OpenAI just hit a milestone — and cut prices the same day.
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Thursday, February 19, 2026
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OpenAI says ChatGPT has topped 1 billion active users as it cuts model prices

OpenAI disclosed Thursday that its models now reach more than one billion active users and two million businesses — a milestone announced alongside price cuts of up to 80% on two models in its GPT-5.6 family. The user figure reflects roughly 50% more daily messages per user six months after sign-up, the company said. The announcements come as OpenAI faces intensifying competition from cheaper Chinese models and growing enterprise pushback on AI spending.
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U.S. consumer spending rose 0.3% in June on services strength. The increase amounted to $65.2 billion, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported, while personal income grew 0.2%. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure fell 0.1% from May but stayed 3.7% above its level a year earlier.
Apple's stock slides despite its strongest June quarter on record. Revenue climbed 16% to $109.4 billion, though services and China both missed forecasts. The results marked Tim Cook's last earnings report as chief executive before he hands off to hardware chief John Ternus on Sept. 1.
Amazon's cloud business grew 37%, its fastest pace in years. Total sales climbed 20% to a record $200.6 billion, topping analyst forecasts of about $196 billion. Capital spending over the past year rose 64% to $169 billion as Amazon built out data centers for artificial intelligence.
Jersey Mike's raised $1 billion in its Wall Street debut. The sandwich chain sold 43.5 million shares at $23 each, valuing it at $7.3 billion in one of the largest restaurant public offerings on record. The stock began trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker JMKE.
U.S. jobless claims rose to 197,000 for the week ending July 25. First-time filings climbed 9,000 from the prior revised total, the Department of Labor reported. The four-week moving average, which smooths weekly swings, fell 5,000 to 202,750, signaling that the labor market remains steady.
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