June 18 - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares fell nearly 4% on Tuesday after reports surfaced of a temporary production halt at its Austin, Texas facility, dampening investor sentiment ahead of the company's highly anticipated Robotaxi launch. The stock has declined about 22% so far this year.

According to Business Insider, Tesla plans to suspend manufacturing of its Cybertruck and Model Y models for a week starting June 30. The company reportedly told employees the downtime would allow for maintenance and upgrades on the production lines. No details were provided on which areas may see output improvements.

Avatars generated by artificial intelligence are now able to sell more than real people can, according to a collaboration between Chinese tech company Baidu and a popular livestreamer.

Luo Yonghao, one of China’s earliest and most popular livestreamers, and his co-host Xiao Mu both used digital versions of themselves to interact with viewers in real time for well over six hours on Sunday on Baidu’s e-commerce livestreaming platform “Youxuan”, the Chinese tech company said. The session raked in 55 million yuan ($7.65 million).

In comparison, Luo’s first livestream attempt on Youxuan last month, which lasted just over four hours, saw fewer orders for consumer electronics, food and other key products, Baidu said.

Crosspost

On June 10th, 2025, four members of the NVSTly team traveled to New York City to attend the 2025 American Business Awards® ceremony, held at the iconic Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It was an unforgettable night as we accepted the Gold Stevie® Award for Tech Startup of the Year—this time, in person.

Meow (left), rich (center), MartyOooit (right)

Representing NVSTly at the event were:

• Rich, CEO & Founder
• Meow, CTO, Lead Developer, & Co-Founder
• MartyOooit, Investor
• Noob, Market Analyst (not shown in photos)

MartyOooit (left), rich (center), Meow (right)

While we shared the exciting news back in April when the winners were announced, being there in person alongside other winners—including eBay, AT&T, T-Mobile, HP Inc., and Fidelity Investments—made the achievement feel even more surreal. To be honored alongside billion-dollar industry leaders was a proud and humbling moment for our startup and a huge milestone in NVSTly’s journey.

🎤 Team Interview at the Event

During the event, our team was interviewed about the win. When asked:

“What does winning a Stevie Award mean for your organization?”
“How will winning a Stevie Award help your organization?”

Here’s what we had to say:
📺 Watch the video

A Big Win for Retail Traders

NVSTly was awarded Gold for Tech Startup of the Year in recognition of our work building a powerful, free social investing platform that empowers retail traders with transparency, analytics, and community-driven tools.

Unlike traditional finance platforms, NVSTly gives users the ability to:

• Share and track trades in real time
• Follow and receive alerts from top traders
• Compete on global leaderboards
• Access deep stats like win rate, average return, and more

Whether you're a beginner or experienced trader, NVSTly gives you the insights and tools typically reserved for hedge funds—but in a free, social format built for the modern investor.

Continued Recognition and Momentum

This award adds to a growing list of recognition for NVSTly:

• 🏆 People’s Choice Winner at the 2024 Benzinga Fintech Awards
• 🔁 Nominated again for Best Social Investing Product in the 2025 Benzinga Fintech Awards
• 🌟 Team members JustCoreGames and Lunaster are nominated for Employee of the Year (Information Technology – Social Media) in the 2025 Stevie® Awards for Technology Excellence

We’re beyond proud of what our small but mighty team has accomplished—and we’re just getting started. 🚀

Thanks to the Stevie Awards for an incredible night in New York, and to our community of 50,000+ traders who’ve helped shape NVSTly into what it is today.
This win is yours, too.

Stay tuned—more big things are coming.

— Team NVSTly

The event brought together some of the most respected names in tech, finance, and business.

One of the grocery giant's labor unions has authorized a strike, which follows a similar vote by Teamsters.

Walmart heiress Christy Walton is facing backlash, and Walmart is facing some calls for a boycott from Trump supporters after placing a full-page ad in The New York Times urging Americans to attend town halls and engage in civic discourse.

While the "No Kings Day" ad did not mention President Donald Trump by name, its emphasis on values like honoring commitments to allies, defending against dictators, and respecting trading partners was widely interpreted as a critique of Trump's foreign policy and "America First" agenda.

Swedish buy-now-pay-later company Klarna, whose CEO once bragged about its automated customer service AI bots doing the work of "700 full-time agents," is now in deep trouble. The fintech outfit is facing net losses of $99 million for the first quarter of this year, CNBC reports, which is more than double compared to the same period last year.

The company had already paused its highly anticipated IPO in the US last month, which once valued it at over $15 billion. And it's all particularly noteworthy because of how CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski previously bragged that he hadn't hired anyone in a year, following a doubling down on AI tech.

On April 29, after Amazon reportedly considered displaying an additional tariff charge next to the listed price on its Haul platform, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press briefing held up a photo of Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos and called the move a “hostile and political act.” Trump, whom a senior official described as “pissed,” called Bezos to complain, saying the company’s founder “solved the problem very quickly.”

Amazon said that although it was considering displaying the tariff cost, the plan was ultimately not approved and “not going to happen.”

Starbucks put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.

Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity for customers as it tries to establish a warmer, more welcoming feeling in its stores.

#A New Era in Customer Engagement

Retail is undergoing a fundamental shift, fueled by technologies that combine digital and physical purchasing experiences. Among these improvements, holograms for retail are emerging as game changers. Holograms, which project 3D graphics into the actual world, enable brands engage customers, customize interactions, and stand out in a competitive marketplace.

#Enhancing the In-Store Experience.

In an age where online shopping is convenient and quick, physical retailers must provide more than just products; they must also provide memorable experiences. Holographic displays bring items to life in a dynamic and engaging manner. Imagine stepping into a store and seeing a virtual model display apparel in a variety of colors and styles, or a holographic chef demonstrating a kitchen item in real time. These immersive displays connect with clients on a deeper level, promoting exploration and enhancing conversion rates.

#Personalized and Dynamic Product Presentations

Holograms enable shops to display vast or complex merchandise without requiring real space. For example, automotive dealerships can project full-scale vehicles in showrooms, allowing buyers to examine features and color options with a single swipe. Cosmetics companies can provide virtual try-ons, allowing customers to view how different beauty items look on them using holographic overlays. This type of interactive storytelling fosters emotional ties, which increase brand loyalty.

#Cost-effective and scalable innovation.

Despite its future nature, holographic technology is becoming more inexpensive and scalable for merchants of all sizes. Companies like IAORA Technologies are leading the charge to make this technology more accessible to a wider audience. Their cutting-edge technologies enable businesses to implement holograms without large infrastructure upgrades, resulting in a seamless integration of technology and retail environments.

#Beyond the Store: Events, Pop-Ups, and More!

The advantages of holograms in retail extend beyond permanent store sites. Pop-up stores, trade exhibitions, and product debuts can all benefit from holographic displays to attract customers and create a memorable impression. They offer a unique opportunity for brands to tell their story, showcase innovation, and differentiate themselves from competitors.

#The Future of Retail is Holographic.

As consumer expectations rise, merchants must innovate to stay competitive. Holographic technology offers a fresh, impactful way to connect with customers, showcase products, and enhance the shopping journey. With growing adoption and technological advancements, the hologram for retail is not just a novelty — it's the future of retail engagement.

The price surge has shifted shoppers’ expectations, and many have begun to make peace with much higher costs, however grudgingly. The average price consumers say they’d pay for a dozen eggs is $5.56, the market research firm Numerator reported last month, up sharply from $4.90 in January.

“This increased willingness to pay over the past few months indicates consumers are growing accustomed to higher egg prices, either consciously or subconsciously,” the researchers said.

And it isn’t just eggs: Many shoppers are bracing to pay more for groceries overall as they shift focus toward covering essentials.

As such, Ziploc bags are alleged to be "fundamentally unfit for microwave and freezer use" despite their labeling, which has been "leading consumers to believe they are fit to be microwaved and frozen without risk of microplastics leaching into their food." Consumers may have "unwittingly exposed themselves and their families to undisclosed microplastics during routine kitchen practices," per the filing.

As the Ziploc lawsuit asserts, even consumers doing their best to avoid exposure to microplastics can be lulled into a "false sense of security" by purportedly misleading labels.

Several port authorities have observed a similar drop in cargo volumes over the past few weeks, warning that such a decline could have significant and adverse effects on consumers—who may face rising prices and limited product availability—as well as the supply chain-linked sectors of the U.S. economy.