The Cynic: November 18

BUSINESS
This Week’s Business News

Trump Says ABC’s Licenses Should Go After Reporter’s Question

Only in America do heated press questions turn into FCC conversations. After an ABC reporter asked Trump about Epstein during an Oval Office event, he said ABC’s broadcast licenses should be “taken away” because their reporting is “so fake and so wrong.”

He even name-checked his own FCC chair like a supervisor on shift. Trump praised FCC Chair Brendan Carr and suggested he “should look at” the idea of pulling licenses from ABC affiliates.

The fun twist: the FCC hasn’t revoked a TV license in decades. Stations get eight-year renewals, and pulling one is so rare it’s practically museum-grade — but Trump has floated the idea multiple times over the years.

Amazon’s Zoox Robotaxi Launches in San Francisco

San Francisco is officially letting a driverless ottoman give people rides. Amazon’s Zoox launched free robotaxi trips in the city, opening a waitlist for riders to test the service and give feedback.

And the timing couldn’t be more competitive. Waymo just expanded its own robotaxi service across multiple major cities, creating what’s basically a self-driving car turf war.

Zoox, meanwhile, is trying to win with vibes. Its steering-wheel-less, seat-facing-seat shuttle looks like a high-tech cube and drives in both directions — perfect for Silicon Valley types who want a car that matches their smart toaster.

Meta Beats FTC in Instagram–WhatsApp Antitrust Case

Meta just kept Instagram and WhatsApp like they were collectible action figures. A federal judge ruled Meta does not hold an illegal monopoly and rejected the FTC’s attempt to unwind the two acquisitions.

The court basically said ‘competition exists — have you looked at TikTok?’ The judge noted the market includes many platforms, not just Meta’s, weakening the monopoly argument.

It’s a major win for Big Tech in the current antitrust wave. For now, Meta’s social-media empire stays fully intact while the FTC heads back to the drawing board.

Find your customers on Roku this Black Friday

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Once you’ve done this, then you can easily set up A/B tests to flight different creative variants and Black Friday offers. If you’re a Shopify brand, you can even run shoppable ads directly on-screen so viewers can purchase with just a click of their Roku remote.

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REAL ESTATE
This Week’s Real Estate News

BXP CEO Says Office Market Has Bottomed — But Some Buildings Need Demolition

Only in commercial real estate can “we’ve bottomed” come with demolition plans. Boston Properties’ CEO says the office sector has likely hit its low point, but there’s still too much outdated space dragging the market down.

Top-tier offices are doing okay — everything else is on thin ice. Prime properties are stabilizing, but older, lower-quality buildings may need to be repurposed or outright bulldozed.

Translation: expect fewer offices, more rubble. The path to recovery apparently involves both leasing plans and wrecking balls.

Fed Governor Waller Eyes December Rate Cut

When a Fed governor casually mentions a cut, mortgage brokers start sweating with joy. Christopher Waller says he’s leaning toward supporting a December interest-rate cut.

He argues inflation is close to target once you strip out tariff effects. That gives him room to vote for easing — just not a rapid-fire series of cuts.

Markets love it, colleagues are mixed. Some Fed officials want more patience, but Waller’s comments already moved expectations and nudged rates lower.

Fed, Rate Cuts, and the Shutdown: Housing Waits for Clarity

Nothing confuses the housing market like a Fed meeting sprinkled with shutdown chaos. Realtor.com notes officials are split on a December cut now that the government shutdown is over and agencies are back online.

The shutdown muddied the data picture. Delayed reports and disrupted operations made it harder for policymakers to get a clean read on inflation and the economy.

Buyers are stuck refreshing headlines like they’re checking mortgage Tinder. A cut could wake up demand; a pause could keep rates flat. For now, everyone waits for the Fed to blink.

FUN
Riddle Me This

I never buy a house, yet I sell them all the time.
When I’m low, lines form; when I’m high, “maybe next time.”
I price tomorrow with numbers you pay today.
What am I?

Reply to this email with the answer for a chance to win a surprise

ADVICE
This Week’s Business Advice

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