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Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket in the second quarter against Dyson Daniels #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center on April 12, 2024 in San Francisco, California. 

Kavin Mistry | Getty Images

A Florida federal judge has dismissed most of the claims against high-profile celebrities and YouTubers who promoted the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, including stars like Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Kevin O’Leary, and Stephen Curry.

The ruling narrows the scope of a sprawling multidistrict litigation accusing them of using their fame to market a fraudulent platform.

In an order filed Wednesday, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ruled that the plaintiffs, a group of FTX investors, failed to demonstrate that the celebrities had sufficient knowledge of FTX and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried‘s misconduct to be held liable for promoting the exchange.

The lawsuit stemmed from FTX’s catastrophic collapse in November 2022, which wiped out billions of dollars in customer funds and triggered investigations worldwide. The plaintiffs accused the stars of being paid millions of dollars to endorse FTX without disclosing their financial incentives, a violation of federal and state advertising laws.

The judge dismissed nearly all of the claims against the “Celebrity Defendants,” which include Shohei Ohtani, Larry David, the Golden State Warriors, Udonis Haslem, David Ortiz and Naomi Osaka.

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

The court also cleared the “YouTuber Defendants,” including influencers who allegedly marketed FTX through social media, of most claims.

Moore wrote that the plaintiffs “fail to adequately plead causation” and “fail to plausibly allege Defendants’ knowledge of FTX’s fraud.” He added that while the celebrities may have been “uninformed, negligent, or even reckless,” the plaintiffs did not show they “had any knowledge of FTX’s fraud” or “had the requisite intent to deceive or defraud investors.”

The judge also cleared defendants of related civil conspiracy claims, writing that “defendants cannot be found liable for civil conspiracy for merely receiving payments and other monetary benefits in exchange for their promotional content.”

The decision significantly reduces the celebrities’ legal exposure, though two claims against them remain active: Violations of state securities laws in Florida and Oklahoma, which prohibit the sale of unregistered securities.

Plaintiffs may still amend their complaint and try again, the judge wrote, but will need to present stronger evidence directly linking the stars to FTX’s alleged wrongdoing.

The ruling comes after a protracted legal battle in which plaintiffs alleged that the celebrities and influencers were liable for promoting unregistered securities and engaging in deceptive practices.

Brady and his ex-wife, Bündchen, were among the most prominent faces of FTX, appearing in a high-profile commercial for the exchange in 2022. Curry and the Golden State Warriors also had an endorsement deal with FTX, while David starred in a widely viewed Super Bowl commercial for the platform.

Late last month, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal settled with a group of FTX investors who accused him of enabling the failed exchange’s fraud as a celebrity promoter.

While plaintiffs had sought $21 billion in total damages from O’Neal and other promoters, the terms of his settlement were not disclosed.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried appeals fraud conviction

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Hyundai is discounting EVs by over $34,000 as price cuts expand beyond the US

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Hyundai is discounting EVs by over ,000 as price cuts expand beyond the US

After cutting prices on its top-selling electric vehicle by nearly $10,000 in the US, Hyundai is now bringing the savings to new markets. Hyundai is offering discounts of over $34,000 on some of its EVs overseas.

Hyundai is discounting EVs in the US and overseas

Last week, Hyundai announced it was reducing prices on the 2026 IONIQ 5 by up to $9,800 in the US. The 2026 IONIQ 5 starts at just $35,000, making it one of the most affordable EVs available alongside the Chevy Equinox EV and the Nissan LEAF.

Hyundai said the generous EV discounts reflected its “commitment to affordability” as part of its long-term strategy.

Record vehicle sales and higher output at its new EV plant in Georgia are helping reduce costs, which the company said it’s now passing on to buyers.

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The massive EV discounts are starting to pile up after Hyundai cut prices in another market on Tuesday. After launching a series of special offers in Australia on Tuesday, Hyundai is discounting some of its EVs by more than $34,000.

Hyundai-discounting-EVs
The Hyundai Kona Electric (Source: Hyundai Australia)

According to TheDriven, Hyundai reduced prices on select IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, Inster EV, and Kona Electric models by up to $34,142.

Hyundai’s most affordable electric car, the Inster (which is sadly not sold in the US), received a $3,925 price reduction, and now starts at under $40,000 for the first time.

Hyundai-discounting-EVs
The Hyundai Inster EV (Source: Hyundai)

The IONIQ 6 is heavily discounted, with up to $34,142 off the driveway price on 2023 model year inventory. Hyundai has also reduced the prices of the IONIQ 5 by nearly $10,000. As the report points out, the savings are based on the driveway prices in NSW, which are available nationally.

Hyundai-discounting-EVs
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

Although Hyundai’s price cuts in the US were in response to the $7,500 federal EV tax credit expiring, the discounts in Australia come as demand for electric cars is at an all-time high. In September, electric vehicles accounted for 11.3% of new car sales.

In the US, Hyundai is still offering a $7,500 cash incentive for 2025 IONIQ 5 models until at least the end of October.

2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Trim Driving Range (miles) 2025 Starting Price 2026 Starting Price* Price Reduction Monthly lease cost (October 2025)
IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range 245 $42,600 $35,000 ($7,600) $249
IONIQ 5 SE RWD 318 $46,650 $37,500 ($9,150) $259
IONIQ 5 SEL RWD 318 $49,600 $39,800 ($9,800) $299
IONIQ 5 Limited RWD 318 $54,300 $45,075 ($9,225) $369
IONIQ 5 SE Dual Motor AWD 290 $50,150 $41,000 ($9,150) $309
IONIQ 5 SEL Dual Motor AWD 290 $53,100 $43,300 ($9,800) $349
IONIQ 5 XRT Dual Motor AWD 259 $55,500 $46,275 ($9,225) $379
IONIQ 5 Limited Dual Motor AWD 269 $58,200 $48,975 ($9,225) $419
2025 vs 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 prices and range by trim

The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Standard Range starts at $42,600, while the 2026 model year is priced from just $35,000.

Although it was already one of the most affordable EVs on the market, the IONIQ 5 is hard to pass up with leases starting at just $249 per month in the US. For $10 more per month ($259), you can upgrade to the long-range SE RWD trim, which offers a range of up to 318 miles.

Curious what Hyundai’s electric SUV feels like to drive? You can find available IONIQ 5 models near you through our trusted partner.

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ComEd charges ahead with $100M in EV investments, thousands of new chargers

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ComEd charges ahead with 0M in EV investments, thousands of new chargers

Northern Illinois utility ComEd has spent for than $100 million in EV and EV charging rebates since launch its Beneficial Electrification program in 2024 — an investment that, along with funding from the Illinois EPA and other Federal grants, has helped drive EV adoption in the state at a rate that’s rapidly outpaced the rest of the nation.

Since its launch in 2024, ComEd’s Beneficial Electrification (BE) Plan has supported the deployment of more than 7,200 electric vehicle charging ports and over 2,200 EVs registered to business and public sector commercial customers.

The company, part of the larger Exelon utility group) has also announced plans to invest an additional $168 million of EV and charging infrastructure investments between 2026 and ’28. The target is both in line with Illinois’ clean transportation goals and which will generate a real, objective reduction in air pollution — a goal that (one would hope) transcends political affiliations.

“Reducing emissions from vehicles is one of the most effective and important things we can do to improve air quality and public health,” explains Rob Anderson, President and CEO of Respiratory Health Association. “As we have seen the ending of federal funding support for this effort, ComEd’s continued commitment of transportation electrification rebates is leading the way for our shared goal of eliminating pollution and creating cleaner air for all of our communities across northern Illinois.”

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Building on the $231 million investment from 2023 through 2025, the additional $168 million will assist both residential and non-residential customers transition to EVs. The company also places an emphasis on equity, with 80% of the rebates from its over 6,400 projects going to low-income business and public sector organizations serving low-income and Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs).

The ComEd rebates support the goals of Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021 to combat climate change and promote beneficial electrification across the state. CEJA also has the goal of putting 1 million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030, and ComEd certainly has role to play there, as 90% of the 150,000 EVs registered in Illinois operate within its service territory (that’s up from 19,000 EVs in 2019).

Electrek’s Take


The EV tax credit is no more — what happens now?

While President Trump was running for re-election, he campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs — a campaign promise he kept as recently as September 30th. That wasn’t the end of the road for EVs, however.

Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle. More recently, some clever accounting from the folks at GM and Ford are keeping the $7,500 lease credit alive, and other companies like Hyundai and Toyota are simply reducing the asking price on their EVs.

It seems to me like there’s plenty of life in EVs, yet.

SOURCE | IMAGES: ComEd; via LinkedIn.


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Prime Day Green Deals hub – EVs, power stations, electric tools, eco-friendly appliances, more

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Prime Day Green Deals hub - EVs, power stations, electric tools, eco-friendly appliances, more

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event has officially kicked off and will be running through October 8 with some of the best deals of the year on eco-friendly tech. We’ve got another large collection of Green Deals during this two-day period, which we’ve collected the best of and curated into this one-stop shopping hub that will continue to be updated through the week. You’ll find the best of these ongoing seasonal deals on power stations/solar generators, EVs of various kinds, electric tools, and other eco-friendly appliances and smart devices.

October Prime Big Deal Days 2025 Green Deals

Prime Day Green Deals

Prime Day Power Station Green Deals

Prime Day Green Deals

Prime Day EV Green Deals

Prime Day Green Deals

Prime Day Garden and Lawn Care Green Deals

Prime Day Green Deals

Prime Day Appliance and Device Green Deals

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