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Top Headlines

Meta + Nuclear = AI

Meta Platforms will purchase power generation from an Illinois nuclear plant for 20 years under an agreement with Constellation Energy, marking the first such deal with an operating US nuclear facility. The arrangement will help cover billions in costs for relicensing, upgrades, and maintenance at the Clinton Clean Energy Center, near Chicago.

The tech giant's move reflects the industry's push toward nuclear power to meet massive electricity demands from AI development. Meta plans to enable brands to fully create and target their own advertising using AI by the end of next year, which could put many agencies out of work.

Under the deal, Meta will buy the clean energy attributes to offset less-green electricity use elsewhere, though it won't build an on-site data center. The arrangement parallels Microsoft's agreement with Constellation for the Three Mile Island reactor restart.

Walmart Prices Surge

Walmart employees are sharing photos of significant price increases across stores, with some products rising as much as 45% following the company's announcement that tariffs would force higher consumer prices. The documentation is appearing on social media and a dedicated subreddit tracking the retail giant's pricing changes.

CEO Doug McMillon announced in May that the company would be unable to absorb tariff-related cost pressures. The decision followed President Trump's implementation of universal 10% tariffs on imports. Employee-shared examples (like this one) include a Jurassic World T. rex toy jumping from $39.92 to $55 between April and May.

The increases particularly impact toys and sporting goods, sectors heavily reliant on Chinese imports. While two-thirds of Walmart's products are sourced domestically, imported goods remain vulnerable to tariff pressures. Company officials acknowledge that trade uncertainty is complicating future planning efforts. Walmart historically keeps low prices.

AR-15 Ban Review

The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Maryland's AR-15 ban on Monday, but conservative justices are signaling they will soon address the constitutionality of such restrictions. Only three justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch — voted to take up the case, falling one vote short of the four required.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh provided a crucial signal in a written statement that he will likely provide the fourth vote in a future case. Kavanaugh called Maryland's law "questionable" but said he wanted to wait for more appeals court decisions on similar state bans to inform the Court's ultimate ruling (why AR-15s are always on debate).

Maryland is among nine states that have banned possession of AR-15s, the most popular civilian rifle in America, following mass shootings like Sandy Hook. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Maryland's ban by ruling AR-15s are not constitutionally protected under the Second Amendment.

Earn Better

Proven Negotiation Tactics

Why do most people accept the first price they're given? Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary exposes "The Everything-Is-Negotiable Principle" — the psychological truth that companies expect pushback on pricing, and those who don't negotiate are essentially volunteering to overpay.

O'Leary treats negotiation as pure sport. "Negotiating prices is a sport for me," he explains. When bills increase, he bypasses sales reps entirely, demanding to speak with retention officers — the people who actually make pricing decisions. His formula is surgical: acknowledge the service increase, threaten to shop his business elsewhere, then leverage his loyalty. Here’s how to negotiate your bills.

This applies beyond utilities. O'Leary negotiates salaries by researching market rates, then asking for 20% above that figure. The key isn't being reasonable — it's making the other party justify their position while you remain unmovable. He views every price increase as an "age-old game" that keeps his negotiation skills sharp. When you approach pricing with O'Leary's assumption that everything has flexibility, you stop accepting arbitrary numbers and start controlling the financial terms of your life.

Succeed Better

What happens when success nearly kills you? Media mogul Arianna Huffington reveals the brutal truth behind building The Huffington Post into a billion-dollar empire — and why she was found lying in a pool of her own blood at the height of her success. Her raw honesty about starting later in life, the cost of relentless ambition, and why business achievement means nothing without health. Full episode here.

Market Pulse

> Disney Cuts Hundreds of Jobs across film, TV marketing and corporate operations amid rapid industry transformation (More). | Their critics celebrate (More).

> Neuralink Rival Completes First Human Implant as Paradromics successfully tests brain-computer interface during epilepsy surgery, preparing for clinical trials (More).

> Dolly Parton Launches Frozen Meals with four Southern comfort dishes at $4.49 each, editors crown Chicken & Dumplings the standout winner (More).

> Law Firms Face Client Backlash after cutting deals with White House to avoid Trump executive orders while others fought in court (More).

> AI Coding Startups Hit $10B Valuations as companies use code-generation tools to replace expensive human software engineers amid broader AI struggles (More).

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