Top of Stack: AI, Regulation, and Reputation

The news cycle is a map. Every headline, from Walmart’s AI playbook to Trump’s regulatory pivots, holds clues about the cultural and commercial shifts reshaping the landscape. At Avenue Z, we don’t just follow the news – we decode it. In this edition of Top of Stack, we break down the latest stories shaping technology, policy, finance, and healthcare, and what it all means for influence, reputation, and growth.

News Trends to Watch

AI & Tech 

• Forbes: Walmart Reveals AI Roadmap That Points To A World Without Search Bars
• Fortune: AI is driving mass layoffs in tech, but it’s boosting salaries by $18,000 a year everywhere else, study says
• NBC News: AI models may be accidentally (and secretly) learning each other’s bad behaviors
• The New York Times: The Unnerving Future of A.I.-Fueled Video Games
• The Wall Street Journal:Is AI Killing Google Search? It Might Be Doing the Opposite

Politics and Regulation:

• Associated Press: Trump Environmental Protection Agency moves to repeal finding that allows climate regulation
• Associated Press: From tech podcasts to policy: Trump’s new AI plan leans heavily on Silicon Valley industry ideas
• NPR: Congress and Trump play tug-of-war over the ‘power of the purse’
• Reuters: US Democrats, Republicans plan bills to pressure China as Trump pushes trade
• Reuters: US consumer finance watchdog says it will replace Biden-era ‘open banking’ regulations

Finance & Investment

• Bloomberg: Deutsche Bank Is Losing Its Edge in Leveraged Finance Deals
• Reuters: Private equity firms including Clearlake have bid for Forward Air, sources say
• The Economist: Crypto’s big bang will revolutionise finance
• The Wall Street Journal: The Oddball Golf Putter Company That Private Equity Just Bought for $200 Million

Healthcare

• Fortune: AI is already touching nearly every corner of the medical field
• NBC News: The next big health care fight that’s splitting Republicans
• Reuters: US judge blocks Trump-backed Medicaid cuts to Planned Parenthood
• The New York Times: UnitedHealth Will Cooperate With Federal Probe of Its Medicare Billing Practices
• The Wall Street Journal:Medicare Part D Drug Plan Premiums Set to Rise

Clients in the News

• Fintech Weekly: Financial Infrastructure for the Gig Economy Needs a Rethink – Interview with Ricky Michel Presbot (Ualett)
• Bloomberg: Bloomberg Businessweek Daily: Trump’s EU Deal (Dynamix)
• Blockworks: Not every firm has the brand power to launch a stablecoin: Core VC (Core Innovation Capital)
• VentureBeat: No more links, no more scrolling—The browser is becoming an AI Agent (Avenue Z)

Hot Upcoming Events

• The FPRA PR and Comms Summit in Orlando from August 3-6, 2025, will bring together Florida’s top PR professionals to discuss everything from AI and storytelling to crisis comms and harnessing the power of viral fandoms. Bristol Jones, VP and Managing Director of Avenue Z Miami, will be representing the firm as a speaker at this year’s conference. Other speakers include comms professionals from Universal Orlando Resort, FOX Entertainment, and Duolingo.

You don’t just need media coverage. You need media command.

From AI’s ripple effects across sectors to shifting regulatory winds and cultural flashpoints, this week’s headlines carry the clear implication that influence belongs to the prepared. Whether you’re navigating political uncertainty or building brand equity in a fractured media environment, one truth holds – reputation is earned through clarity, speed, and strategy. We’ll help you decode the noise and turn headlines into momentum.

Want to get ahead of the next cycle? Talk to our experts at Avenue Z.