Costco’s gold bar now worth 32% more

Today’s topics

• Gold Prices Break Records

• Banks Rage as Stablecoins Steal the Yield Show

• Anthropic: The Rich Kid of AI

• U.S. Risks Losing the Moon Race to China

• Ovaries Defy the Aging Clock

• Penn Station Finally Gets a Makeover

  and more…

Gold Prices Break Records

Gold just hit a record $3,549 an ounce, marking a 42% jump in a year. Shoppers who snagged Costco gold bars in 2024 for $2,679 have seen a 32.5% gain. But profits don’t come free: dealers typically take 5–10%, and the IRS taxes gold as a “collectible,” with long-term gains facing rates as high as 28%. Add state taxes in places like California and New York, and the shine fades fast.

Amazon Cuts Off Prime Moochers

Amazon is shutting down its Prime Invitee Program—the workaround that let you share free shipping with friends outside your household. Starting October 1, the perk disappears, and your freeloading cousin will need to cough up $139 a year like the rest of us. Officially, Amazon says it’s “focusing on families,” meaning Prime sharing now only works under one roof. Translation: no more long-distance Prime hookups unless your buddy moves into your spare room. The timing isn’t random—internal docs show U.S. Prime sign-ups before this year’s Prime Day lagged behind last year, despite Amazon boasting “record-breaking” numbers globally. Killing the invitee loophole looks a lot like Amazon hunting for fresh subscriptions.

Banks Rage as Stablecoins Steal the Yield Show

The GENIUS Act was designed to shackle stablecoins with tight reserves, audits, and a ban on interest payouts. But exchanges found a loophole—“rewards.” Coinbase touts 4.1% on USDC, Kraken goes higher at 5.5%. Compared to that, banks look feeble, and they’re furious. The catch? Stablecoins aren’t FDIC-insured. If one crashes, there’s no safety net. Lawmakers call it digital cash, banks call it theft, and regulators see a trillion-dollar risk waiting to detonate.

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Anthropic: The Rich Kid of AI

AI startup Anthropic just scooped up $13 billion, rocketing its valuation to a staggering $183 billion—almost triple its previous worth. That makes it one of the most expensive darlings in tech. Backers like Iconiq Capital, Fidelity, Lightspeed, GIC, and Qatar’s sovereign fund all piled in, chasing a piece of Claude, Anthropic’s “safe and trustworthy” AI. The company’s revenue sprinted from $1B in January to $5B by August, with its coding assistant alone raking in half a billion. Investors call it “responsible AI.” Translation: panic money with an ethics label.

Alibaba Tries DIY Chips

Alibaba is testing a new AI chip as China races to cut its dependence on Nvidia. Unlike its last attempt, which leaned on Taiwan’s TSMC, this version is domestically built and designed to handle a broader range of AI tasks. Beijing has been pressuring tech giants like Alibaba and ByteDance to reduce reliance on Nvidia’s H20—the only U.S.-approved chip China can still import. After sales of that chip were throttled earlier this year, Chinese firms are scrambling for alternatives. Alibaba’s not hurting—its cloud revenue climbed 26% last quarter—but the bigger signal is clear: Washington holds the power, and China’s tech champions want homegrown silicon to break free.

AI Joins the Dark Side

Cybercriminals just got a new unpaid intern: generative AI. Tools like Anthropic’s Claude have been caught helping hackers craft ransomware, write ransom notes, and even spin up “ransomware-as-a-service” kits for about $400. Translation: hacking is now cheaper than a Peloton.

U.S. Risks Losing the Moon Race to China

During a Senate hearing on September 3, 2025, Senator Ted Cruz and fellow lawmakers sounded the alarm over delays in NASA’s Artemis program, which now aims to return humans to the Moon by 2027—behind China’s aggressive space timeline. Cruz warned of the strategic and economic stakes: “space is no longer reserved for peaceful exploration.” Additional concerns include proposed budget cuts—President Trump had suggested slashing NASA’s $24 billion annual budget by 24%—though Congress later approved an extra $10 billion for Artemis. Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine highlighted ongoing technical hurdles with lunar landings and in-orbit refueling. Lawmakers warned of a “Sputnik moment” unless the U.S. accelerates its lunar efforts. Read more

Houston Becomes Hub for Space Data Innovation

Houston is emerging as a powerhouse in space data technologies. Local companies like Cognitive Space and Little Place Labs are using AI to optimize satellite data collection and transmission—boosting applications like disaster response, finance, and national security. Axiom Space is pioneering orbital data centers to process information directly in space, reducing reliance on Earth-based infrastructure. Meanwhile, Intuitive Machines is building a lunar satellite network to enhance navigation and data relay for missions on the Moon and potentially Mars. These efforts position Houston at the forefront of the shift toward data-centric space operations, expected to generate billions in revenue—though radiation and in-space energy constraints remain challenges. Read more

Ovaries Defy the Aging Clock

A new study suggests human egg cells may avoid one of aging’s typical pitfalls. While mitochondria in most tissues accumulate DNA damage over time, those in ovarian cells appear to remain largely intact. Why this happens is still unknown, and researchers caution it’s too early to draw fertility-related conclusions. The bottom line: ovaries seem to resist aging more effectively than the rest of the body.

Texas's Methane Claims Fall Flat

Despite being hailed as a success story in methane control, new data shows that Texas's oil industry is performing poorly on emissions. Regulators there continue to approve nearly all permits, raising serious doubts about the state's environmental stewardship. Read more

Carbon Capture Plant Proposed for Data Centers

In response to the growing energy demands of data centers—largely driven by AI adoption—U.S. developers are exploring carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions tailored to tech campuses. This early-stage effort aims to curb emissions from what’s becoming a major source of industrial energy use.Read more

New York Giants Selling Minority Stake to Julia Koch

The New York Giants are set to sell a 10% minority stake to billionaire Julia Koch and her family, valuing the NFL franchise at over $10 billion—marking a record-setting valuation in U.S. sports. Read more

Penn Station Finally Gets a Makeover

After decades of delays, officials say Penn Station renovations will finally begin in 2027. Federal transportation secretary Sean P. Duffy and Amtrak’s Andy Byford confirmed the project will be a full overhaul, not just cosmetic fixes. Byford put it simply: “Enough talking.” Translation: expect years of construction ahead.

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