Hey Dippers,
Here's what's making headlines today: regulators are suing Amazon over its ad prices, CBS News is taking heat over a story on a Senate candidate, and more.
Today’s estimated reading time is 3 minutes and 11 seconds.
- The Daily Dip Editor
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**On this day in 1969, a New York bank debuted America's first version of which machine? **(answer revealed below!)
(hint: 4 digits)
In today’s issue:
Amazon accusedof rigging ad auctions. ⚖️CBS News story sparksbias backlash. 🏛️Markiplier revealedas GoPro’s biggest backer. 💼
Plus, take ** today’s poll** and check out the
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from 22 states sued Amazon, accusing it of a secret scheme to inflate ad prices for more than a million brands and sellers over seven years.
The 181-page complaint says Amazon promised a “second-price” auction, where winners pay just above the runner-up, but about 80% of the time charged advertisers their own higher bid. Regulators say the alleged markups pulled in tens of billions, and that much of the cost was passed to consumers.
**The defense:**Amazon called the suit misguided and said it misunderstands how advertisers work, noting its average cost-per-click stayed flat after inflation. Internal documents in the complaint show employees discussing higher prices while hoping advertisers wouldn’t notice. Amazon’s shares fell 2.5% on Aug. 31.
A CBS News story examining deleted posts by Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has prompted debate over the story’s framing and editorial decisions.
The posts, from 2020 and 2021, compared the COVID-19 death toll with 9/11 and expressed grief for victims of the attacks and the wars that followed. Some critics said the story’s emphasis on 9/11 could imply a connection between El-Sayed, a Muslim who was a teenager in 2001, and the attacks.
**The debate:**Outlet Status reported that CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss reportedly pushed to highlight the 9/11 reference in the headline, while some staff members questioned the editorial approach. Vice President JD Vance separately criticized El-Sayed over other past comments.
:📈
Today’s Poll:Headline HeatCBS’s coverage of Abdul El-Sayed has prompted discussion about how editorial framing, particularly in a headline, can influence how a story is understood.
How do you view CBS’s decision to resurface El-Sayed’s old 9/11 posts?
GoPro’s struggling stock jumped 46% during regular trading, and more than 128% including after-hours trading, after Bloomberg revealed YouTuber Markiplier as its largest shareholder, holding an 8.5% stake. He said he believed the camera maker was undervalued.
The reveal drew scrutiny because days earlier he posted a video praising GoPro’s new $700 “cinema camera” without disclosing his investment. He noted the video was labeled sponsored, and said lawyers told him no further disclosure was required.
The twist: Critics including tech reviewer Marques Brownlee questioned the undisclosed stake. Then GoPro announced a proposed merger agreement with Starman Optical. If completed, shareholders would receive $285 million, or $1.14 per share, while retaining about 10% of the combined company. Markiplier said he had no advance knowledge of the deal.
🌈 Science: In a double rainbow, the second arc's colors run in reverse order from the first. The sky's encore, backwards.
♨️ Appliances: The first commercially successful microwave was about six feet tall and weighed 750 pounds. “Let's make leftovers faster” apparently required a small refrigerator-sized machine.
🥱 Anatomy: Yawning may help cool down your brain. It's basically your internal fan turning on.
🤨 WTF: Beavers' front teeth never stop growing, so they constantly gnaw to keep them from getting too long. Their dental plan is aggressively DIY.
TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWER:
The ATM
On September 2, 1969, Chemical Bank switched on the first automated teller machine in the United States at a branch in Rockville Centre, New York. Designed by Donald Wetzel and dubbed the “Docuteller,” it dispensed a fixed amount of cash to customers using a specially coded card. One bank ad bragged that its doors would open and never close again.
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