I'm transitioning from GPU/CPU mining and new to ASIC Mining. Prices on the Bitmain S19s have dropped significantly ( From 10K to 3K ).

Is price drop based soley on the bear market or is it something more concerning like perhaps banning mining ( USA ) or  a new technology on the horizon ?
Is Intel's new ASIC chipset going to be more efficient than the Bitmain S19s and if so WHEN/WHERE will retail miners be able to buy them ?

Thanks,
Ronald