Homebuilder sentiment slumps: U.S. homebuilder sentiment fell in June 2026, dropping further below neutral as conditions weakened. The decline was driven by soft buyer demand, high mortgage rates and rising construction costs. The South saw the biggest drop, weighing heavily on the national reading. Bloomberg has the full story. AI sends better buyers: U.S. shoppers referred by AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini spend more time on retail websites and are more likely to make purchases. According to Adobe Analytics data, these AI-driven visits generate significantly higher revenue per visit, about 53% more than non-AI sources. The trend suggests AI recommendations are producing higher-intent shoppers and boosting overall online sales. Reuters has the full story. No social media until age 16: The UK has announced a ban on social media for users under 16, affecting platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X, and YouTube. Tech companies such as Meta, Google and YouTube criticized the move, arguing it could be ineffective and push teens toward less regulated services while also raising concerns about enforcement through age verification. Messaging apps like WhatsApp are exempt, but platforms would bear most of the burden for compliance and enforcement. CNBC has the full story. College sports showdown As Congress races to rein in college sports spending and the transfer portal, who's got the better solution? The House version (Scalise) The Senate version (Cruz-Cantwell) Neither Congress shouldn’t be involved at all. Δ ...read more read less