

[B]

But Jack, what about the rest of the Internet?

[A]

If social media apps are banned, kids will spend their time in even worse places like dangerous websites and dark corners of the web.

[B]

Jack, what about privacy?

[A]

If the apps get hacked, hackers are going to have IDs now that we have ID verification besties.

[B]

All these what abouts, they are valid points that lobbyists raise to stop social media regulation from happening happening here in the United States.

[A]

But there's always a what about always. That doesn't mean we should do nothing.

[B]

Interestingly, the force of popular demand overcame those what abouts in Australia, where 77% support the ban.

[A]

A majority in America support a teen social media ban too. But the reason it's been blocked so far. What about ism?

[B]

It's the what abouts.

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for the new Friday Instacart.

[A]

Stock fell 7% yesterday on a Consumer Reports investigation that showed different prices for different pizz.

[B]

Yeah, it's the personalized potato pricing. Wrong headline, wrong time, wrong industry.

[A]

For our second story, the University of Utah athletics will be part owned by a New York private equity firm.

[B]

At this point, the only thing separating pro from D1 college sports is the university's Latin mission statement.

[A]

And our third and final story. In Australia, teens under 16 are banned from using cigarettes and from using social media.

[B]

For something similar to happen here, though, we're going to need to overcome the what abouts.

[A]

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

[B]

Yeah, it is. We mentioned it before, but let's dive in T boy style. The Federal Reserve announced an interest rate cut yesterday.

[A]

The one rate to rule them all fell by 0.25%, which is what Wall street expected.

[B]

But the Fed indicated only one more cut will come next year in 2026. So this is being described as a hawkish cut.

[A]

Our central bank continues to balance, fighting inflation on the one side and lowering mortgage interest rates on.

[B]

And second, the founder and CEO of Hinge, the dating app, just quit Hinge to launch a competitor to Hinge.

[A]

It's a new AI dating app he launched with big seed money coming from Match, the company he sold Hinge to.

[B]

All right, so, Jack, I'm looking at the situation here, and it's like Hinge, Match and this new AI dating app are in some kind of a love triangle right now.

[A]

It's a situation, chef. And finally, the newest AI company is apparently Rivian.

[B]

Yeah, Rivian, the electric vehicle brand is building its very own AI assistant to.

[A]

Make up for slowing EV sales. Rivian is hosting autonomy and AI day today.

[B]

Actually, reminder, Rivian is in launch mode these days because they also released an electric Rivian bicycle just a couple months ago.

[A]

And you literally can't spell Rivian without AI.

[B]

Now, before we go, it is time for the best fact yet. This one. A voicemail sent in by Richard Blythe from lovely Tulsa, Oklahoma.

[A]

Push and play.

[B]

Here we go. Hey, guys. Ever wonder where Nick's famous cha Ching sound originated from? Well, it actually dates back to the 1800s, when an Ohio pub owner named James Ritty was having issues with his employees helping themselves to the company cash. So him and his brother John actually built the first machine that they called Rudy's Incorruptible Cashier. So this machine literally would record or register each cash transaction. So that that famous cha Ching sound has become our universal soundtrack of money. Officially hitting the book.

[A]

Tough to steal money from a cashier. When you open it, it says, oh.

[B]

By the way, Richard, your voice sounds like.

Yetis. You're looking fantastic today. And if you like today's show, share it with a buddy.

[A]

And make sure to subscribe because only 82% of you are according to Spotify.

[B]

It feels like you're calling people out right now, Jack.

[A]

Hey, if you're one of those 18%, you better push that subscribe button and.

[B]

Don'T say what about, just press subscribe. You'll be happy you did. And you'll get T boy every single day.

[A]

Nick and I will be back with you tomorrow.

[B]

Can't wait.

And before we go, a happy birthday to YETI David Lillard, turning 66 years old, up in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Congratulations, David.

[A]

Happy birthday to Andrew Roberson, turning 33 years old in Memphis, Tennessee. This man is slaying those Runescape demons.

[B]

And a shout out to Samir Kutta and Glenwood, Maryland, 26 years old and listening since 2020. Fantastic to have you with us, Samir.

[A]

And a big shout out to the Yeti Amanda Whittam, one of the all time great Yetis who actually met our Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell just outside Boston.

[B]

And a special shout out to Andrew and the whole Standard Metrics team in lovely San Francisco. They've got a fantastic office, incredible team. Just had lunch with them. And if you're a CFO out there, you gotta call the guys at Standard Metrics.

[A]

This is Jack. I own stock of Instacart and Reddit. And Nick and I both own stock of Apple and Spotify. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[B]

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

[A]

Little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we want to get to know you.