Billions Or Bubble?

PRESENTED BY PLAYERS TV

Happy Monday, Future Party. Spotify is rolling out a new “Lossless” mode that apparently increases the audio quality of all their streamed files. Those using wired headphones seem to note a significant boost in sound quality, while the change is largely lost on Bluetooth users. Can you hear the difference?

The total wealth of US households has spiked recently due to the knockout performance of illiquid investments.

The Bag: Despite economic uncertainty, inflation, and a weak labor market, the US stock and housing markets have added nearly $50 trillion to the net worth of US households since the pandemic. That’s great news for Americans in the short term, but it could also forecast a serious economic bubble.

Between The Lines: The net worth of US households has spiked to $176.3 trillion in Q2 of 2025, per Bloomberg.

Conclusion: Though impressive, these gains are not the kind that most Americans will be able to access. They’re either illiquid — tied up in property or mutual funds — or concentrated in massive corporate entities like banks, hedge funds, and large landowners. If anyone sees short-term profits from this, it’s likely to be asset managers.

Prediction: This stellar performance may not last. While by no means certain, there are good reasons to believe that AI hype and relentless optimism may be taking the US economy to the verge of a bubble.

Don’t expect the line to go up forever.

Introducing PlayersTV — the first media network built by athletes, with fans invited to own it too.

For decades, big media companies have controlled the sports conversation. PlayersTV flips the playbook, giving athletes and their fans direct ownership in the future of sports entertainment.

This is your chance to go beyond just watching. By investing, you can become a shareholder in a fast-growing network already streaming on Amazon, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV — reaching households nationwide with the potential to scale to 300+ million homes.

Momentum is building: over 2,200 fans have already invested, and major press outlets are calling PlayersTV the future of athlete-driven media.

Act now to claim the early-bird bonus — invest before 9/16 and receive 15% extra shares.

Don’t sit on the sidelines. Own your stake in the game-changing sports media company of tomorrow.

^{_{This is a paid advertisement for PlayersTV Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.playerstv.com/}}

Some brands are countering the rise of AI slop by marketing authenticity instead.

The Big Picture: As low-quality content generated entirely by AI proliferates online, audiences are quickly getting sick of it. That poses an opportunity for creators and advertisers, who can distinguish their brands by avoiding or even mocking the use of the tech. If slop continues to flood the internet, opposing it might become a winning issue.

Between The Lines: AI content is growing more popular with businesses and less popular with consumers, driving some brands to subvert the tech.

Conclusion: Though online platforms have acknowledged the problem — many of YouTube’s fastest-growing channels are entirely slop-based — they don’t seem prepared to remove or even reliably identify the content, making a total ban on such content unlikely.

Prediction: Look out for more branded content that either conspicuously lacks AI or antagonizes it.

With Liberty University's online programs,
you can complete your weekly assignments from wherever you have internet – giving you online convenience with on-campus benefits.

Our programs are backed by a brick-and-mortar campus ranked among Niche.com’s Top 5 College Campuses in America for 2025.

Liberty University has been an innovator in distance education for forty years.
At Liberty, professors and fellow students encourage your studies — and your faith — with respected programs developed from a biblical worldview.

Liberty is accredited by multiple professional institutions, so you get quality learning in an environment that values your beliefs.

See how a degree from Liberty can help you shape a better world.
Empower your education and apply today!

Apply Today.

90.9% of you voted Yes in Friday’s poll: Do you currently own any CDs?

“Have a couple thousand.”

“I drive a 2004 VW with a CD and tape deck (and no Bluetooth). I’ve re-accumulated a huge collection of CDs and cassettes to listen to while driving.”

“And DVDs and VHS. You need to own physical media of the stuff you love, so the streaming services don’t control your art and entertainment.”

“Sold them all during the pandemic to resale shops. Everything is digital now, and they were just collecting dust.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

😥 20-something AI startup founders seek success by abstaining from alcohol, sleep, and joy.

⚖️ California is about to pass a bill that holds tech companies legally accountable for chatbots’ effects on minors.

💰 OpenAI has reached an agreement with Microsoft that enables it to pursue its for-profit venture.

📺 Brands are launching their own TV shows to appeal to those fed up with ads.

☠️ “TV movies” are nearly extinct — but might be ripe for a comeback.

🔍 TikTok’s microdramas are bite-sized shows hoping to revolutionize entertainment.

⏰ Giorgio Armani’s will asks that his heirs either seek an IPO or sell the brand to LVMH within 18 months.

🫀 Banks and lenders are instituting biometric measures to enhance security.

😴 Luxury brands must revamp their strategy to lure disinterested Gen Z consumers.