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If you combine the NYSE and TBPN, do you get a BFD? Apparently. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is announcing that it has inked a partnership with the live video podcast TBPN, becoming the shows exclusive exchange partner. The deal marks another feather in the cap for TBPN, which has become one of the most-talked-about financial and tech-focused media startups in only 11 months, and also marks a further cross-generational shift into new media by the NYSE, which itself is 233 years old. TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network) will continue to record and broadcast from its home base in Los Angeles. The show will now have access to the NYSEsimilar to other financial networks that have permanent or semipermanent perches on the exchange floor, like CNBC, FintechTV, and others. While TBPN isnt necessarily a news or journalistic show, it has become a platform thats become must-see TV (or streaming) for those in and around the tech industry. Its hosts, Jordi Hays and John Coogan, are entrepreneurs in their own right, with Hays having founded crowdfunding VC startup Party Round (among other projects). Coogan is a cofounder of Soylent. Their entrepreneurial chops have helped attract an audience and high-profile guests. The shows also feature numerous interviews in each episode, including from high-profile Silicon Valley executives and leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman, and others, such as entertainment stalwarts James Cameron and Casey Neistat. The partnership kicks off in earnest in late December, but the initial interest in a long-term courtship between the two materialized when Hays and Coogan, broadcast live from the NYSEs Wall Street headquarters for design startup Figmas IPO at the end of July. Hays and Coogan also had Lynn Martin, NYSEs President, join the podcast that day, laying the ground for what was to come. Hands down, that was probably the most memorable show this year, Hays tells Fast Company. Im not sure how they discovered the show, he says, but they were incredible hosts, allowing us to come in and set up for what was certainly the most notable IPO of the yearto be there, in the exchange, for that was incredible. So, we kept talking, came back for the Klarna IPO, and it made a lot of sense for the NYSE to be our home base as a company when were in New York. Martin agrees and says the exchange is likewise excited about what TBPN, and what Hays and Coogan, are building. [Photo: NYSE] Over the past year, TBPN has covered some of the biggest tech IPOs of 2025 from the NYSE, including Figma and Klarna, Martin said. As TBPNs exclusive exchange partner, we are thrilled to formalize our relationship and to provide the backdrop for their coverage of the next wave of tech-driven innovation. NYSE remains the worlds leading marketplace for tech-driven innovation, and this partnership underscores our commitment to providing the premier platform for companies that shape our future. Well level each other up The partnership itself gives Hays, Coogan, and the rest of TBPNs team, including President Dylan Abruscato, direct access to the NYSE space in all of its grandeur, the numerous events (including future IPOs), executives, analysts, and personalities who filter in and out, in addition to the exchanges growing stable of media resources. Abruscato, who only joined TBPN in September, says that access to the NYSE can also add a sports-like element to the show. The Figma IPO show, Abruscato says, was one of his favorites as a viewerit had a certain feel to it, kind of like Draft Day, or the Combine, he notes, referencing the two biggest off-season events held annually by the NFL. He hopes that TBPN can capture a similar energy when the show is broadcasting in New York. Im really excited about having a place in New York City at the forefront of finance where we can do the show, he says. Were also really excited about leveraging our placement on behalf of our show and guests. He also says that the partnership will help both the NYSE and TBPN. Well level each other up. We are the next generation of content and programming, not just for tech, but for business news. The NYSE is going to bring us into the fold, he continues, and take what has initially been a very West Coast-based show, with a diehard Silicon Valley audience, and spread the word around NYC, which has traditionally been very finance-focused, he says. But well keep focusing on our bread and butter: Business news, through a tech-lens. While the NYSE is, at its core, an exchange, theres another element to it that many people may not realize: The NYSE actively works to build up the companies listed on the exchange through various means. That, in a nutshell, is the driving force behind partnering with TBPN. The NYSEs growing media muscle Earlier this year, the NYSE launched the NYSE Partnership Network to facilitate media and content operations. That includes helping amplify the companies listed on the exchangearound 2,500 of themon or around milestones, events, and announcements. The Network works with traditional and new media partners, along with agencies and content creators or startups, such as TBPN, to provide strategic media support. The exchange is also evaluating new partnerships with publishers and content creators to help its listed companies tell stories and generate press. The NYSE is best known for capital markets and innovation, but its also a storytelling powerhouse, said Joe Benarroch, the head of Content, Media Partnerships and Distribution, at the NYSE. “We’ve anchored our partnerships strategy, so public and private companies have ample opportunity to tell their stories. We are glad to be the official exchange partner of TBPN, which is transforming the creator economy and unlocking a new era of narrative power. With that in mind, Hays makes it clear that he and his cohost are not planning on becoming corporate cheerleaders. You would assume that were sitting here all the time saying, tech and business can do no wrong! Yay Capitalism! he says. Though both he and Coogan have their roots in the tech industry, they do have enough separation to be able to speak candidly about itsomething that other podcasts or media offerings may not be able to do. We both have young children. Were not itching to get them iPads or on social media. Were not oblivious about the tech industrywe believe that were trying to have hones conversations about a lot of this at a time when broader society has a lot of concerns about what the industry is doing, he says. Were aware of that, and try to push the guests and content to have real conversations about the impact of the work being done in the industry. Being able to have fun, be honest, and speak truth to power, when warranted, makes TBPN a potentially powerful addition to the NYSEs media partner ranks. And it gives TBPN more established media firepower to pair with its small, independent media agility and authenticity. Hays says that he thinks, ultimately, itll be a boon for both his podcast and for the NYSE, opening each to new opportunities and audiences. Its a massive win-win for both of us.
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E-Commerce
Fifty-two-year-old Dinam Bigny sank into debt and had to get a roommate this year, in part because of health insurance premiums that cost him nearly $900 per month.Next year, those monthly fees will rise by $200 a significant enough increase that the program manager in Aldie, Virginia, has resigned himself to finding cheaper coverage.“I won’t be able to pay it, because I really drained out any savings that I have right now,” he said. “Emergency fund is still draining out that’s the scary part.”Bigny is among the many Americans dependent on Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance plans who are already struggling with the high cost of health care, according to a new survey from the health care research nonprofit KFF.Most of the more than 1,300 enrollees surveyed in early November say they anticipate that their health costs will be impacted next year if Congress doesn’t extend expiring COVID-era tax credits that help more than 90% of enrollees pay for health insurance premiums, per KFF. The possibility of an extension looks increasingly unlikely.The enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of this year have been at the center of recent tensions in Congress, with Democrats calling for a straight extension and several Republican lawmakers vehemently opposed to the idea. Their inability to agree on a path forward fueled a record 43-day government shutdown earlier this fall.President Donald Trump and some Republicans in Congress have circulated proposals in recent weeks to offer a short-term extension or reform the Affordable Care Act, but no plan has emerged as a clear winner. Meanwhile, the window for Americans to shop for next year’s plans is well underway with less than a month to go until the subsidies expire.KFF’s poll reveals that marketplace enrollees most of whom say they would be directly impacted by the subsidies expiring overwhelmingly support an extension. The survey found this group is more likely to blame Trump and Republicans in Congress than Democrats if the tax credits are left to expire. Enrollees already find it challenging to afford health expenses The expiration of the tax credits which a separate KFF analysis found will more than double monthly payments for the average subsidized enrollee comes as Americans are already overwhelmed by high health expenses, the poll shows.About 6 in 10 Affordable Care Act enrollees find it “somewhat” or “very” difficult to afford out-of-pocket costs for medical care, such as deductibles and copays. That exceeds the roughly half of enrollees who find it challenging to afford health insurance premiums. Most also say they could not afford a $300 per year increase in their health insurance costs without significantly disrupting their household finances.Cynthia Cox, a vice president of KFF who leads the organization’s ACA research, said the population of Americans on Affordable Care Act health insurance includes some high-earning entrepreneurs and small business owners, but the bulk of enrollees are lower-income and therefore vulnerable to even small increases in health costs.“These are often going to be people who are living paycheck to paycheck, who have volatile or unpredictable incomes as well,” she said. “Increases that many of them are facing are going to be some sort of financial hardship for them.” Most enrollees see cost increases on the horizon Slightly more than half of Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees believe their health insurance costs will increase “a lot more than usual” next year, according to the poll. About another 4 in 10 anticipate increases that will be “a little more than usual” or “about the same as usual.”Larry Griffin, a 56-year-old investment banker and financial adviser in Paso Robles, California, already pays $920 a month for his gold-level health plan through the state’s insurance marketplace. He says that price will go up to about $1,400 a month next year alongside jumps in copays and his annual out-of-pocket maximum.He’s concerned the increases will affect his ability to save money for his upcoming retirement, but with the recent amputation of his left leg below the knee, as well as other health issues, he said he can’t risk going off health insurance or downgrading his plan.Griffin is among the roughly three-quarters of marketplace enrollees who say health insurance is “very important” for their ability to access the health care they need.“I’m not going to say that I can’t manage it, I can, but it’s just another one of those things,” he said. “Here’s, you know, knock number 5,000 against me after all of the other things I’ve had to deal with.”Patricia Roberts, 52, a full-time caregiver for her daughter in Auburn, Alabama, expects her monthly health insurance premiums to rise from around $800 a month to $1,100 a month next year costs she can manage. But her friends across the border in Georgia are staring down doubling monthly fees next year.“I don’t know how people are going to live, with it already being a struggle just to pay for food and all the other things,” Roberts said. Support for an extension stretches across political parties The poll shows allowing the enhanced tax credits to expire would be overwhelmingly unpopular with current marketplace enrollees.Support for continuing the tax credits extends across party lines. Nearly all Democrats and about 8 in 10 independents who are enrolled in marketplace plans say the credits should be extended, as do about 7 in 10 Republicans. Support is similarly high among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who support the MAGA movement, and those who don’t.Yvette Laugier, 56, a Republican in Chicago, said while her income is too high to qualify her for the enhanced premium tax credits, she supports extending them temporarily with additional fraud protections to give lower-income enrollees more time to consider their options.Among those who think Congress should extend the credits, about 4 in 10 say Trump would deserve “most of the blame” if they were allowed to expire and roughly one-third say that about Republicans in Congress. Democrats in Congress are much less likely to receive blame: only 23% of enrollees say they would deserve the bulk of responsibility.Bigny, in Virginia, said the blame should be split between both Democrats and Republicans. But he has hope they can come to a compromise and potentially a temporary extension in the coming weeks.“They should just sit and really look for what’s best for American people overall,” he said. Swenson reported from New York. Ali Swenson, Linley Sanders and Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Since Pantone began naming its Color of the Year in 2000, weve seen two flavors of both brown and yellow, three variations of purple, blue, and turquoise, and four distinct takes on orange. But for the first time ever, Pantones color is essentially a non-color. Or you could call it every color. Pantones 2026 Color of the Year is a white. In Pantone language, thats code 11-4201aka Cloud Dancer. Pantonewhich operates somewhere between a trend forecaster and social psychologistargues that Cloud Dancer is part of a great cultural reboot. In the era of AI, everything feels like its changing on a daily basis, and the overstimulation of the internet is only increasing as we go. Cloud Dancer is a liminal space as we enter an unforeseeable new era. Savoring the physical world, its intentionally closer to the white of a piece of paper than an impossibly glowing, AI prompt box. [Photo: Pantone] Were trying to frame this [era] in a more positive way, looking at this as a transitional time, because it really is, says Laurie Pressman, VP at the Pantone Color Institute, who notes the color is a blank slate opening the door to creativity and innovation. The word “cloud” refers to not just Cloud Dancer’s color, but also its real world texture. Often presented in voluminous textiles, on the runway and in living rooms, its literally meant to nod to a puffy cloud in the sky. Its an almost synaesthetic sensation thats a counterpoint to the other cloud: dead, unseen data centers answering our intangible queries. [Image: Pantone] Take the psychology for what you will. Functionally, though, Cloud Dancer also serves a practical purpose within design aesthetics. Pressman points out that its timeless and genderless, and that it works blown out all on its own or with a wider array of colors beside it. On one hand, of course thats all true! Its white! On the other, Cloud Dancer is a very specific white: One that balances warm and cool tones in equal measure. (Note: in many real world examples that Pantone shared, Cloud Dancer appears less gray than it does on the swatch.) That means Cloud Dancer can fit with about any color palette you toss at it. Its not a white that will leave you squinting, guessing, and regretting. Its visual tofu, there to absorb the colors around it. [Photo: Joybird/courtesy Pantone] In an internet-driven cultural ticker where all tastes live side-by-side at once, and no single color is really in or out anymore for all that long, Cloud Dancer serves as a universal binder. Its the mortar for wider color expression, as effective on a blinding sneaker collab as a tranquil bedroom set. But is white even a color? Critics may complain that, of all colors, Pantone chose white. Its a non-color. Is that a cop out? You might also have noticed some thematic overlap with the quiet luxury movement. Peaking some time circa 2023, fashion brands embraced neutrals, like Cloud Dancer and Pantones previous color of the year, Mocha Mousse, equating simplicity with style. [Photo: Pantone] When I point this out, Pressman nods along, noting that its synergy with quiet luxury was a point of discussion on the team. The difference, she says, is not so much the use of such a white, but the intent underlying it. Quiet luxury masked affluence behind understated hues. (Or, perhaps you might say it performatively masked affluenceoffering a wink and nod to those in the know.) Instead, Pressman argues that Cloud Dancer is more about creating a tabula rasa in an era of uncertainty. Indeed, the white has been ontrend on runwaysbut not in some subdued apologetic way. From Jennifer Lawrences Dior at the Governors Ball, to Rosalía claiming white like a cleansing counterpoint to Charlie XCXs Brat green, its been used as a celebratory statement. A new collaboration between Moncler and Jil Sander makes a strong case for winter white, according to W. [Photo: 3M/courtesy Pantone] No doubt it helps that white has long been a shortcut, like black, to casually bolstered taste. We see that in how white button-downs and court shoes (along with every iteration of low white sneaker) has become a staple in wardrobes for years. Whiteand specifically puffy, textured bouclérefuses to leave high end living rooms. [Photo: Hasbro/courtesy Pantone] Likewise, Pantone is announcing new collabs with both Post-it and Play-Doh that feel like a cheat code to elevating taste. Each respective product will be offered in Cloud Dancer. Seeing these colorful, iconic products stripped of their hues is actually arresting. They get a sudden modernist makeover, feeling at-home next to a foam board architecture model. (Huh, maybe white is a color after all!) I think the white works in these creative contexts because its being presented as a blank construction material, offering an invitation to craft in an era of automation. The color name . . . speaks to this whole feeling of gazing into the clouds, says Pressman, and wondering what are the possibilities of what’s out there?
Category:
E-Commerce
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