Insider Today: Leaked AWS recording
- This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.
Welcome back to our Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories. Doing some back-to-school shopping? Hopefully you have at least $1,000 budgeted. That's the total cost of nine hot items Gen Z TikTokers say are must-haves.
On the agenda today:
- The era of casual house hunting is coming to an end.
- In a leaked recording, Amazon's AWS boss said AI could take over coding.
- It's not just you: Work apps have turned into a total nightmare.
- Saudi Arabia is on a high-stakes mission to buy the world.
But first: Some good news from out west.
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This week's dispatch
Cuts are coming
"The time has come for policy to adjust."
With those eight words Fed Chair Jerome Powell basically guaranteed September's interest-rate cut, promising to give the market and economy the relief they've long been begging for.
September's rate cut felt like a sure thing before Powell even took the stage Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. But considering how volatile market moves and economic data have been over the past 12 months, nothing has felt certain these days.
Powell also avoided directly answering market watchers' other question: How big will the rate cut be? The odds-on favorite has been a traditional quarter-point cut. But, data showing a labor market beginning to break has led some to believe a cut of 50 basis points could be in the cards.
Still, there's a belief among some that rate cuts won't be a silver bullet.
A BCA Research strategist said the signs continue to point toward the economy turning in a way that cuts can't fix, which could risk the type of growth scare that roiled markets earlier this month.
And Neil Dutta, who last year pushed back on Wall Street's broader prediction of an impending recession, has changed his tune. Now he sees the labor market trending downward in a way that isn't easily reversible.
That makes the next jobs report, scheduled to be released on September 6, all the more important.
Goodbye, casual house hunting
Thanks to a rule that went into effect last weekend, prospective home buyers now must sign a buyer-representation agreement outlining the terms of their Realtors' service and how much they expect to be paid.
The new rule, which is part of a sweeping legal settlement, promises to fundamentally rewire the housing market. The good news? It could help you save thousands.
Also read:
AI could take over coding
Software engineers might have to start developing other skills as artificial intelligence automates coding. At least that's according to Amazon Web Services' CEO, Matt Garman, who made the comment in a leaked recording obtained by BI.
Garman's comments were meant as a word of advice rather than a flat-out warning. But he's not the first high-profile exec to make this type of prediction. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has previously said that "everyone is a programmer now" due to new AI coding assistants.
More on Garman's advice to his employees.
Also read:
HR tech is awful
Have you ever gone to enter a PTO request in your workplace's management system, only to be totally hindered by the confusing system interface? Has it left you feeling frustrated, like you've never used a computer before?
You're not alone. Workplace apps have gotten miserable, creating an enormous time suck and a lot of headaches. Automation's shortfalls and the app designers' priorities may be to blame.
Behind the bloat of terrible tech.
Saudi Arabia wants to buy the world
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is going global, investing in everything from Uber to LIV Golf. It's part of the country's effort to reduce its economic dependence on oil and fulfill its Vision 2030 program.
While the Saudis continue to flash their cash abroad, the PIF faces several risks, such as high-profile investments overseas struggling financially. It's still too early to predict how successful its global investments will be.
Inside Saudi Arabia's global investments.
This week's quote:
"I'm trying pretty hard to abide by the rules."
— James Robart, a federal judge who disclosed that he bought and sold Boeing stock while hearing a case against Boeing.
More of this week's top reads:
- Leaked Microsoft data shows how much software engineers earn in units like Azure and AI.
- A senior energy trader is out at Balyasny's growing commodities operation.
- How Trump vs. Harris is playing out on Wall Street.
- A former Google employee says its problem is bureaucracy — not hybrid work.
- How A16z's Jennifer Li parlayed her experience into AI investing.
- Never seek or accept a counteroffer at work. The result could be ugly.
- Leaked org chart: Who's who in Google's new Pixel and Android super-unit.
- There's an upside to endless rounds of job interviews.
Bad news, employees: Noncompetes aren't going anywhere.
The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.