Your fridge may be spying on you, your morning coffee’s getting costlier and cellphone bans may not help your kids focus at school – but at least summer’s around the corner. Sid here with news we covered this week.
Monday
To start the week, Olivier highlighted how Americans’ smart devices might be spying on them, and discussed a recent bipartisan bill to address it.
The proposed “Spy Fridge” bill, or the Informing Consumers About Smart Devices Act, would require the makers of smart devices to warn consumers if their product has a camera or microphone. “When Americans buy a new refrigerator, they shouldn’t have to worry about their refrigerator” recording conversations or taping video, said Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and lead sponsor of the bill.
Tuesday
A growing number of schools have restricted students’ use of cellphones in hopes of better engagement and higher test scores, but Olivier found a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research that casts doubt on those policies’ efficacy.
On the plus side, researchers saw a 30% reduction in GPS “pings” from phones at school locations and a significant drop in classroom phone use in institutions that implemented phone bans. But students’ test scores and attendance remained largely the same, and there were “no measurable improvements” in cyberbullying and disruptive behavior.
Wednesday
Midweek, Olivier discussed grocery costs and how they impact Americans’ views of the economy.
In a recent study from CouponFollow, ground coffee prices had spiked the most among a basket of common grocery goods, with java prices up 55% since February 2024, and 123% since February 2020. Foods like lettuce, beef and frozen orange juice concentrate are also more expensive since 2024.
Pair that with soaring gas prices and you get a lot of angry voters – and a clear understanding of why 61% of Americans say the economy is getting worse.
There was some good news, though. Some foods are cheaper than they were in 2024, like eggs, which are down 17% since the study began. Yet even eggs are 73% more expensive today than they were in 2020.
Thursday
Yesterday, Olivier delivered a roundup of other news from the states:
- After Hampshire College announced its imminent closure, officials in Amherst, Massachusetts, are bracing for the expected impact: a loss of 269 jobs and significant drops in town revenue streams like water and sewer fees.
- A bipartisan group of 41 state attorneys general is asking the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to certify that state governments have authority over prediction market apps, like Polymarket and Kalshi. The AGs argue the prediction markets “have effectively become unregulated sportsbooks.”
- In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis signed a new law explicitly preventing 3D printer users from creating gun parts, adding to the state’s existing 2023 law that allows only accredited gunsmiths to build guns. The new law is expected to face challenges in court.
- Vermont lawmakers are advancing a bill that would block large, third-party ticket resellers from hiking resale costs more than 10% above the original price – with carveouts for individual resellers and those working with venues.
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