Priya: A regular car, on an electric skate, shot through a vacuum tube at 600 miles per hour.
Theo: [beat] And that's the plan, anyway. I'm Theo.
Priya: And I'm Priya. It’s Monday, September 21st, 2026, and you're listening to Money Daily.
Theo: We're following the money today across some wild new territory. Let's get to it.
Theo: Elon Musk is pitching another tunnel, this time promising a Hyperloop to connect two of Texas's biggest cities.
Priya: We're also looking at a new gadget that wants to listen in on all your meetings—and it'll cost you more than just money.
Theo: And California is cracking down on social media influencers who 'forget' to mention who's paying for their political posts.
Theo: So, let's talk about that trip between Austin and San Antonio. The Boring Company is back, and their new pitch is their biggest one yet.
Priya: You mean the company that digs tunnels for Teslas to drive through slowly in Las Vegas?
Theo: [laughs] That's the one. But they say this time is different. They're proposing a real Hyperloop—getting you between the two cities in under 30 minutes.
Priya: Right. A 'true Hyperloop,' from the pitch document. Like the loop from D.C. to Baltimore, or the one under Chicago. Remind me, Theo, are those built yet?
Theo: Okay, look, the track record isn't perfect—
Priya: Isn't perfect? TechCrunch points out most of their splashy announcements have just... fizzled. No funding, no permits, just headlines.
Theo: But the idea is powerful! Solving the absolute nightmare that is I-35 traffic would be a massive economic boon for the whole region.
Priya: It’s a powerful idea with no public price tag, no official timeline, and a history of not happening. This feels less like an infrastructure project and more like a PR campaign.
Theo: So what does this mean for people on the ground, besides 'don't hold your breath'?
Priya: [dry] It means if you're trying to get from Austin to San Antonio, you should probably just keep driving. For the foreseeable future.
Theo: Always the optimist, Priya. I still think it's cool someone's thinking big.
Priya: Alright, let's scale down from a multi-city tunnel to something... much smaller. A ring.
Theo: Yes! The Voccis ring. This thing is wild. It's a super lightweight smart ring that records and transcribes your conversations, like work meetings.
Priya: And it only costs you two hundred and forty-nine dollars... and all of your coworkers' trust.
Theo: [laughs] Come on. Think of the productivity boost! You don't have to scramble to take notes, you can just be present and engaged in the meeting.
Priya: Hold on. Am I supposed to start every meeting by saying, 'Just so everyone is aware, my jewelry is recording this conversation'? Because TechCrunch raises the very obvious point: what about consent?
Theo: The company says it’s primarily for personal note-taking, for your benefit.
Priya: That's a very fine line, Theo. Many states have two-party consent laws for recording. This device makes it incredibly easy to discreetly break the law, intentionally or not.
Theo: Fair point. So the advice is... just don't buy the ring?
Priya: The takeaway here is a warning. Wearable tech is getting smaller and more powerful, but the social and legal rules aren't keeping up. If you use something like this, the responsibility to be transparent is on you.
Theo: So... always ask before you record. Even if your recorder looks like cool new jewelry.
Theo: Let's stick with transparency for our next story. California is passing a new law, and it's aimed right at social media influencers.
Priya: And about time. This law specifically targets influencers who are paid to post political content.
Theo: Wait, don't the FTC rules already require people to disclose ads? You always see hashtags like '#ad' or '#sponsored'.
Priya: They do, but enforcement is spotty, and political messaging has been a real gray area. This California bill adds specific requirements and—more importantly—real penalties for creators who don't disclose.
Theo: So it has real teeth.
Priya: Exactly. According to TechCrunch, the law mandates 'clear and conspicuous' disclosure. You can't just hide '#ad' in a long list of other hashtags if you're getting paid to promote a political candidate.
Theo: Wow. So for anyone scrolling their feed, what changes?
Priya: It means you'll have a better idea of who is paying for the political messages you see online. It brings the same kind of disclosure we expect from TV ads to your TikTok feed.
Theo: And for the creators themselves?
Priya: It means if you're an influencer in California, you need to read up on this law, because 'I didn't know' won't be an excuse when the fines start rolling in.
Theo: Alright, let's run through that one more time.
Priya: We covered The Boring Company's latest maybe-it'll-happen-someday project, a Hyperloop in Texas.
Theo: A new $249 ring that could get you in hot water at the office.
Priya: And a new California law that's demanding more honesty from political influencers.
Theo: Priya, before we go, did you know today is the International Day of Peace?
Priya: [dry] I'm sure that recording ring we just discussed will do wonders for peaceful relations among coworkers.
Theo: [laughs] Right? Nothing says 'peace and trust' like a hidden microphone. Happy Monday.
Theo: That's Money Daily for today. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.
Priya: And we promise to be on time. Unlike some theoretical transportation projects we could mention. See you tomorrow.
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.