The expansion brings charging stations to nearly 40 states

• More than 200 Pilot and Flying J travel centers now feature fast charging stations.

• The network includes roughly 850 public fast charging stalls across nearly 40 states.

• Partners aim to reach 2,000 stalls at 500 sites to enable coast-to-coast EV travel.

National charging network expands rapidly

A collaboration between Pilot Company, General Motors and EVgo has added significant momentum to the nations electric vehicle charging network, with more than 200 travel centers now offering fast charging. The expansion provides drivers with approximately 850 stalls spread across nearly 40 states, delivering critical infrastructure for long-distance EV travel.

The partners launched their initiative in 2022 and are already nearly halfway to their goal of building up to 2,000 fast charging stalls at 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers nationwide. By the end of 2025, the group projects it will reach 1,000 stalls across 40 states.

Filling gaps along key travel routes

The rapid buildout has prioritized interstate corridors that carry more than one-fifth of U.S. traffic, helping to address one of the largest obstacles to EV adoption: charging availability on long trips. The companies note that at the start of 2025, fewer than half of U.S. rural counties had even a single fast charging stall.

In the past year alone, the network has grown from serving just over 25 states to nearly 40, adding coverage in Colorado, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Texas, Missouri and Florida have also seen significant expansion.

Improving the driver experience

The charging stations are located at Pilot and Flying J travel centers, providing EV drivers access to free Wi-Fi, on-site dining, and other amenities while they charge. Many sites feature overhead canopies and pull-through stalls designed for vehicles towing trailers.

Each stall uses EVgos 350kW fast chargers, capable of delivering a rapid recharge, and most support Plug and Charge technology. This allows compatible EVs to automatically initiate and pay for a session simply by connecting the charger, eliminating the need for additional steps.

Charging access should never get in the way of an EV journey, said Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy. This collaboration ensures that drivers can confidently travel anywhere, anytime.

Looking ahead

The three-way partnership is part of a larger national push to ensure EV infrastructure keeps pace with surging consumer demand. By building a robust charging backbone across highways and in rural communities, Pilot, GM and EVgo aim to make coast-to-coast EV travel routine rather than exceptional.

Drivers can find available charging locations at pilotcompany.com/ev-charging.

Fans and some critics suspect 'holdbacks,' a tactic that can keep prices high

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Fans flooded social media with complaints after presale queues stretched into the millions.

• Many who made it through found all tickets marked sold out almost instantly.

• Industry insiders blame possible ticket holdbacks, a tactic that frustrates consumers but props up prices.

Fans say ticket hunt was impossible

Ariana Grande fans are venting their frustration after tickets for her 2026 Eternal Sunshine Tour proved nearly impossible to secure. Since presales began September 9, social platforms have been filled with complaints about long queues in some cases more than a million people deep.

Even those who managed to get through the hours-long wait often found every option labeled sold out. When general sales opened the next day, tickets in many cities vanished within minutes, prompting Ticketmaster to warn fans that only very limited seats remained.

https://www.ticketnews.com/2025/09/ariana-grande-fans-ticketmaster-eternal-sunshine-tour/Questions swirl over ticket availability

The rapid sellouts have led to accusations that promoters and ticketing platforms restricted public access. At least one industry source claimed that in some markets only about 1,000 tickets were released to the general sale, with the rest held back for presales or later release.

Such holdbacks are a common but controversial tactic: tickets are set aside and released in small waves, sustaining demand and keeping prices elevated by maintaining the illusion of scarcity. Fans also criticized Grande for booking arenas rather than stadiums, saying her fan base could easily have filled larger venues after a seven-year touring hiatus.

Ticketmaster faces wider backlash

Grandes fans are only the latest to complain about Ticketmasters systems. In recent years, fans of Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Sleep Token and Green Day have all endured long online queues, error messages and abrupt price spikes that left many empty-handed.

Critics say the platforms dominance allows it to operate without meaningful accountability, even as fan frustration mounts with each high-profile tour launch.

Grandes return to the road

The Eternal Sunshine Tour will open June 6, 2026, at Oakland Arena in California and wind through the U.S. and Canada before closing with five nights at Londons O2 Arena in August. Multiple cities, including Austin, Sunrise, Atlanta and Montreal, will host repeat shows.

Grande last toured in 2019 with the Sweetener World Tour, which sold out arenas worldwide. Her comeback follows the release of Eternal Sunshine, the 2024 album that debuted atop the Billboard 200 and cemented her as one of pops most enduring stars.

2026 tour dates

The SEC warns against investors falling prey to fear-of-loss pressures

• Robinhood is adding a social-media platform to its app where users can share trades and follow other investors.

• The feed will confirm that trades are real, showing when a user entered and exited positions.

• About 10,000 customers will get access early next year, with a wider roll-out to come.

Robinhood Markets, the app best known for making zero-commission trading mainstream, is now trying to become Wall Streets answer to Reddit and X. The company announced it will launch Robinhood Social, a built-in network that lets investors post their trades, follow others, and even track the market moves of high-profile figures like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The social feed looks and feels like other platforms, but with a twist: every trade posted will be verified by Robinhood. That means users can see exactly when someone entered and exited a position a major difference from the rumor-driven world of stock forums, where its often unclear whether a trade actually happened.

Raises FOMO risk

Social media is already blamed for an epidemice of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)--the emotional urge to invest in assets, like stocks, because others are profiting from them, driven by the fear of missing out on potential gains.This psychological phenomenon can lead to impulsive and irrational decisions, such as chasing popular trends without proper research or buying at high prices, potentially resulting in financial losses and negatively impacting investment portfolios.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hosts a website page urging investors to "Say no to FOMO."

"You may see your favorite athlete, entertainer or social media influencer promoting these kinds of investment opportunities.You may see your favorite athlete, entertainer or social media influencer promoting these kinds of investment opportunities. Although its tempting, never make a decision to invest based solely on their recommendation," the agency cautions.

Beta test for 10,000 users

Robinhood Social will display a posters performance stats, including profit rates and other metrics. Posts can cover stocks, options, crypto, and even prediction markets. And if users see something they like, they can click a ticker symbol in the feed to trade it instantly.

The company says about 10,000 users will be invited into the beta in the first quarter of 2026, with broader access coming later.

The move taps into a retail trading culture that already lives online, where everyday investors swap tips, chase trends, and occasionally coordinate headline-grabbing stock surges like the 2021 GameStop frenzy. By bringing that activity inside its own app, Robinhood is betting it can lock in more engagement and more trades.

The brokerage has momentum on its side. A roaring bull market has sent profits higher, Robinhood stock has more than tripled this year, and the company recently joined the S&P 500. Its also leaning into crypto, announcing plans to build its own blockchain and offer tokenized U.S. stocks overseas, while expanding into traditional businesses like banking and managed accounts.

If youre a Robinhood user, your trading feed may soon look more like a social network part brokerage, part message board. That could mean easier access to crowd-driven trade ideas, but also raises the stakes: investing FOMO might be just one scroll away.

Happy allergy sufferers in a field of flowers doesn't tell the whole story about antihistamines

• White House action: President Trump on Tuesday ordered federal regulators to get tougher on misleading drug advertising.

• FDA warning blitz: The FDA is firing off thousands of letters to pharmaceutical companies demanding they fix or pull ads.

• TV ads in the crosshairs: Health officials want to close a loophole thats let drug commercials skim over side effects since the late 90s.

The government is turning up the heat on Big Pharmas marketing machine. President Trump signed an executive action directing the FDA to police drug advertising more aggressively, while the agency announced its sending out a flood of enforcement letters to drugmakers.

The crackdown wont stop at TV spots featuring happy couples strolling through meadows. Paid influencer campaigns on Instagram and TikTok, along with ads tied to telehealth providers, are also in regulators sights.

At issue is a long-standing FDA rule dating from 1997 that let drug companies list only the major side effects in broadcast ads and bury the rest online. That loophole fueled an explosion of prime-time drug ads many of them criticized for making risky drugs look like lifestyle enhancers. The administration now wants that practice ended.

The FDA said its starting with about 100 cease-and-desist letters, with thousands more warnings on the way. A sample letter released Tuesday ordered a company to yank noncompliant ads and warned that patients are not seeing a fair balance of a drugs benefits and risks.

Thats a big shift from recent years: in 2023 the FDA sent just one such letter, and in 2024 it sent none.

Were going to be tough on this, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told The Wall Street Journal. Drug companies spend 20% to 25% of their budgets on marketing and ads. Id like them to spend that money on lowering drug prices for everyday Americans.

The industry, not surprisingly, disagrees. Alex Schriver, a spokesman for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, defended drug advertising as a public service: Direct-to-consumer advertising helps patients make informed decisions about their health care and treatment options.

What it means for you

If this crackdown sticks, expect drug ads to look and sound different. That cheery voiceover might soon spend more time spelling out side effects and less time promising a brighter tomorrow. Social media influencers plugging prescriptions could face tougher scrutiny, too. In short: those fast-talking disclaimers may finally have to slow down and be a bit more straightforward.

What's wrong with the ads?

There are several significant objections to direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising:

Medical and Safety Concerns Critics argue that these ads can lead patients to self-diagnose or pressure doctors to prescribe specific medications that may not be appropriate for their condition. This can interfere with the clinical judgment process and potentially lead to inappropriate prescribing or overmedication.

Incomplete Information While DTC ads are required to include risk information, critics contend that the format and time constraints of advertisements don't allow for comprehensive discussion of side effects, drug interactions, or alternative treatments. The brief mention of risks in rapid-fire disclaimers may not adequately inform patients.

Cost and Healthcare Access Heavily advertised drugs are often newer, brand-name medications that are more expensive than generic alternatives or established treatments. This can drive up healthcare costs and create pressure for insurers to cover costly drugs that patients specifically request.

Relationship with Healthcare Providers Some physicians report that DTC advertising complicates patient interactions, as they must spend time explaining why an advertised drug might not be suitable, rather than focusing on optimal treatment options. This can strain the doctor-patient relationship and consultation time.

Disease Mongering Critics argue that some DTC ads promote "disease mongering" - turning normal life experiences or mild conditions into medical problems requiring pharmaceutical intervention, potentially medicalizing aspects of normal human experience.

Global Perspective The United States and New Zealand are the only developed countries that allow DTC pharmaceutical advertising, with most other nations viewing it as inappropriate for public health reasons.

Prices are the pump are already lower than they were last year

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Global oil prices are projected to decline sharply, with Brent crude expected to average $59/bbl in late 2025 and $50/bbl in early 2026, driven by strong inventory builds.

• U.S. gasoline prices are forecast to fall, averaging $3.10/gal in 2025 and dropping to $2.90/gal in 2026, with most regions paying below $3/gal.

• Gasoline expenditures as a share of disposable income will reach their lowest level since at least 2005 (excluding 2020), easing financial pressure on U.S. households.

As the price of nearly everything has seemed to rise, gasoline prices have been a bright spot for consumers. Gas costs less than it did a year ago, and the U.S. The Energy Information Administration expects that trend to continue, with motorists seeing relief at the pump over the next 18 months.

In its September 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the agency projects that average U.S. gasoline prices will slide from about $3.10 per gallon this year to $2.90 per gallon in 2026.

The decline reflects steep drops in crude oil prices. Brent crude, the global benchmark, is forecast to fall from $68 per barrel in August to $59 in the final quarter of 2025, before dipping to around $50 early next year.

Rising output from OPEC+ members and other major producers like the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Guyana is pushing inventories to levels not seen in years.

GasBuddy counts 17 states with average prices below $3 per gallon fewer than weve seen in recent months, Patrick DeHaan, head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, said in the companys blog. However, with the transition back to winter gasoline just a week away for most areas, those increases may be short-lived, with potential relief arriving toward the end of the month. Additionally, OPEC+ announced an increase in oil production starting in October, which could help keep oil prices lower for longer.

Lowest gas costs in decades

With fuel prices trending lower, American households are expected to spend a historically small share of their income on gasoline. The EIA estimates that gasoline expenditures will fall below 2% of disposable personal income this yearthe lowest level since at least 2005, outside of the pandemic-driven collapse in 2020.

That shift could free up billions of dollars in consumer spending for other goods and services. The decline in gasoline costs comes on top of steady growth in disposable incomes, which have risen by about 4% annually since 2022.

Demand will likely increase

For the first time in several outlooks, the EIA now expects U.S. gasoline consumption to tick up in 2026. The reversal is driven partly by a larger-than-expected working-age population and the stimulative effect of lower prices. Vehicle miles traveled are projected to rise 0.7% next year, translating into a 0.3% increase in fuel use.

Although gasoline demand in the U.S. has been relatively inelastic historically, the EIA estimates that the scale of the expected price decline will modestly boost consumption.