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Chinese-owned e-commerce giant Temu dropped tens of millions of dollars on three Super Bowl commercials and offered $15 million in giveaways in hopes of getting a major leg up with US shoppers.

The 30-second ad spots during Super Bowl LVIII — when the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the Lombardi trophy after the game went into overtime against the San Francisco 49ers — cost brands a reported $7 million each, according to Bloomberg.

Thus, Temu spent an estimated $21 million on its three commercials aired throughout the Big Game, which touted the bizarre tagline “shop like a billionaire.”

The online discount marketplace also offered $15 million in giveaways, coupons and other promotions, according to CNN.

Temu — which is based in Boston and owned by PDD, the group behind Chinese online shopping giant Pinduoduo — also paid for two post-Super Bowl advertisements to air during CBS’s late-night programming, CNN reported.

It’s unclear how much Temu spent on its post-game ads.

Temu’s Super Bowl spend had its desired effect, according to Google Trends data, which showed that web searches for the app spiked when the commercials played.

Temu searches had been steadily declining since early July, Bloomberg reported, along with the company’s observed sales, which fell 2.5% month-on-month in December and 4.8% in January.

However, Temu saw impressive growth last year, when it made its Super Bowl ad debut after officially launching in the US in September 2022.

In 2023, Temu’s sales increased a staggering 805% at the start of the year and more than 50% mid-year, according to Bloomberg Second Measure data tracking, a subset of US credit and debit card transactions.

Temu’s explosive growth in January 2023 sales was four times more than the No. 2 spot, Elon Musk’s Space X, and far above e-commerce rival Amazon, which experienced 191% and 1.71% sales increases, respectively.

But in recent months, the number of Americans shopping on Temu has also fallen, according to the Second Measure data, as Temu has developed a reputation for long delivery times, unresponsive customer service and incorrect orders.

The company’s Better Business Bureau profile boasts a dismal 2.5 stars, with customers complaining that the site is a “scam.”

Other shoppers have raised concerns that the Chinese app poses a security threat to Americans. Some even suggested that the company should be barred from advertising during the Super Bowl because of its origins.

“TEMU ads for the Super Bowl. Selling fake products. HP says theyre not their stuff. Orders that never show up,” one X user said. “In what world does it make sense to allow a China, communist, dictator controlled company to compete with Amazon and Walmart? WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!”

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“Freedom-loving” digital marketplace PublicSquare also weighed in: “Its shocking that we allow Super Bowl commercials from a company like Temu who has a long history of slave labor and funding of the Chinese communist party,” the company shared.

A late-January survey from Morgan Stanley offered cool comfort for Temu’s future: It found that nearly one-third of its users plan to shop less on the app over the next three months.

Only eBay and Etsy had weaker outlooks, according to Morgan Stalney’s findings, which were earlier reported on by Bloomberg.

Margins have declined in recent quarters and are expected to keep declining, according to Bloomberg, as PDD would have to continue offering steep discounts and rebates in order to grow rapidly in the US.

Profitability is a concern. Its just not a priority right now, Morningstar senior analyst Chelsey Tam said.

Representatives for Temu declined to comment on the company’s Super Bowl ad spend.

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Sports

Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

Sherrone Moore was in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, just hours after he was fired as Michigan’s football coach for having what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore was initially detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”

Pittsfield police released a statement Wednesday night saying they responded at 4:10 p.m. to the 3000 block of Ann Arbor Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. … A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.

“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the statement continued. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”

Pittsfield police did not name the suspect in its statement.

Earlier, Saline police stated they “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for investigation into potential charges.”

Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday following an investigation into his conduct with a staff member.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore, 39, spent two seasons as Michigan’s coach, after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.

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Politics

Plan to tackle rough sleeping unveiled – but charities say it doesn’t go far enough

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Plan to tackle rough sleeping unveiled - but charities say it doesn't go far enough

Homelessness charities have warned that ministers are “falling short of what is desperately needed to end Britain’s homelessness crisis”.

It comes as the government published its new plan to tackle rough sleeping in Britain, which pledges £3.5bn of funding to crackdown on the issue.

But charities have said Labour’s National Plan to End Homelessness “falls short” and contains “important gaps”, meaning the party will not be able to achieve their stated goal of halving the number of homeless people by 2029/30.

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Crisis, an organisation that supports the homeless, also argues that only £100m of the funding announced in the strategy is new.

Meanwhile, Labour MP Paula Barker, who co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for ending homelessness, has told Sky News that the strategy has a “depressing lack of meat on the bone”, looks like it has been “rushed out”, and has left her “disappointed”.

It comes as Shelter warns that 382,618 people in England – including a record 175,025 children – will be homeless this Christmas, equivalent to one in every 153 people.

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Working but homeless: Daniel’s story

What does the government’s plan to reduce rough sleeping involve?

The government has made three key pledges in its new plan, unveiled on Wednesday evening.

It says that it is aiming to halve the number of long-term rough sleepers by the end of the parliament, reduce the time families spend living in bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), and prevent more people from becoming homeless in the first place.

To achieve this, the party has set out numerous new measures, schemes and extra funding.

The main measures in the strategy are:

  • Getting prisons, hospitals and social care services to work together better by passing a “duty to collaborate”;
  • Halving the number of people made homeless on their first night out of prison;
  • Preventing people being discharged from hospital straight to the street;
  • Helping the 2,070 households currently living for more than six weeks in B&Bs;
  • Giving councils an extra £50m – with the demand they create tailored actions plans.

A new £124m supported housing scheme is also being established, and the government hopes that it will help get 2,500 people in England off the streets.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said homelessness is “one of the most profound challenges we face”, and suggested that the strategy will build “a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and not repeated”.

How has the plan been received?

Ms Barker told Sky News she welcomes “the scale of investment”, but is “disappointed by what I have seen”.

The Labour MP explained: “From what I have seen so far, it leaves more questions than it answers – where are the clear measures around prevention? Where is the accommodation for people sleeping rough coming from – has it already been built? What about specialised provision for those fleeing domestic abuse?

“We needed this strategy to be bold.”

MP Paula Barker is 'disappointed' by what she has seen
Image:
MP Paula Barker is ‘disappointed’ by what she has seen

Meanwhile, organisations working to support those on the streets have welcomed the plan for its focus on the issue, but warn it leaves it “almost impossible” for many families to avoid homelessness.

Matt Downie, the chief executive of Crisis, said: “Housing benefit remains frozen until at least 2030; there is no coherent approach for supporting refugees and stopping them becoming homeless; and we hear no assurances that the new homes government has pledged to build will be allocated to households experiencing homelessness at the scale required.

“There is a long way to go. Ministers are taking steps in the right direction, but falling short of what’s desperately needed to end Britain’s homelessness crisis.”

An exhibit organised to highlight the contrast between the Christmas period and an estimated 23,500 young people who will homeless. Pic: PA
Image:
An exhibit organised to highlight the contrast between the Christmas period and an estimated 23,500 young people who will homeless. Pic: PA

Sarah Elliott, head of Shelter, also warned the proposals do not go far enough, saying: “Until a lot more of these social homes are built, one of the only ways to escape homelessness is if you can afford to pay a private rent.

“We know from our frontline services this is almost impossible to do when housing benefit remains frozen, and that is where the homelessness strategy falls short.”

Centrepoint, a charity that supports young people facing homelessness, said that the strategy is “an important step”, and could be “transformative”. But it added that “gaps in the government’s approach remain”, and said increases in funding “don’t face up to the scale of homelessness”.

The Conservatives have said that the strategy means Labour “has completely failed on homelessness”.

Paul Holmes, shadow housing minister, said the number of households and children in temporary accommodation has risen to “record levels”, and pointed to the government’s “abysmal record on house-building” and tackling immigration.

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Politics

Australian regulator eases rules for stablecoins and wrapped tokens

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Australian regulator eases rules for stablecoins and wrapped tokens

Australia’s securities regulator has finalized exemptions that will make it easier for businesses to distribute stablecoins and wrapped tokens.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on Tuesday announced the new measures, aimed at fostering innovation and growth in the digital assets and payment sectors. 

It stated that it was “granting class relief” for intermediaries engaging in the secondary distribution of certain stablecoins and wrapped tokens.

This means that companies no longer need separate, and often expensive, licenses to act as intermediaries in these markets, and they can now use “omnibus accounts” with proper record-keeping.

The new exemptions extend the earlier stablecoin relief by removing the requirement for intermediaries to hold separate Australian Financial Services (AFS) licenses when providing services related to stablecoins or wrapped tokens.

Leveling the playing field for stablecoin issuers

The regulator stated that these omnibus structures were widely used in the industry, offering efficiencies in speed and transaction costs, and helping some entities manage risk and cybersecurity.

“ASIC’s announcement helps level the playing field for stablecoin innovation in Australia,” said Drew Bradford, CEO of Australian stablecoin issuer Macropod.

“By giving both new and established players a clearer, more flexible framework, particularly around reserve and asset-management requirements, it removes friction and gives the sector confidence to build,” he continued. 

Related: Australia risks ‘missed opportunity’ by shirking tokenization: top regulator

The old licensing requirements were costly and created compliance headaches, particularly for an industry awaiting broader digital asset reforms.

“This kind of measured clarity is essential for scaling real-world use cases, payments, treasury management, cross-border flows, and onchain settlement,” added Bradford.

“It signals that Australia intends to be competitive globally, while still maintaining the regulatory guardrails that institutions and consumers expect.”

Angela Ang, head of policy and strategic partnerships at TRM Labs, also welcomed the development, stating, “Things are looking up for Australia, and we look forward to digital assets regulation crystallizing further in the coming year — bringing greater clarity to the sector and driving growth and innovation.”

Global stablecoin growth surges 

Total stablecoin market capitalization is at a record high of just over $300 billion, according to RWA.xyz. 

It has grown by 48% since the beginning of this year, and Tether remains the dominant issuer with a 63% market share.

Stablecoin markets have surged in 2025, and Tether remains dominant. Source: RWA.xyz 

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