June 24, 2026

The Appetizer

“I think many will go to see Bad Bunny. But there will also be a few there to see the pope.”

• Pope Leo XIV during his trip to Spain.

Now, on to the numbers. Drum roll, please …

• 18: The number of goals Lionel Messi has scored over six World Cups, breaking the record for most World Cup goals.
• 2.5 billion: The amount of gallons of water that Amazon said its data centers used in 2025.
• 41: The age of Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, making him the oldest driver to win an F1 race since 1970 after recently winning the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
• 2: The number of 0.25% rate hikes investors expect from the Federal Reserve between now and March.
• 16: The minimum age the UK will require for accessing major social media platforms, starting early next year.

Dig In
Connecting the Fed Dots

The Federal Reserve met last week and did what it has done all year: nothing.

Rates stayed in the 3.50%-3.75% range, marking a fourth straight hold and an outcome that markets had already priced in. The real story was not the decision. It was what the Fed said about the future.

This was the first meeting led by new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, and it included an updated “dot plot” – Fed-speak for a chart showing where each policymaker thinks interest rates should go next. Each official gets one dot, and together they give investors a rough map of the Fed’s thinking.

So why won’t the Fed budge? Inflation is sending mixed signals. Overall prices have picked up again, partly because energy costs have jumped amid overseas tensions. But when you strip out food and energy, which can swing sharply, the underlying trend looks calmer.

That leaves the Fed stuck. Cut too soon, and inflation could heat up again. Stay too high for too long, and the economy could slow.

At the start of the year, markets expected rate cuts in 2026. Now, investors are bracing for a possible hike.

The takeaway: “Higher for longer” is no longer a warning. It’s the default setting.

Weekly Specials

Peptides are having a moment. These experimental compounds are being hyped for everything from weight loss to workout recovery, and the buzz has helped fuel a fast-growing black market. Regulators are now weighing whether some should move into the mainstream. For now, peptides sit in a weird spot.

Fro-yo is back, and it’s not your 2012 mall staple. Upscale Manhattan shops like Mimi’s, Birdie’s, and Mythos are drawing lines with Italian pistachio sauce, cookie dough, and $30 tabs. U.S. servings jumped 26% this past year. Howard Schultz (yes, the Starbucks guy) is guiding Mimi’s founder: “It’s an affordable luxury. It’s just fun.“

Your future roommate has four legs and charges overnight. The Wall Street Journal reports home robots are arriving, and I believe they will be dangerously cute. The Familiar, built by a Roomba creator, is designed to emotionally bond with your family, learn your habits, and keep you company. More popular than your houseplants? I believe so.

Corporate Lunch

Alphabet’s driverless ride-hailing subsidiary, Waymo, is launching an invite-only premium membership for its “top riders.” How many five-star reviews does a robot need from me before I get an invite?

Alo hosted a VIP wellness voyage at the Monaco Grand Prix. I’m assuming my invitation got lost in the mail.

Palantir’s artificial intelligence-powered sepsis detection system helped save 886 lives by continuously monitoring patients and spotting subtle warning signs, cutting deaths in half at a Florida hospital.

Apple is planning camera-equipped AirPods that could help Siri identify objects, translate signs, and suggest recipes from your fridge. Finally, AI for people who open the fridge and hope dinner appears.

Amazon’s Prime Day will test nine new AI features to help shoppers find better deals – or buy more things they didn't know they wanted. I believe it will be the latter.

Yum Brands may sell Pizza Hut for $2.7 billion. They may have a chance to prove that “stuffed crust” was just the beginning.