FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got Jane Fonda Climate PAC, Rank the Vote, and Abolitionist Law Center.

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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QUICK NOTE: Reminder, no Friday send this week (5/1) – and then back to our regularly scheduled programming!

‘STAGED’: Conspiracy Theories Are Everywhere Following White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting

On X, many claimed the shooting was staged as a way to bolster support for Trump’s plan to build a new ballroom in the White House. The president referenced the ballroom in a press conference after the incident and a Truth Social post on Sunday morning. Many prominent online Trump boosters echoed the need for the ballroom, including far-right podcaster Jack Posobiec, Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik, and Tom Fitton, the right-wing activist who runs Judicial Watch. (WIRED, 4/26 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: my two cents FWIW – I certainly see a whole lot of concerning things here (mainly turning an horrifying act of violence into a political strategy in real time), but I’m not willing to say anything definitely until there is evidence-gathering! We don’t need to be like them and react immediately and vehemently all the time!

The Trump Administration Aims to Penalize Disabled Adults Who Live With Their Families

Now, President Donald Trump’s administration is poised to penalize people like Burton simply for living in the same home as their families, according to four federal officials, internal emails and a federal regulatory listing. The administration is working on a rule change that would deduct the value of a disabled adult’s bedroom from their SSI allotment, even if the family members they live with are poor enough to qualify for food stamps. This would mean slashing the benefits of some of the most low-income SSI recipients by up to a third — about $330 a month in Burton’s case — or ending their support altogether. (ProPublica, 4/28)

Spotify’s next frontier: Fitness content

Workouts from these providers will be accessible from a new “Fitness” hub within the app, or by typing in the term “fitness” in the search box. Their content, in the form of both music and video, will be available across Spotify’s apps on mobile, desktop, and TVs. (TechCrunch, 4/27)

The Tech Bros Are All In on Zyn

Tech workers are increasingly attacking their marathon workdays like “racehorses” dosed with significant quantities of purportedly performance-maximizing nicotine, with each 6-mg pouch containing the nicotine of several cigarettes. Stripped of the smoke, smell, and stigma of cigarettes and vapes, nicotine pouches are being quietly rebranded in Silicon Valley as a clean, nootropic stimulant rather than a dirty habit. (WIRED, 4/27 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: every story I read about Silicon Valley bros convinces me that despire all the biohacking… we’re still all gonna outlive them

Man faces 5 years in prison for using AI to fake sighting of runaway wolf

It’s unclear exactly how police identified the suspect, but the BBC reported that police reviewed security camera footage and obtained records confirming his use of AI tools. Upon arrest, the man told police that he made the image “for fun,” the BBC reported. (Ars Technica, 4/24)

Drinks Are So Expensive That Grown-Ups Are Pregaming Like They Did in College

Nearly a third of the 1,000 people surveyed by Zappi who had drinks within the last three months said they now predrink to avoid paying higher prices at venues. Drinkers are trading tips on how to sneak alcohol into events, often gravitating toward the miniature-sized bottles sold by many alcohol makers. (WSJ gift link, 4/23)

American CEOs are getting older

Even though these generalists are prized at the top of the ladder — and have been for more than a decade, other research finds — companies are fostering fewer of them now, as entry level hiring has slowed. That means the value of older generalist CEOs is only rising. “The premium will only increase,” Saidi says. (Axios, 4/28)

What’s next for Letterboxd?

But despite its user growth, Letterboxd currently is undermonetized relative to its entertainment media peers. It relies heavily on display and programmatic advertising, which tends to drive lower revenue than glossier sponsorship deals. The company has only dabbled in events, and could use its audience to build a consumer or professional events business. (Semafor, 4/26)

Why giving gorillas bank accounts could transform conservation

On August 2024, Tehanu logged its first interspecies transaction, a payment of 5,000 Rwandan francs ($3.42) to a local ranger for removing a snare from Gisubizo, one of the roughly 350 mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, according to the digital receipt. Other micropayments followed, including for tree planting, path clearance, anti-poaching patrols and veterinary observation. The gorillas’ spending was funded by the Rwandan government and private donors. (WaPo, 4/28 – free version)

@onze.onze.cafe @onze.onze.cafe ♬ original sound - 11:11 cafe

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Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “How Much of Substack Is Actually AI?” from of

  • In case the insane syntax didn’t make it clear… this is all me lol

• “Social Media Strategies From the Libraries Getting It Right” from

• “Are Florida, Ohio and Iowa Swing States Again?” from +

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• Field Organizer, Jane Fonda Climate PAC

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• Social Media Organizer, Rank the Vote

  • JD HERE, $18-24 per hour, contact: jobs@rankthevote.us

• Operations Director, Abolitionish Law Center & Straight Ahead

  • JD HERE, $90,000 per year

FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office and Whatnot (the thrifting platform!).

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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QUICK NOTE: Very excited to see some of y’all on the AV happy hour circuit tonight! Looking ahead, I will NOT have Friday sends this week (4/24) or the following week (5/1). I’m headed into finals – and if anyone else did 1L in their late 20s, please drop tips for how to deal with the neck tension and back pain?? 😭

The insider trading suspicions looming over Trump’s presidency

It found a consistent pattern of spikes just hours, or sometimes minutes, before a social media post or media interview was made public. Some analysts say it bears the hallmarks of illegal insider trading, whereby bets are made by people based on information that is not available to the general public. (BBC, 4/20 – free version)

The Onion Has a New Plan to Take Over Infowars

Mr. Heidecker has been working on his impression of Mr. Jones. But eventually, when that joke gets old, Mr. Heidecker hopes to turn Infowars into a destination for independent and experimental comedy, he said. (NYT gift link, 4/20)

Big-city politicians are starting to worry about the World Cup

For cities and states that competed for years for the privilege of hosting matches, the economics of doing so now look very different than when soccer’s governing body FIFA awarded the tournament to the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2018. Rather than offering a triumphal turn in the international spotlight, the World Cup has become a case study in the local hazards of staging a spectacle at a moment of global disruption. (POLITICO, 4/20)

War Memes Are Turning Conflict Into Content

Memes are not only made by users. States increasingly communicate in the same visual language: short clips, cinematic edits, gaming references, AI-generated scenes, triumphant captions, soundtrack-first storytelling. They are also speaking to audiences already conditioned by decades of mediated conflict. For many users, war is familiar less as lived experience than as theater: fast edits, heroes, villains, clean victories, and consequence-free destruction. (WIRED, 4/20 – free version)

Netflix embraces vertical video with major mobile app update

The mobile redesign follows a big update for Netflix’s TV app that it launched last year. When that rollout was announced, Netflix also shared that it would start testing a vertical video feed showing clips of Netflix shows and movies that you could tap into if you wanted to watch a full episode or movie. (The Verge, 4/16 – free version)

We visited San Francisco’s AI-run store so you don’t have to

In-store, customers can interact with Luna to ask questions or make purchases. If you want to make a purchase or inquire about an item, you simply pick up a phone and ask Luna. Reactions among customers were mixed during my visit, with some going out of their way to visit after hearing about the AI experiment and others just learning about it as they walked in. (Axios San Francisco, 4/20)

It Started as a Festival. Now Coachella Means Cash for Creators

Creators aren’t the only ones who are cashing in. From a marketing standpoint, a brand may pay a creator thousands of dollars for the event or give tickets in exchange for sponsored posts. But with engagement rates on Coachella-related content continuing to grow every year, a single post from an influencer in the desert could grab more social impressions than an entire month of consistent marketing from a brand’s team. (Rolling Stone, 4/18 – Google Docs version)

• Lucy’s note: I’m telling y’all!!!

The Hidden Factor in Choosing a College: Did It Rain on Your Tour?

Researchers at Amherst College found that poor weather on a campus visit actually reduces a student’s likelihood of applying—and the impact is notable, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Applications dipped 10.1% when a tour was hot and 5.9% when it was cold, relative to moderate temperatures. They also dipped 8.3% when there was precipitation and 4.9% when it was cloudy, compared with sunny days. (WSJ gift link, 4/19)

Is it normal to talk to yourself?

“Our ‘inner voice’ lets us keep information active in our minds ... simulate and plan for the future, motivate and control yourself, and weave together narratives that help us understand who we are,” Kross says. This could have a biological component, too, he explains. (USA Today, 4/14)

You Are Not Prepared to Learn the Size of Neanderthal Infants

That means the babies of Neanderthals, extinct cousins to us contemporary humans, were real life versions of the distinctly sturdy cave baby Bamm-Bamm Rubble from the iconic animated show “The Flintstones.” (Futurism, 4/18)

@stephenrigatonimost recent one for me is “the 215 club” what about y’all #groupchat #imessage #friendgroup #comedy #friends

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Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “Pilates Princesses, Trad Wives, and the Death of One-Size-Fits-All Femininity” from and

• “The Three Restaurants of American Politics” from of

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Friday!

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Have a job or opportunity (full-time, part-time, contract, or a secret fourth option) to share? SUBMIT IT HERE!

• Deputy Digital Director, Senator Chris Van Hollen

  • JD HERE

• Social Media Manager, Whatnot

  • JD HERE, $126,000–140,000 per year

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

REMINDER: the jobs corner is at the bottom of the newsletter! Today, we’ve got Chris Pappas for Senate and the Movement Voter Project.

ALSO want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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This week, I wrote about a topic I have a deep passion for and have been engaged in lots of research in: Coachella 2026 content and how it evidences my thesis that LA is replacing New York as the influencer capital of the US again lol.

If this picture also makes you feel wistful, you should read it!

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A Progressive Group Rolls Out a Campus Competitor to Turning Point

On Wednesday, More Perfect Union announced an initiative called More Perfect University, a college campus effort pitched as a liberal antidote to Turning Point USA, the conservative activist group that has spread right-wing cultural values at universities and mobilized young voters for President Trump. (NYT gift link, 4/15)

Can America’s Working Class Organize Before AI Crushes It?

Concerns over automation present a challenge for organized labor as it seeks to rebuild its former standing. As policymakers on the left and right look to bring back manufacturing — a traditional bastion for unions — some posit that many if not all returning jobs would be automated, highlighting growing automation in China and the rise of “lights out” factories that have automated to the point that lighting is no longer needed. (Rolling Stone, 4/16 – Google Docs version)

TMZ Gets Political

But even some of TMZ’s usual detractors have applauded its pivot to name-and-shame political coverage. Commenting on a Times story about the phenomenon, one commenter wrote, “I don’t trust TMZ as far as I can throw them but this is a friendly reminder that we do have a voice.” “Sad do-nothings,” another reader quipped, adding, “Give them the B-lister treatment, TMZ!” (The New Yorker, 4/15 – free version)

Allbirds, the quarter-zip of footwear, is leaving shoes behind to become an AI infrastructure company

Shares of onetime elder millennial footwear fave Allbirds are going absolutely vertical in Wednesday trading, following the company’s announcement that it is pivoting from shoes to, what else, AI. Allbirds shares spiked Wednesday after the company’s announcement, which comes a few weeks after it entered into an agreement to sell its brand and footwear assets to American Exchange Group for $39 million. (Sherwood, 4/15)

Maine lawmakers pass nation’s first statewide ban on large data centers

Legislators in Maine on Tuesday passed the nation’s first statewide ban on large data centers, part of a growing backlash to the energy-intensive facilities that fuel the rise of artificial intelligence. The measure would block the creation of new data centers that draw more than 20 megawatts of power until the fall of 2027 and establish a mechanism to study their impact on the electrical grid. (WaPo, 4/14 – free version)

Dolly Parton tops list of global figures in US favorability poll

A poll of Americans’ opinions about more than 20 international luminaries established as much, with the 11-time Grammy winner and philanthropist leaving her two closest competitors – Barack Obama and Volodymyr Zelenskyy – in the dust by more than 50 percentage points. (The Guardian, 4/14)

Rom-Coms Make Money. Why Is Hollywood So Afraid to Put Them in Theaters?

For the Hollywood execs who haven’t abandoned the theatrical system as a lost cause, it’s clear that filling theater seats has become a desperate mission; the only risks they seem willing to take are on superhero movies — which they see as barely a risk at all. The humble rom-com is never going to rake in the cash that major IP and superhero films do. But box-office figures from the past five years show a steep decline in audience interest in the status quo. (Rolling Stone, 4/16 – Google Docs version)

The most popular male and female names in the US, according to the latest Census

In all, American females had far more first-name diversity than male counterparts: 16% of US males had one of the top 10 most frequent names among men, compared with 7.8% of women. Zooming out, almost 3x as many given names were needed to cover a quarter of the US female population than that of males. (Sherwood, 4/15)

It’s giving... lack of social skills: Why Gen Z has adopted the infuriating silent scream

This is the Gen Z silent scream: the new behavioral motif used by the young to convey a muted kind of elation. The gesture has been picked apart endlessly online, with many filing it among a growing lexicon of supposedly baffling Gen Z-isms: the blank “Gen Z stare” when asked a question; the carefully calibrated “Gen Z pout”; the ongoing discourse around crew socks, baggy jeans, and an almost reflexive fluency in therapy-speak. (The Independent, 4/15)

Jill Biden Bids $35,000 For Chance to Win ‘Heated Rivalry’ Walk-On Role During LGBTQ Benefit Auction

Jill Biden is a “Heated Rivalry” fan. So much so that the former First Lady, just minutes ago during the live auction at the NYC LGBT Community Center’s Center Dinner, bid $35,000 to have a walk-on role in the queer hockey series’ second season along with a dinner with the cast, according to sources. However, she was outbid. The package ending up selling twice to two bidders at $125,000 each. (Variety, 4/16)

I Found It: The Best Free Restaurant Bread in America

At some point within this text, I will reveal to you what—after 555 responses, 13,000 miles of travel, and months of monomaniacal research—I have determined to be the best free restaurant bread in America. I will not attempt to slither to the moral high ground, arguing that best is a meaningless measure, or insisting that all bread is dear in its own way. Even if you attempt to betray me—for instance, by merely scanning the text that follows for the phrase Here it is: the best free restaurant bread in America—I will uphold my end of the bargain. (The Atlantic, 4/14 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: respectfully, I knew immediately that the answer would be the Le Dip cranberry bread

@abbeybonadiesReplying to @Roob could go for some chicken fries and a side of piping hot tea after this update 👀 #letsflow #alixearle #alexcooper #daveportnoy #briannachickenfry

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Extra Credit 🤓

• “The influencer who took down a politician” from

• “Our Pulse Check Text Results (Pt. 1)” from

• “The Newest Pseudo-Intellectual Hit with Young Men” from and

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!

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Have a job or opportunity (full-time, part-time, contract, or a secret fourth option) to share? SUBMIT IT HERE!

• Multimedia Producer, Chris Pappas for Senate

  • JD HERE, $6,000 per month, contact: pappasjobsnh@gmail.com

• Development and Prospect Research Associate, Movement Voter Project

  • JD HERE, $90,000-100,000

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

ALSO want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter like the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

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I have a prediction that I can’t 100% prove yet… but I’m pretty sure I’m right: I think LA is about to once again overtake NYC as the influencer capitol of America. If that feels like a lukewarm take, that’s maybe fair. But since 2020, when the isolation of COVID seems to have made everyone then stampede to America’s biggest city, it is undisputed that NYC is where the internet it-people – or people who want to be them – flock to. This was a major shift from the 2010s, especially the early 2010s, where (as I’m sure my fellow Zillennials remember) everyone cool wanted to be in LA. This photo should hopefully make clear exactly what era I’m talking about:

And, after many long years of postgrads making it impossible to move in SoHo and Nolita, I believe that the West Coast is once again reclaiming that crowd. (That is the last passive-aggressive comment I will make as a native New Yorker, I promise – transplants, read on without fear lol).

Now, for important context, this is happening at a time when LA County is actually seeing the largest decline in population of any county in the US. This, however, seems like it further evidences my point: people are getting priced out (which is a widespread problem in California). And if tons of expensive developments with apartments, retail, etc. are going in… that is (unfortunately) a siren call to the influencer class.

The reason that I’m sharing this prediction now is probably obvious to any fellow serial scroller. That is, Coachella content, which epitomizes the LA influencer scene to me, is raking in engagement this year in ways that I haven’t seen since that 2010s, Valencia-filtered era. Let’s take a closer look at TikTok, where I (and most people) seem to be getting the bulk of it👇

First, you know it’s deep because TikTok built Coachella a custom landing page. And dare I say, it’s one of the best I’ve seen from them yet.

Second, an interesting trend I’ve noticed is that it isn’t just pre-existing famous people whose Coachella content is going super viral – it’s a ton of the more normal attendees. In a very meta turn of events, Coachella is actually spawning more influencers in real time.

To be fair, I think people have always been pretty fascinated with the car campers – that is, the normal people not being put up in AirBnBs by brands, who build cool set-ups on the festival grounds. But it seems like that interest is at an all-time high.

I personally have watched every Coachella video from Davanity, a longtime Weekend 1 Coachella attendee, who I believe is now invited to Weekend 2 because her videos from last weekend went so viral. And, perhaps ironically, I was told to watch her videos by an NYC influencer, who praised her for showing the “real” side of Coachella, like getting food poisoning and long lines for the showers.

And looking at the top #Coachella videos that TikTok is serving/recommending me (this is not just pure top-performing videos, it’s what they’re actively pushing at me) … I’m seeing a lot of car camping energy. And I wonder if some of the major influencers (a couple of whom are present here) will lean away from tours of their curated Palm Springs vacation mansions during Weekend 2 and lean into the “realness” of the festival, given how that type of content seems to be performing (and, you know, the bad economy, anti-influencer sentiment that’s been upon us since last January).

And FWIW, another prediction: I think this girl – who is also showing the “real” side of Coachella – might be on the up and up this upcoming weekend.

If you’re consuming Coachella Weekend 2 content, and/or have been clocked in, I’m curious to know what you think about all of this! You know where to find me 👇

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FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got James Talarico for Texas, Elias Law Group, Small Business and Entrepreneurship – Democrats (under Sen. Ed Markey), and Committee to Protect Healthcare.

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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QUICK NOTE: if you’re going to be doing the happy hour circuit in DC on Monday or Tuesday of next week (for America Votes!) and want to chat all things digital media x politics x culture, please say hey! Conversely, my first final is on Friday, so if you see me out of the house after Tuesday night… please shame me into going home lol.

Swalwell scandal threatens cascade of House expulsion votes

The scandal surrounding Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is rapidly ballooning and could jolt a surge of expulsion votes for at least three of his House colleagues as soon as the chamber returns from recess next week. Multiple members in the 119th Congress accused of grave misbehavior have so far survived every push to oust them. The bill may finally be coming due. (Axios, 4/12)

• Lucy’s note: It’s been exactly 20 years since Tarana Burke coined Me Too and 9 years since it took off on Twitter – which begs the question, is another wave coming? (since it’s not like things have really changed…)

Judge refuses to block sending abortion pill by mail for now, but says FDA must finish review

U.S. District Judge David Joseph, who sits in Lafayette, Louisiana, ruled against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who asked that U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules that allow mifepristone to be dispensed through the mail be paused while a challenge to those 2023 regulations moves through the courts. He granted the government’s request to put the case on hold for now, though he warned that the pause would not be indefinite — and that he could side with Louisiana later. (AP, 4/7)

Trump post appearing to depict himself as Jesus sparks backlash from religious right

Unlike the post criticizing Leo, whom Trump later said he didn’t like and is too “liberal,” the image evoking Jesus drew swift criticism from some evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics who have otherwise expressed near constant support for Trump’s decisions. (WaPo, 4/13 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: Trump’s excuse is that it was supposed to be him as a doctor, not Jesus… man, he’s not even really trying with the lies anymore, is he

AI influencers are ‘everywhere’ at Coachella

Ammarathegoat is most likely one such AI influencer trying to sell a false reality to its over 170,000 Instagram followers. Images posted by the account, which has no AI disclosure in the bio, show what looks like an AI-generated avatar posing for pictures with members of the Kardashian/Jenner family and real human content creators like Bretman Rock and James Charles, all with recognizable scenes of Coachella structures in the background. (The Verge, 4/13 – free version)

How the Internet Broke Everyone’s Bullshit Detectors

Automated traffic now commands an estimated 51 percent of internet activity, scaling eight times faster than human traffic according to the 2026 State of AI Traffic & Cyberthreat Benchmark Report. These systems don’t just distribute content, they prioritize low-quality virality, ensuring the synthetic record travels while verification is still catching up. Open source investigators are still holding the line, but they are fighting a volume war. (WIRED, 4/11 – free version)

Apple AI Glasses Will Rival Meta’s With Several Styles, Oval Cameras

The glasses are part of a broader, three-pronged AI wearables strategy that also includes new AirPods and a camera-equipped pendant. Each device is designed to leverage computer vision to interpret the user’s surroundings and feed contextual awareness into Siri and Apple Intelligence. (Bloomberg, 4/12 – free version)

Gig Workers Have Seconds to Take a Job. Gas Prices Complicate the Decision.

The AI-driven algorithm that Uber uses to set fares has already been resulting in lower per-ride pay for drivers, according to drivers and ride-hailing associations. Rising gas prices have made profit margins tighter. Martinez said her weekly take-home earnings of $1,200 began going down a year ago because of lower fares and have continued to drop to $700 because of high gas prices. (WSJ gift link, 4/11)

The Fanfare Around the Band Geese Actually Was a Psyop

Now Chaotic Good cofounder Adam Tarsia confirms to WIRED that his company engineered campaigns for both Geese and Cameron Winter. “We helped distribute clips of them performing and doing some interviews on TikTok,” Tarsia says via email, speaking on behalf of Chaotic Good. “I understand that ‘industry plant’ discourse is inevitable, but we’ve had the pleasure of being Geese fans since their 2021 project Projector,” which, he notes, was released four full years before his agency launched. (WIRED, 4/14 – free version)

Wit, unker, git: The lost medieval pronouns of English intimacy

“Wit” means “we two” in Old English, a Germanic language spoken in England until about the 12th Century, which evolved into the English we speak today. Now completely lost, “wit” was part of an extinct group of pronouns used for exactly two people: the dual form, which also includes “uncer” or “unker” (”our” for two people) and “git” (”you two”). (BBC, 4/9)

The Universe is expanding too fast and scientists still can’t explain it

In theory, both methods should produce the same answer. In reality, they do not. Observations of the local Universe consistently point to a faster expansion rate of about 73 kilometers per second per megaparsec. Meanwhile, calculations based on the early Universe suggest a slower rate of roughly 67 or 68. The gap between these values is small in absolute terms, but far too large to dismiss as a statistical fluke. (Science Daily, 4/12)

Tired of Sneezing? This Everyday Drink Might Offer Some Relief, According to New Research

The study, published in the journal NPJ Science of Food, examined the impact of matcha on mice engineered to develop seasonal allergy-like symptoms. Some of the mice were given matcha extract three times a week for five weeks, along with an extra matcha exposure 30 minutes before they were exposed to an allergen that would typically spark their hay fever symptoms. (Food & Wine, 4/12)

Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “Coachella performers are funding the MAGA movement” from of

• “AI populism’s warning shots” from

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Friday!

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Have a job or opportunity (full-time, part-time, contract, or a secret fourth option) to share? SUBMIT IT HERE!

• Deputy Political Director, James Talarico for Texas

  • JD HERE, $8,000 per month

• Political Law Practice Group Coordinator, Elias Law Group

  • JD HERE, $31.25-38.46 per hour

• Research Assistant/Digital Assistant, Small Business and Entrepreneurship – Democrats (under Sen. Ed Markey)

  • JD HERE

• Video Editor and/or Digital Creator (Full Time or Contract), Committee to Protect Health Care

  • JD HERE

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

REMINDER: the jobs corner is at the bottom of the newsletter! Today, we’ve got EMILYs List, the Office of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Way Creative Studio.

ALSO want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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I returned to my roots today and made some charts! 👇

Here’s the main TL;DR one:

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RFK Jr is launching a podcast to expose ‘lies’ that have made Americans sick

The show, titled “The Secretary Kennedy Podcast,” will launch next week and feature Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader who has reshaped the country’s health policy, in conversation with doctors, scientists and agency staff, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials told the AP ahead of the launch. In the teaser video, in a slick HHS-branded studio with ominous music playing in the background, Kennedy bills it as a new way to expose corruption and lies that have made Americans sick. (AP, 4/8)

• Lucy’s note: remember when we were all nervous about ancient diseases thawing out from melting ice caps and posing an immense danger to modern health… crazy that those pathogens really got usurped by RFK Jr.

Democrats are Sticking with Embattled ActBlue But Exploring Other Fundraising Options

For Democrats, there are only a handful of alternatives. Democratic political companies NGP VAN and Action Network feature robust fundraising platforms, and multiple people NOTUS spoke to mentioned GoodChange, Oath and Numero. All three offer fundraising services that are distinct from each other and ActBlue — they all have business models beyond being the payment processor that ActBlue is, and campaigns that use them often do so alongside ActBlue. (NOTUS, 4/10)

Online and on the Stump, Democrats Embrace a Four-Letter Word

Some officials say their embrace of coarse language is simply an authentic response to a moment when many Democratic voters are enraged by Mr. Trump, especially on the issue of aggressive immigration raids. But the widespread embrace of the F-word also comes as Democrats try to rebut claims that they have fallen out of touch with everyday people. (NYT gift link, 4/9)

Would You Buy Yerba Mate From Barron Trump?

According to documents filed in Florida in January, Barron is one of five directors of Sollos Yerba Mate, a company headquartered in Palm Beach a couple of blocks away from Mar-a-Lago. Per their LinkedIn pages, the brand’s founders, Spencer Bernstein and Stephen Hall, both attended Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach at the same time as Barron. (The Cut, 4/9 – free version)

Social Media Companies Are Looking for a New Name

Alphabet’s Google used the same line in the recent trial in California accusing YouTube and its contemporaries of knowingly addicting and harming kids and teens. Google’s attorney argued that YouTube isn’t social media, and when the company lost, it turned again to the idea, emphasizing that “this case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.” (It has also welcomed the description that YouTube is, simply, TV.) (Bloomberg, 4/8 – free version)

Gen Z’s love-hate relationship with AI

Gallup’s poll, conducted in February and March this year, found Gen Z’s feelings on AI have cooled significantly since last year. Only 18 percent said they were hopeful about the technology and 22 percent said they were excited, down from 27 percent and 36 percent, respectively. At the same time, anger is growing: 31 percent of respondents said they feel angry about AI, up from 22 percent last year. (The Verge, 4/10 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: full Gallup read-out here

Today I learned what a social media bot farm looks like — and it made me delete my Reddit account (OPINION)

The camera then pans around the room to show the viewer tens of these towers, maybe over a hundred, all equipped in the same fashion. Perhaps 400,000 phones, all with at least one account and probably more when you factor in different sites, all humming and blinking and whirring to themselves, turning water and power into rage and engagement. (TechRadar, 4/9)

Gen Z’s biggest fear is laughable at first. But it’s quietly wreaking havoc on their lives.

A new Yahoo/YouGov poll demonstrates how this anxiety has shaped their lives in very real ways: More than half of adult Gen Z respondents said that they have avoided expressing themselves freely online for fear of coming across as cringe. It has also seeped into their lives beyond the internet: 55% say fear of cringe has prevented them from opening up to someone emotionally; large shares say that it has held them back romantically and prevented them from pursuing hobbies and seizing professional opportunities. (Yahoo News, 4/9)

• Lucy’s note: new (of ) just dropped!! as an ancient Gen Z, I shared some of my earliest memories of cringe lol

Prosecutors Put Rap Lyrics on Trial. Maryland Is About to Shut It Down

That ruling set a dangerous precedent, particularly for rap and hip-hop artists in America, and prompted Variety to publish our January 2021 opinion piece. What we didn’t realize at the time was that the article would help spark a national movement — now a united front of influential academics, defense and civil rights attorneys, and prominent music industry advocacy organizations including Songwriters of North America, the Black Music Action Coalition, The Recording Academy, and more. (Rolling Stone, 4/10 – Google Doc version)

At Women’s Sports Bars, Female All-Stars and ‘Safer Vibes’

Women’s sports bars—which are often framed by proprietors as a passion project as much as a commercial enterprise—neatly meet that growing demand. Last March, an NBC News analysis found that the number of women’s sports bars in the US was on track to quadruple by the end of the year, increasing from six to around 24 across 16 US states. (SELF, 4/3)

‘The Housemaid’ author Freida McFadden reveals her real identity

McFadden, whose prolific output includes “The Housemaid” and other domestic thrillers, uses a pseudonym, wig and glasses to maintain her privacy in public. When she first began publishing, she lived a Hannah Montana-worthy double life as a doctor but kept the two personas separate. (USA Today, 4/8)

Why did childhood summers feel endless?

One of the more commonly cited explanations for why childhood summers feel endless deals with simple proportions: a year at age five represents a fifth of your entire life, while a year at age 50 is merely a fiftieth. Although Wittmann acknowledges the popularity of this theory, he questions whether an individual’s experience of time perception really lines up so neatly with the math. (Popular Science, 4/8)

@lemonboynickstopped mid-shower to record this #fyp #fy

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Extra Credit 🤓

• “The Discourse Around Coco Gauff’s Miu Miu Campaign is a Class Conversation Being Disguised as a Cultural One” from of

• “The Men inside The Mad House.” from

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Today, I am returning to my FWIW roots because I realized I miss making charts… and there’s nothing stopping me from making any charts that I find interesting!

Despite the fact that we are 942 days away from the next presidential election, articles about the possible 2028 Dem hopefuls abound. I wanted to check out their followings on their personal/campaign accounts on the platforms that I feel are the most impactful these days – that is, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Here is the list that I considered (built off of this and this and my own news-warped brain). I also added our lovely Democratic perennials (Sens. Sanders, Warren, and Booker) since it’s always worth keeping them in mind.

A few disclaimers: first, I collected this data from the respective platforms today (Friday, April 10, 2026). Depending on when you’re reading this, these numbers will shift! Second, the totals chart does not account for duplicate followers i.e., those who follow Kamala Harris on both Instagram and TikTok. Third, I counted the Team Pritzker and Team Moore TikTok accounts as personal/campaign accounts. And fourth, before I get the comments/emails, I am in no way saying that this is definite proof of who is the strongest potential candidate. Just interesting and, yes, potentially impactful data points!

Here’s how things shook out:

And now for the grand totals… 🥁🥁🥁

A couple of random observations and thoughts:

First, I think Facebook is once again going to be invaluable this cycle, especially for $$$ – in other words, she’s baaaaack. So keep an eye on who keeps it moving on Facebook.

Second, it looks like Ro Khanna’s media blitz, talk straight and talk to everyone strategy is working – or, at least, it’s putting him in much closer proximity to the big players on socials than he otherwise would have been.

Third, I’m not saying it didn’t make me laugh… but I am saying Rahm Emanuel might want to consider a new profile picture if he’s going to run for president.

That’s all for now – see you next week!

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FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got Substack, Indivisible, and the Senate Banking Committee Minority (under Sen. Warren).

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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QUICK NOTE: I have the MOST fun chatting with my friend Sammy Kanter of Girl and the Gov for her new newsletter, The Girl and the Gov Diaries – if you are a politics x culture girlie (gender-neutral term ofc), then you should definitely be following her everywhere!

How Democrats Are Embracing Dark Money

For the first decade after the court’s decision, Republicans dominated the so-called dark money game. But nowadays, it’s the Democrats who are running the table. That’s partly because some of their ultrarich donors fear retribution from President Trump and want to hide the fact that they are together spending hundreds of millions of dollars on liberal candidates and causes. (NYT gift link, 4/3)

These Cities and States Are Taking Aim at Data Centers

Maine looks poised to become the first state to freeze building of new data centers with legislation that could pass this spring, but community backlash against these properties is spreading across the country. Lawmakers in more than 10 states have proposed temporary bans on data-center construction this year. Dozens of county and city governments have already passed such measures. (WSJ, 4/7)

Politicians are debuting holograms at airports. It’s either innovation or the ‘height of inauthenticity.’

Today it’s mayors who appear to be the most eager political adopters of the technology, especially in Northern California. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan both recently debuted airport holograms. A few years earlier, Jeffrey Mims Jr., then mayor of Dayton, Ohio, unveiled one at his local airport. The upside for politicians is that it could allow them to beam themselves to multiple audiences at once — to be present, in some form, where they are not. (POLITICO, 4/5)

Congressional Race Takes a Strange Turn—One Guy Keeps Showing Up at Quinceañeras

What began as a clever response to a dig from his political opponent has morphed into something much bigger. Pulido, a Latin Grammy Award-winning Tejano singer vying to represent Texas’ 15th congressional district, spends most of his Friday and Saturday nights bouncing around South Texas performing at the traditional Hispanic celebrations of a girl’s 15th birthday. (WSJ gift link, 4/5)

OpenAI’s latest release is a social contract revamp

AI companies have warned that their newest models could enable large-scale cyberattacks and engineered biological weapons in the near future. So, OpenAI also shared ways to mitigate AI threats, like giving the government a bigger role in managing risks and expanding international AI-safety cooperation. (Morning Brew, 4/7)

• Lucy’s note: like I appreciate the memo since our government clearly isn’t doing this work… but alternatively, could they invest some of this energy into not building world-destroying products maybe?

Cameo partners with TikTok to boost popularity

The new partnership aims to help creators increase their earnings while simplifying the process for fans to request Cameo videos. Creators can now sign up to provide personalized messages within TikTok, making it easier for their followers to access this offering right alongside the content they are already engaging with. (TechCrunch, 4/1)

Your Instagram Story Text Is Too Damn Small!

If a grid post started to feel like too formal of an announcement, here was a self-deleting format that offered a lower commitment. Using small text on a story minimizes the impact further — something younger users know especially well. Micro-text is “part of a broader tendency of Gen Z to lean into low-key, ‘IYKYK’ vibes when posting,” says Tessa Lyons-Laing, VP of Product at Instagram, who confirms that this tiny font wave we’re seeing is, in fact, a thing. (Bustle, 4/2)

Gen Z wants their job to cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, survey suggests

It’s a benefit that could actually push young employees from one job offer to another. In a new ZipHealth survey of more than 1,000 workers, nearly half (47%) of Gen Zers said GLP-1 coverage would affect their choice between two similar jobs—that’s compared to 35% of millennials and 36% of Gen X workers surveyed. (Fast Company, 4/6)

Trying to Thrift Vintage Gap? You and Everybody Else

According to the digital secondhand retailer ThredUp, more and more people are opting for online resale and secondhand shopping — including to save money and for sustainability purposes — and Gap is one of the platform’s most-shopped brands, landing at number five on their top ten list. (The report also notes that resale is “no longer a secondary option,” and that many consumers are going directly to secondhand sites to shop.) (Teen Vogue, 4/2)

Strongest El Niño in a century? What this rare phenomenon could bring.

During a typical El Niño, a warming patch of water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean influences what regions experience droughts, floods, extreme heat, hurricanes and declining sea ice. During relatively rare super El Niño events, happening once every 10 to 15 years on average, the effects may be stronger, more persistent and more widespread. (WaPo, 4/6 – free version)

@bunnydayoffNew dance alert !! 😎 #viral

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Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “Social media has become a freak show” from /

  • Also mentioned in the latest Garbage Day send

• “What is the Gender Breakdown of College Political Organizations?” from , , and

• “Why this Trump endorsement has Democrats sighing with relief” from of

  • Scroll for a good round-up of Q1 numbers!

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  • JD HERE, $102,400 per year

• Communications Intern, Senate Banking Committee Minority (under Sen. Warren)

  • JD HERE, $18 per hour, contact: senatebankingminority@gmail.com

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

REMINDER: the jobs corner is at the bottom of the newsletter! Today, we’ve got ParentsTogether – The Dads Initiative, Morning Brew, Catalist, and O2O Group.

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I, like probably everyone, had some thoughts on the collective rediscovery of JFK Jr.’s George magazine here 👇👇👇

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE LINE:

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A record number of congressional lawmakers aren’t running for reelection in 2026. Here’s the list.

There are 39 retiring from public office with the rest running for a different office — 15 looking to become governor of their state, 16 looking to make the jump from House to Senate and one, Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, is looking to become his state’s attorney general. (NPR, 3/30)

Bondi out, Blanche in: what will a new justice department head mean for the Epstein investigation?

For Olivarius, Bondi’s firing portends more to image than accountability. “Bondi was fired not because of what she did as much as how she looked doing it. She had an impossible task to begin with, and she executed it with less panache and flashy belligerence than Trump would have liked,” she said. (The Guardian, 4/3)

Mamdani puts New York City government back on TikTok

The city will now allow agencies to start posting again on the short-form social media site as long as departments follow a set of security precautions, according to a memo from city cybersecurity officials provided by the mayor’s office. The prohibition was established by Eric Adams, Mamdani’s predecessor, in 2023 as the federal government and many U.S. states restricted the app from government-owned devices over concerns that its parent company, ByteDance, could share data with the Chinese government. (AP, 3/31)

Inside the OpenAI project where freelancers train ChatGPT on everything from farming to commercial flying

As AI gets smarter and more capable, data-labeling platforms have shifted from generalist work to increasingly specialized tasks that require field expertise or postgraduate degrees. According to Handshake’s website, expert taskers can be paid up to $500 per hour for contract work in job listings that were not explicitly tied to OpenAI. (Business Insider, 4/1 – free version)

Anthropic Says That Claude Contains Its Own Kind of Emotions

Anthropic’s findings may help ordinary users make sense of how chatbots actually work. When Claude says it is happy to see you, for example, a state inside the model that corresponds to “happiness” may be activated. And Claude may then be a little more inclined to say something cheery or put extra effort into vibe coding. (WIRED, 4/2)

Meta’s natural gas binge could power South Dakota

Last week, Meta announced it would fund seven natural gas power plants — on top of the three it had already committed to building — to support the $27 billion data center. When combined, the 10 power plants in Louisiana will generate around 7.5 gigawatts of electricity, slightly more than the capacity of the entire Mount Rushmore State. (TechCrunch, 4/1)

Nasa’s Artemis II rocket lifts off for historic moon mission

Their 10-day test flight, which will not land on the moon, is a mission packed with milestones. Two of the crew, Nasa’s Christina Koch and Victor Glover, will become respectively the first woman and first person of color to fly into cislunar space, the area between Earth’s orbit and the moon. (The Guardian, 4/1)

• Lucy’s note: an article for anyone else who also suddenly wondered why we launch rockets from Florida

The Women Who Love the Manosphere

In the manosphere, a new-media universe where bro-friendly hosts like Von and Joe Rogan reign supreme, women fans represent an undertapped market. Podcasts increasingly run on advertising revenue, and women are the ultimate audience to reach, as they influence the bulk of household spending. (WSJ gift link, 4/1)

Emma Chamberlain Brings Her Cool-Girl Aesthetic to West Elm

In 2022, when AD featured the Los Angeles residence of Emma Chamberlain, the wildly popular internet phenom was already immersing herself in the world of home decor, gaining confidence and inspiration from her work with the interiors firm Proem. Always a quick study, Chamberlain has followed up that initial foray with a collection of furniture and decorative accessories for West Elm. (Architectural Digest, 3/30)

• Lucy’s note: is out with a good video explaining the Gen Z cultural implications here

Hershey says it will shift back to classic recipe for all Reese’s products after criticism

“How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese’s trust in the first place?” Reese wrote in the letter, which he posted on his LinkedIn profile. (AP, 4/1)

World’s largest Cadbury Mini egg weighs as much as an emu

It took chocolatiers Claire Fielding, Dawn Jenks, and Donna Pitt two days to craft the giant egg entirely by hand. The 27.5-inch-tall, 121-pound egg weighs about as much as an emu. The Mega Mini Egg has a pastel pink sugar coating on its crisp shell and some subtle speckles on the surface. (Popular Science, 3/30)

Extra Credit 🤓

• “If y’all are gonna keep talking about him, I’m going to tell you where he came from” from of

  • Hint: “him” is everyone’s least fave looksmaxxer

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• Social Media Manager, ParentsTogether – The Dads Initiative

  • JD HERE, $3,000-3,500 per month, contact: adam@parents-together.org

• Associate Booking Producer, Morning Brew

  • JD HERE, $70,000-80,000 per year

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  • JD HERE, $20 per hour

• Content Creator, O2O Group

  • JD HERE, $6,000-8,000 per month, contact: info@o2ostrategy.org

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Like everyone I know, I’ve been watching Love Story with increasing pangs of guilt. Personally, as someone born and raised in NYC in the late 90s, who was raised with my parents recounting how they paid for this expensive photography session to get pictures of their baby in the park, and then John-John’s plane went missing, and absolutely nobody could focus on anything else, I am stuck between the guilt I know I should feel watching these real people’s lives and horrible, sudden passing and the fact that I was not a sentient being for any of this, so none of it actually seems real. (One silver lining: I’m hype to see CBK’s fave, C.O. Bigelow, getting love again, and I will not feel bad about that!).

And I, like many, was struck by the resemblance between the ethos of JFK Jr.’s George magazine, which was meant to blend politics and culture such that non-politicos could suddenly realize that pop culture had a lot more to do with the ballot box (and vice versa) than elites may have them believe, and just about every pitch deck that Democratic organizations have produced since the 2024 election. George’s tagline was “not just politics as usual,” nodding to its cultural reframe of electoral politics – branding that would be right at home on any of the dozens of Substacks from political thought leaders that have popped up over the last year.

Another similarity, perhaps, to Dems figuring out how to do new media here in 2026: back in the late 90s, George magazine was a bit (or a lot) of a hot mess. Before JFK Jr’s passing, leadership was completely fractured, and, in the sources I’ve read, it seems like the fact that the magazine tried to span “two worlds,” while being headed by a public figure, made it difficult for revenue teams to work with. It suffered from a too-many-buckets problem (which is hilarious to think about today, when I imagine most revenue teams would do anything for a product like this).

Despite the struggles, I think many of us can’t stop thinking about how JFK Jr. seemed to have had a remarkably prescient idea almost 30 years too soon – and what lessons we can take from it, especially given that the media landscape now is practically unrecognizable as compared to the era when George flopped.

First, an elephant (or a donkey) in the room: I find the now-iconic first cover of George – which featured superstar model Cindy Crawford (which, I think, is meant to conjure this) – to be insanely awkward. I can’t fully verbalize it except to say that when I saw the launch cover, it seemed to prophesize the tension and stilted awkwardness that would later plague the publication.

I wanted to do my due diligence, however, and ensure that this wasn’t just a product of my Gen Z brain. So, these are, I believe, all covers from best-selling US magazines from August or September 1995 that should have been on stands the same time that George’s first edition was.

My final analysis: these other covers contextualize George’s first issue more… but something about it just feels fundamentally uncomfortable with itself. Maybe this is hindsight speaking, but you can feel the nerves through the subheadings.

Which is ironic, because George magazine really did have the who’s who between its pages, from Madeline Albright to Madonna (to Harrison Ford, whose cover I actually think is fun). And again, imagining an analogue in 2026 to the first edition of George, which had the Cindy Crawford cover, a Q&A with George Wallace, a piece by Chris Matthews, and a feature on Julia Roberts: that would be something like Jack Schlossberg putting together a magazine with Kendall Jenner on the cover, a Q&A with Liz Cheney, a piece by Jake Tapper, and a feature on Margot Robbie. (Sorry if you don’t agree with those analogies – this is a fun mental exercise if you also really want to see how much culture has splintered since the 90s).

All that to say, I can imagine every media organization – certainly, Vogue, at least – salivating over this. Also, it would probably never happen, given that any “public” figure’s risk tolerance for attaching their brand to anything political in any meaningful way (I don’t mean a selfie two weeks before an election) is so damn low.

So, all we’re left with is a fascinating, fairly ghostly puzzle: a 25-year-defunct politics x culture magazine spearheaded by a Kennedy with lines like “the new divas of politics” that would have killed today on TikTok. A modern new media ecosystem suddenly desperate to do the same thing, but in a splintered, fraught time when it seems even more impossible than it was for beleaguered George back in its day.

What happens now (besides everyone rushing to collect old George editions)? Well, the obvious answer is that someone is going to bring the actual George magazine back, if I had to guess. Perhaps the results of the NY-12 congressional race will also shed some further light. But what I’m really curious to see is whether or not someone can take the lessons of the past and the present – the alleged awkwardness of spanning two separate content buckets, the revenue problems it might implicate, the trouble with developing a cohesive identity and brand, etc. – and build a politics x culture publication that is resilient and self-actualized enough to withstand the tides of American attention that have sunk so many others.

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FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got Friends of Sherrod Brown, Public Opinion Productions, Accelerate Change, and the Tidelines Institute.

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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Trump defends White House ballroom as ‘shed’ for secret military complex beneath

Aboard Air Force One, Trump characterized the ballroom as a shelter for the military component. “The ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built under the military, including from drones and including from any other thing,” Trump said. (USA Today, 3/30)

• Lucy’s note: nothing signals confidence in the country you’re leading like lowkey building an indestructible bunker underneath your gilded ballroom

Supreme Court finds law banning conversion therapy for minors likely violates free speech

The Supreme Court on Tuesday found that a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for gay and transgender minors likely violates free speech, the latest in a string of decisions by the high court rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ people and expanding the rights of the religious. (WaPo, 3/31)

Slow-Walking Back Into an AIDS Nightmare

The most extreme example is in Florida. Early this month, the state government drastically reduced access to its AIDS Drug Assistance Program, a long-standing federal initiative operated and partly funded by states that provides free or subsidized HIV meds and care. Claiming a $120 million budget shortfall, Florida chopped the annual income-eligibility cutoff for ADAP from about $64,000 (in line with many other states) to about $21,000. Half of the 32,000 Floridians who depend on ADAP would lose coverage. (Intelligencer, 3/30 – free version)

US abortion rate holds steady largely due to travel and telehealth availability

One major change in this report is the provision of telehealth for patients in states with total bans – with clinicians in states such as New York or Massachusetts, which have shield laws to protect providers, seeing and prescribing remotely to patients living in states such as Texas or Alabama. (The Guardian, 3/29)

• Lucy’s note: a little bit of hopecore and proof that what we do and what/who we vote for in blue states matters!!!

Super scrollers sour on democracy

Heavy social media users are less likely to think democracy is the best form of government and more likely to stray from democratic norms, according to a newly released study from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup. New research suggests social media is reshaping how people engage with democracy, expanding access to ideas while also contributing to a more fractured media environment. (Axios, 3/31)

Bluesky leans into AI with Attie, an app for building custom feeds

The team from Bluesky has built another app — and this time, it’s not a social network, but an AI assistant that allows you to design your own algorithm, create custom feeds, and, one day, vibe-code your own app. (TechCrunch, 3/28)

Gap says it will launch checkout within Google’s Gemini, in an AI first from a major fashion company

When shoppers are hunting for a new pair of jeans or the perfect oversized hoodie on Gemini, and the platform thinks some of Gap’s products could be a fit, customers will be able to buy products from Gap’s house of brands directly within the platform without having to be redirected to the brand’s website. (CNBC, 3/24)

‘Harry Potter’ Trailer Surpasses 277M Views, Becomes Most-Watched in HBO History

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a TV series reimagining J.K. Rowling’s seven-part book series and part of the Warner Bros. franchise, which starred Daniel Radcliffe as its title character, released its first trailer on Wednesday. After the first 48 hours, it had reached more than 277 million organic views across platforms, making it the most-watched trailer in HBO and HBO Max history. (The Hollywood Reporter, 3/27)

• Lucy’s note: This comes amongst some major boycott discourse about this series… personally, as a HP kid who cannot stand JK, I am very torn

AI do? Weddings turn to AI but miss human touch

Over a third of engaged couples now use artificial intelligence in their wedding planning — a share that nearly doubled in just one year, according to new data from The Knot. You can do a lot with AI, like generate custom images, moodboards and yes, even vows. (Axios, 3/29)

Thieves steal paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse in Italy museum heist

The heist took place on the night of March 22-23, with thieves forcing open the entrance door, police said. The three stolen paintings are “Fish” by Auguste Renoir, “Still Life with Cherries” by Paul Cézanne, and “Odalisque on the Terrace” by Henri Matisse. (NBC News, 3/30)

D.C.’s most famous winged couple — Mr. President and Lotus — are expecting

Like any celebrity couple, the pair has also hit a few rocky patches, the common denominator being Mr. President. Last spring, another female eagle showed up in the nest, making it seem as if she was just passing through the area. Then Lotus took off from the nest for several weeks. Last spring, the couple did not produce any offspring. Why remains a mystery. (WaPo, 3/30)

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Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

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I did a little writing this week on Zara Larsson’s video about being pro-choice (and why it’s the type of content that we desperately need) and posted it separately in case you’re interested 👇🌺

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Bigotry among young conservatives has Republicans on edge

Radicalization on the young right has set off a bitter debate in the GOP about how much Republicans should police their movement and how serious a threat its most extreme elements pose. Some dismiss Fuentes and like-minded commentators as online agitators with little real influence — infiltrators trying to hurt the Republican Party. Others are alarmed at the traction they have gotten and say the party needs to push them more forcefully out of the GOP tent. (WaPo, 3/26 – free version)

The TSA is broken — is privatization next?

Supporters of TSA privatization clearly sense an opportunity with Mullin in charge. Since his nomination was announced, Fox News, Reason magazine, and the right-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute have published articles laying out the case for TSA privatization. Over the weekend, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) promised to revive his “Abolish TSA Act,” which died in committee last year. (The Verge, 3/25 – free version)

Olympics bans transgender athletes from women’s sports

The move aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports and follows a similar policy adopted by the U.S. Olympic Committee last year. The Trump administration cheered the IOC’s move, with the White House’s rapid response X account highlighting the decision and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt crediting Trump for the change. (POLITICO, 3/26)

• Lucy’s note: reminder that less than 1% of the US population identifies as trans… and the Right’s compulsion with being absolutely horrific to this small group of people just trying to live and be happy needs to be studied…

Social Media Companies Are Suddenly Getting Killed in Court

These cases tried to circumvent that defense entirely. They focused instead on the platforms themselves, making the argument that, as products, they can cause personal injury — again, inspired directly by the pre-social-media legal fight against the tobacco industry. The immediate possible consequences fall into two main categories. (Intelligencer, 3/26 – free version)

‘Jeopardy!’ Plans YouTube Spinoff Show as It Ramps Up Production on Platform

The new edition of the show will hosted by Ken Jennings, and feature three YouTube creators playing for their charity of choice. While the format will be similar to the main show that is available on TV screens across the country (as well as on Hulu and Peacock) it will also feature clues and categories related to internet culture and YouTube itself, with many video clues from other creators. (The Hollywood Reporter, 3/26)

OpenAI “indefinitely” shelves plans for erotic ChatGPT

Insiders told FT that OpenAI mulled scrapping the “adult mode” plan entirely, as even its own advisors warned that ChatGPT users could form unhealthy attachments, which might harm their mental health. One advisor chillingly suggested that the tweak risked turning ChatGPT into a “sexy suicide coach.” (Ars Technica, 3/26)

• Lucy’s note: we live in hell

Wikipedia Bans AI-Generated Content

The new policy, which was accepted in an overwhelming 40 to 2 vote among editors, allows editors to use LLMs to suggest basic copyedits to their own writing, which can be incorporated into the article or rewritten after human review if the LLM doesn’t generate entirely new content on its own. (404 Media, 3/26)

How Prediction Markets Are Changing the Music Industry

Davies has models to predict everything from Rotten Tomatoes reviews of movies to Spotify streams. When Kalshi first introduced in the fall of 2024 markets to predict the daily top songs on Spotify, Davies says, he would clear five figures a couple times a month. Today, however, there are dozens of music-related markets, and users like he and Fean have chased out a lot of the action. (Rolling Stone, 3/25 – free version)

The peptide gold rush: How impending deregulation could supercharge a shadow industry

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly poised to allow compounding pharmacies to dispense certain peptides that are currently restricted by the Food and Drug Administration. As of now, consumers are bypassing the FDA by buying vials of peptides labeled “for research use only” and then conducting that research on themselves. But with the potential of federal deregulation, an array of players — from billion-dollar telehealth platforms to the gray-market suppliers themselves — are scrambling to establish legitimate supply chains. (Sherwood, 3/26)

Record share of Americans carry credit card debt, can’t pay monthly bills

Roughly 111 million people — 50% of Americans with a credit card and 40% of the U.S. adult population — carry credit card debt, according to a joint report from The Century Foundation, a left-leaning think tank, and the advocacy group Protect Borrowers. That’s a 17% increase from the 95 million who were in the same situation five years earlier, the report found. (CBS News, 3/25)

Trader Joe’s Fans Threaten to ‘Riot’ Over Missing Seasonal Favorite

Fans of Trader Joe’s frequently get to know approximately when their favorite seasonal items usually return to the store. In the case of one particular dessert, that often sells out quickly every year, there has been no sign of the product yet this spring. The Lemon Mini Sheet Cake has a passionate fan base, and they are getting antsy that they haven’t been able to acquire it yet in 2026. (Parade, 3/24)

Stephen Colbert tapped to write new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie

CBS announced last year that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was being taken off the air despite the program’s longtime critical acclaim. The last show is set for May 21. The 10-time Emmy winner said he’s always wanted to partner with his screenwriter son Peter McGee to ink a “Rings” script. (CBS News, 3/25)

@larsonerogersyou can’t outdo the doer

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I cannot stop thinking about the TikTok that mega pop princess Zara Larsson posted about abortion a few weeks ago.

@zaralarssonAnd THATS on #healthcare 😘

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I actually really loved this video – at risk of cliché, I thought it was incredibly refreshing to see someone this famous post something so honest (that would make most PR managers keel over and d*e). A couple of main thoughts/takeaways:

• The joke she made that started this all was a little bit brutal, for sure (but also… funny). I fear this may be a good moment for us all to practice not canceling someone who’s with us to make ourselves feel more morally virtuous.

• I LOVE that she dismissed the trolls immediately – I personally feel like if you don’t work in politics (and it isn’t your literal job to engage with voters and constituents across ideological spectrums), you have zero obligation to “debate” with people who don’t believe that you personally deserve access to full rights and freedoms, even if you’re a public figure like Zara is :) but maybe that’s just me.

• She stream-of-concioused her way through the whole thing (like this did not seem planned at all – and if it was, that digital manager is operating on a different level), but she hit like seven crucial talking points within the orbit of reproductive rights, like contraception, sexual education, sex positivity, why women may seek care, etc.

But Zara’s main point here is that if you’re pro-choice, you don’t make any moralistic judgment about someone who gets an abortion. If it’s a really hard decision that sticks with someone for a long time, that’s 100% fine. If it’s a really easy decision that that person never thinks about again, that’s also 100% fine. Her exact quote is “No, baby, if you’re pro-choice, you have to be pro-choice always.” She then makes the case that being afraid, as pro-choice people, to speak openly about abortion and even joking about it just reinforces the taboo.

The result is one of the most salient and digestible explanations of pro-choice ideology that I’ve seen in a long time. And, importantly, it’s still live on her page (and has 7.4 million views and 1.4 million likes as of writing). And why is that important? Because most of the time that a pop culture icon is unapologetically pro-choice, Big Hollywood gets to them at some point. I always think about the Olivia Rodrigo GUTS tour (which, ofc, went through abortion deserts) where they planned to have Plan B available but got shut down.

I am sincerely hoping this shows other Dem-leaning pop culture figures (and their teams) that they don’t actually need to be so skittish about saying their real opinions online – they will get hate no matter what they do, so might as well show a little spine. Two potential wrinkles I see to this:

• Zara Larsson is Swedish. I was at a talk recently where one of the panelists discussed how it can be really hard for Americans, despite our best efforts, to even visualize better alternatives for our current systems (a necessary step in catalyzing change) because we’ve always lived in a culture steeped in fear and divisiveness and “led” by a completely gridlocked Congress. I wonder how much Zara *not* being American allows her this broader perspective.

• Zara Larsson really does not give a f*ck online to a unique extent. For example, this week, she posted a video about being addicted to watching videos of the fruit character AI slop that has generated millions and millions of views and also a TON of hate. (FWIW, Zara actually did take down that video after she was criticized for being pro-AI.) All that to say, Zara, as a cultural figure, seems to have the rare personality and team that are not at all risk-averse when it comes to the interest – I’m not sure how many people can replicate that, but I am fairly certain it’s more than we’ve currently got.

TL;DR, while we are seeing more “honest” political content from pop culture figures, which I commend, I still often get the sense that that content has been focus-grouped up the wazoo. I know the Internet can be a terrifying place… but for people with millions of followers and millions of dollars, I would really like to see more “risky” (read: less scripted, more actual personal perspective) content from them.

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Whenever I write about repro, I try to always shout-out some of the amazing people and orgs doing direct work in the space like from and , EC 4 DC, and National Network of Abortion Funds!

FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got Battleground Alliance, Abdul for Senate, Bend the Arc, and Punchbowl News.

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

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Trump voted by mail in Florida special election despite his rhetoric opposing it

Public records show that President Donald Trump voted by mail in the special election occurring Tuesday for the statehouse district that includes his Mar-a-Lago estate in spite of his longstanding rhetoric against voting by mail and his efforts to push through the SAVE America Act, which includes restrictions on mail-in voting. (ABC News, 3/24)

TSA lines stretch for hours as Trump deploys ICE agents to US airports

The president claimed over the weekend that immigration agents could help manage long lines, but in Atlanta, little immediate impact of their presence could be observed. Meanwhile, airport staff were getting creative trying to herd thousands of discontent passengers. (The Guardian, 3/23)

The Middle-Class Suburbanites Who Sell Their Blood Plasma to Get By

Every day, an estimated 215,000 people donate plasma, the yellowish liquid component of blood. Mr. Briseño is among them. He is not jobless or facing eviction, but, like many in the American middle class, he is caught in the vise of rising expenses and wages that aren’t growing fast enough to cover them. (NYT gift link, 3/20)

• Lucy’s note: are we great yet?

More! More! More! Tech Workers Max Out Their A.I. Use.

At some tech companies, including Meta and OpenAI, employees compete on internal leaderboards that show how many tokens — the atomic unit of A.I. use, roughly equivalent to a word fragment — each worker consumes, two people familiar with those companies’ practices said. Generous “token budgets” are becoming a job perk for coders, like dental insurance or free lunch, and some are spending thousands of dollars a month trying to automate as much of their own work as possible. (NYT gift link, 3/20)

Why AI chatbots are getting more political

Anthropic adopted positions likely to be popular with a user base of educated professionals, Abelson said, a demographic that leans Democratic. OpenAI made a different calculation, in his view, concluding that users didn’t care about its relationship with the Pentagon. (Salon, 3/23)

Cancel culture is bad for business. Bluesky is learning why. (OPINION)

Well, Bluesky isn’t trying to build a walled garden like Facebook or X. It’s trying to create something more like email: an open system that lets developers build their own Twitter or Substack-like apps atop a shared network of users who would have one identity across all those applications. Users, not the developers, would own their identity and internet presence, and it would be portable across applications. (WaPo, 3/22 – free version)

This eerily accurate ‘LinkedIn Speak’ translation tool will help you sound like an instant thinkfluencer

For instance, when I inputted the phrase “I’m writing a story about this translator for Fast Company,” the platform blurted out corporate-sounding prose filled with LinkedIn jargon. And yes, it even threw some emojis and hashtags into the mix: “🚀 Thrilled to share that I’m currently crafting a deep-dive feature for Fast Company on the future of translation technology! ✍️✨ (Fast Company, 3/18)

American Diner Gothic

Walk through any office park and you’ll find the same aesthetic bleeding through the cubicles: anime stickers on laptops, Discord running on second monitors. They’re a new American type, young but trans-generational, as distinctive as the organization man or the valley girl once were. I call them dinergoths: what you get when economic mobility dies, suburbs become psychic deserts, and Discord becomes more real than your cul-de-sac. (The New Atlantis, Winter 2026 edition)

• Lucy’s note: as I’m sure you’ve seen, this has been allll over X/Twitter

Publisher pulls horror novel ‘Shy Girl’ over AI concerns

Although the publisher claimed the decision came after a thorough review of the text, reviewers on GoodReads and YouTube had been speculating that the book was likely AI-generated. And The New York Times said it asked Hachette about the “Shy Girl” concerns the day before the announcement. (TechCrunch, 3/21)

‘Project Hail Mary’ Shatters Box Office Expectations With $140.9 Million Globally

The story is adapted from the best-selling novel by author Andy Weir, whose other astronaut adventure “The Martian” was the basis for Ridley Scott’s 2015 blockbuster, starring Matt Damon. That film ignited to $54 million domestically and ended its box office run with a mighty $630 million globally, not adjusted for inflation. (Variety, 3/22)

Not Much Situation Monitoring Happened on the Opening Night of Polymarket’s Pop-Up Bar

Dozens of journalists who showed up to the prediction market bar’s opening night for a media preview waited under canopies in the rain for an hour and a half. Polymarket employees said the space, taken over temporarily from the K Street bar Proper 21, was having power and internet issues. (Washingtonian, 3/20)

• Lucy’s note: god, I wish Veep was still around for this

Bachelorette suitor from Taylor Frankie Paul’s canceled season drove car in wreck that paralyzed former congressman Madison Cawthorn

Cawthorn, who left Congress in January 2023 after losing the previous year’s Republican primary, recounted the moments immediately following the crash in a 2017 speech, saying of Ledford “my brother... my best friend, he leaves me in a car to die in a fiery tomb.” However, Ledford has disputed that claim, telling The Washington Post that “it hurt very badly that he would say something as false as that.” (Entertainment Weekly, 3/23)

• Lucy’s note: genuinely… who is doing casting for The Bachelor these days

Strava fitness app reportedly reveals location of France aircraft carrier at sea

Le Monde newspaper reported that the runner jogged in circles on a ship in movement on 13 March in the middle of the sea northwest of Cyprus, according to his public profile on the Strava fitness tracking app, while satellite images showed the aircraft carrier was in the immediate vicinity at the time. (Euronews, 3/20)

@ooohthatsamTwo lesbians. One mission. Zero chance of needing it, but we will DELIVER it. 🫡💨 #CommunityService #momsover30 #doordashdriver #lesbiansover30 #tiktokviral

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WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

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Y’all, read this if you want to feel incredibly excited and hopeful about the future of this country 🥹 today, we have some texts from the wonderful Sophia Gomelsky, the “Gen-Z Queen of Politics” who serves on her local school board in Wyoming, as well as on the ACLU’s Youth Advisory Council (amongst many other things), all while being a college student! Enjoy :)

LR: As a member of Gen Z who is highly involved in politics (with the ACLU, the Wyoming Democratic Party, and more) – and specifically as a member of the younger half of Gen Z – what are three things that you wish people understood more about Gen Z and politics?

SG: 1. expand the pie

hope is a discipline. fighting for a better reality requires innovation, courage, and resilience, but it is not naïve.

young people aren’t disengaged, per se. what could be perceived as apathy is often a refusal to accept broken systems as inevitable. we’re starting to ask deeper questions about why things are the way they are, who they serve, and whether they have to stay that way. 

in other words: i am less interested in fighting over a fixed set of bad options and more interested in rethinking the system to be one where we can all win.

2. MeEtiNG pEopLe WheRe tHeY aRe

across every position and space i’ve been in, i’ve seen that meeting people where they are is the most powerful strategy we have. it’s more than just good messaging, it’s the political strategy that wins, and it reflects what politics should look like.

that principle has guided my organizing at every level, both online and irl. i don’t really separate culture from politics. music, fashion, internet trends– those are all political spaces. if you’re not paying attention to culture, you’re missing where a huge amount of identity, community, and political momentum actually get built.

that same principle applies to how we engage people. progressive politics cannot afford to write off entire groups or take them for granted. when we talk at people instead of to them, whether they are rural communities, democrats, or those dismissed as “unlikely voters,” they don’t feel heard. when you don’t show up for people, they won’t show up for you.

3. bring back nuance ‼️

you have more in common with people than you think, and you disagree on less than you assume. our current political environment rewards polarization and capitalizing on fear and anger. 

i encourage everyone to think critically about who benefits from that division and from seeing everything as zero-sum.

LR: You are a member of your school board in Albany County, WY. What inspired you to run for the seat? And what have you learned thus far from your experience?

SG: ultimately, i stepped up because I’ve spent my whole life in public education, and i believe deeply that the people most impacted by systems should help shape them.

i’ve learned is that good governance requires more than just having the right ideas. you still have to build the coalitions to make them real, navigate disagreement, and stay accountable to the people who trusted you with that responsibility, especially when it’s uncomfortable.

LR: What advice do you have for people your age (or even Gen Alpha as they enter their teenage years) about running for office and/or getting involved in politics as a young person?

SG: power = results. power is the ability to act and make things happen. if you don’t understand power, how it operates, who holds it, and how to build it, you will never win. 

you should get good at fighting to win, not just fighting to fight. that looks like winning campaigns, moving decision-makers, securing allies, passing policy, and creating real change.

visibility ≠ power. visibility is being seen. the two can overlap, but they are not the same, and confusing them will hold you back.

also, sacrificing your values for perceived gain in political capital might get you short-term achievements, but it is a losing strategy in the long run. it is also a lazy one. 

LR: You’re planning a playlist for a community rally… what three songs absolutely must be on there?

SG: depends on the vibe, but these are some staples of my “fascists bound to lose” playlist

Nina Cried Power - Hozier

Everything is Everything - Lauryn Hill

Which Side Are You On? - Ani DiFranco

Man in Black - Johnny Cash

Yo Perreo Sola - Bad Bunny 

LR: You’ve got a long day of school, meetings, and being out and about – what are your holy grail makeup products and snacks that help you make it through?

SG: uhhh lowkey i did my mascara with a random tube i found on my car floor this morning.. 

but i have been loyal to the elf beauty glitter eyeshadow for my inner corner highlight!

idk if i have a consistent go-to snack but i hear that fruit & protein are good for u!

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FBI is buying data that can be used to track people, Patel says

The FBI is buying up information that can be used to track people’s movement and location history, Director Kash Patel said during a Senate hearing Wednesday. It is the first confirmation that the agency is actively buying people’s data since former Director Christopher Wray said in 2023 that the FBI had purchased location data in the past but was not doing so at that time. (POLITICO, 3/18)

Prediction-Market App Kalshi Hit With Criminal Charges in Arizona

Under Arizona law, operating an unlicensed wagering business is prohibited and election betting is banned. The counts are all misdemeanor offenses, punishable by fines between $10,000 and $20,000, meaning a maximum fine penalty of $400,000 against the company that has recently been valued at $11 billion. (Rolling Stone, 3/17 – I also put it in a Google Doc lol)

Americans are losing HIV care. The Real Housewives want you to know about it.

The Housewives convening was organized by MISTR, a major online provider for PrEP, a daily HIV prevention pill. Several of the Housewives said they have family members and friends who are HIV-positive and emphasized that the epidemic disproportionately impacts Black women. (The 19th, 3/18)

The Postal Service may be out of cash in 2027 without Congress’ help, postmaster says

“I am not sure that the American public is aware that the Postal Service is at a critical juncture. I know that I wasn’t aware of the extent of it before I took on this role, but at our current run rate and if we continue to pay our required obligations in the same manner as we have done in recent years, then we will be out of cash in less than 12 months,” Steiner, who joined USPS last July, said in a written statement released ahead of a House Oversight subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. (NPR, 3/17)

Meta will pay Instagram, TikTok and YouTube creators with big followings to post on Facebook

The Creator Fast Track program offers social media stars with established followings guaranteed monthly payments and increased reach on Facebook. It pays $1,000 a month to creators with at least 100,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, and $3,000 a month to those with over a million followers on any of those platforms. (CNBC, 3/18)

Thousands have swooned over this MAGA dream girl. She’s made with AI.

Foster’s viral takeoff highlights an increasingly prevalent strategy for winning online attention. A slew of right-wing accounts, peddling patriotism mixed with soft-core pornography, use fake women and convincing imagery to grab viewers across a distracted internet, monetize their interest and score political points. (WaPo, 3/20 – free version)

Robinhood is making a social network

On Robinhood Social, which, based on screenshots, looks a lot like Twitter or Threads, users will be able to create a profile, make posts about their trades, and complete trades from their feed. The company is also promising to launch additional features during the beta, including news feeds and “the ability to follow insiders, hedge funds, and politicians.” (The Verge, 3/18 – free version)

TikTok carries more disinformation than major social rivals, study finds

The study – led by Science Feedback – analysed content on six major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube, across four EU countries: France, Poland, Slovakia and Spain. The researchers found that one in four of sampled posts on TikTok carried misleading content, a larger share than the other platforms looked at. (Euractiv, 3/19)

• Lucy’s note: I believe this is the full report! Also, see this story about specific misinfo 🫠

The Disturbing Rise of the ‘Alpine Divorce’

All of that becomes easier to sidestep in the great, expansive outdoors. On a hike, you’re not locked into face-to-face interaction. You can keep moving, look anywhere but at the person you’re hurting, and walk away from the responsibility, guilt, and emotional weight of the moment, Dr. Chavez says. (SELF, 3/18)

‘The Bachelorette’ Season Canceled After Leaked Video of Assault

Disney’s ABC, which broadcasts “The Bachelorette,” had appeared to be committed to continuing its plans to air the show. But on Thursday, TMZ published leaked footage of a physical altercation from 2023 in which Ms. Paul, who rose to fame in the reality series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” is shown putting her partner in a headlock and throwing metal chairs at him. (NYT gift link, 3/19)

Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie

The project uses both younger images of Kilmer, many of them provided by his family, and footage from his final years to show his character in various stages of his life. The audio also utilizes Kilmer’s voice, which, in his later life was damaged by a tracheal procedure. (Variety, 3/18)

Hudson Williams Joins Netflix’s Sam Bankman-Fried Limited Series ‘The Altruists’

Both Ellison and Bankman-Fried were indicted on, among other crimes, counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for their roles in FTX’s implosion. Ellison is currently serving a two-year prison sentence for her crimes, while Bankman-Fried was sentenced in 2024 to 25 years in prison. (The Wrap, 3/17 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: unfortunately for my personality, I am SO excited for this

@itsmartymiller @itsmartymiller ♬ original sound - Marty Miller

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Extra Credit 🤓

• “Myth-busting the Role of Religion in Gen Z Life” from

• “Where Should I Put My Time and Money This Election Year?” from of

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!

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• Digital Project Manager, Planned Parenthood

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• Communications and Social Media Specialist, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)

  • JD HERE, $79,902-92,629 per year

• Digital Platform and Web Specialist, Big Bowl of Ideas

  • JD HERE, $35-50 per hour, contact: roshin@bboi.us

FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER!

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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I feel like I’ve been seeing increasing discourse about what we on the Left cognitively do with all the former MAGA members who are deserting Trump in this new era of his chaos. These two articles are big ones that popped up for me this week:

The Women Leaving the New Right

Young women drawn to the cause in recent years for more traditional reasons — religious convictions, pro-life politics, a preference for conventional gender roles — are having a rude awakening of their own, finding that MAGA sexism is not the same as the old patriarchy. On the New Right, male licentiousness, violence, and domination are not only acceptable but valorized. (Intelligencer, 3/12 – free version)

Trump sold young voters on his vision. Many are having buyer’s remorse.

Those same influencers who helped Trump connect with young voters during the election are now using their platforms to criticize the war in Iran and reconsidering their actions in the election. Rogan, who endorsed Trump after his 2024 interview, on Tuesday called the Iran War “so insane” and said Trump had “betrayed” the Americans who supported him. (WaPo, 3/16 – free version)

“We Should Make It As Easy As Possible”: People Are Debating Whether Or Not To Accept Former Trump Supporters, And It’s Not Exactly Warm And Fuzzy

The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group identified five distinct types of Trump voters — American Preservationists (driven by racial and Christian identity), Staunch Conservatives, Anti-Elites, Free Marketeers, and the Disengaged — with fundamentally different motivations. A Free Marketeer voting on tax policy and an American Preservationist voting on white Christian identity have almost nothing in common, but they show up as the same data point. (Buzzfeed, 3/15)

This all has left me with a few major question: how big is our tent exactly? How far can someone go and still be redeemed? Do they need to apologize or, at least, acknowledge that they put their support behind a man who murders and cages innocent people (in addition to assaulting women, giving platforms to Nazis and other white supremacists, profiting off the destruction of nations, etc. etc. etc.) who was very much a known entity in 2024?

I truly don’t know my answers to this beyond the fact that I do believe in redemption generally… but I, for example, vehemently disagreed with the Dems who tried to argue that there was space in our tent for Elon Musk after he and Trump had their falling-out. So, I’m curious: what are your thoughts? Who, for you, can come on in – and under what circumstances?

Leave a comment

Trump Admin to Receive $10 Billion From TikTok Deal

Those investors include Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi–based investor MGX. The group and its backers paid about $2.5 billion to the Treasury Department when the deal closed in January and are expected to make additional payments until the total reaches $10 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports. (Newsweek, 3/14)

In Texas, an Unyielding Gun Culture Jumps Off YouTube and Into Politics

In this respect he is similar to many guntubers, whose work and influence are essential to understanding the new American gun culture. The popular hosts are often men with devout followings and sponsorships, whose channels are clearinghouses for information — trainings, history lessons, product reviews — and, secondarily, for politics. (NYT gift link, 3/15)

Meta and TikTok let harmful content rise after evidence outrage drove engagement, say whistleblowers

An engineer at Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, described how he had been told by senior management to allow more “borderline” harmful content - which includes misogyny and conspiracy theories - in user’s feeds to compete with TikTok. “They sort of told us that it’s because the stock price is down,” the engineer said. (BBC, 3/16 – free version)

Truecaller now lets you hang up on scammers — on behalf of your family

With this feature, the tech-savvy member of a family or friends group can become the admin of an up to five-member group. Once the other members join the group, the admin can get alerts about potentially fraudulent calls those members receive. If the admin believes that the call could harm the member, they can remotely end the call as well. (TechCrunch, 3/12)

• Lucy’s note: this seems like it could be a really powerful tool given that in 2024, older Americans were scammed out of more than $2.4 billion – and also see below…

‘100 Video Calls Per Day’: Models Are Applying to Be the Face of AI Scams

The rise of AI models comes as cybercriminals are broadly adopting AI and using face-swapping as part of their online scamming. Typically, fraudsters will use fake personas to contact potential victims on social media or messaging platforms. They will often use stolen images of celebrities or attractive men or women to entice a person into talking to them. (WIRED, 3/16 – free version)

Can Gen Z Save Hollywood?

Last year, Gen Zers ranged in age from 13 to 28; this year, they will hold even more clout by occupying an even larger share of the two most coveted age brackets in the film business: 18-24 and 25-34. And with Zoomers now occupying the 13-17 age bracket, PG-rated movies are back and studios are reconsidering the hard-won knowledge that PG films repelled millennials when they were 13- to 17-years-old. Gen Zers don’t feel that way, helping to explain why four of last year’s top movies were all rated PG (Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, A Minecraft Movie and How to Train Your Dragon). (The Hollywood Reporter, 3/11 – free version)

Why Is Gen Z Romanticizing the Nine-to-Five Job?

Part of the broader #romanticizemylife trend, these videos have skyrocketed in recent years, especially in a post-pandemic world where those making them are reassessing their relationships to office jobs. The structure of these videos, usually cut into different segments, emphasizes small daily rituals rather than the work itself. For these creators, filming lunch breaks, coffee runs, or even new desk setups becomes a way to reclaim sanity and control amidst the endless cacophony of Teams notifications. (Harper’s Bazaar, 3/10)

The Full-Contact Sport That Scares Parents: Signing Up for Summer Camp

Mothers in Facebook groups compare it to the “Hunger Games.” Lamenting the logistical nightmare, exorbitant costs and strain on working families, they offer tips and tricks for locking in sought-after sessions: Pay attention to countdown clocks. Log in on multiple devices. Assign one adult per child in need of programming. (WSJ open link, 3/13)

The Oscar was never really Timothée Chalamet’s to begin with

But here’s the thing: Chalamet’s comments about opera and ballet took off on March 5, the same day that Oscar voting closed. So, while it’s possible his overexposure didn’t sit right with some Academy voters, it’s very likely that many had already submitted their ballots and that his loss had nothing to do with the controversy at all. (Vox, 3/16 – free version)

Cognitive shuffling: The micro-dreaming game that helps you sleep

The technique involves thinking of a random, emotionally neutral word, for example, “cake”. You take the first letter of the word, in this case “C”, and think of as many items or objects as you can that begin with the same letter, such as “car,” “carrot” and “cottage” – visualising each item as you go. Once you can’t think of any more words beginning with C, you move on to the second letter. (BBC, 3/13)

Why the Swan Has Emerged As a Pervasive Motif in Fashion, Jewelry and Design

Situated next to mallard needlepoints and eBay-sourced duck brooches, it takes on a different valence, but doesn’t feel out of place. “[The swan] shows up in fairy tales, ballet, decorative arts, and mid-century kitsch. It can be high society or slightly ironic depending on the context,” Richie and Kasell add. She is beauty, she is grace; she is kitsch, she is camp. How’s that for range? (Town & Country, 3/15)

@ericacestrada#dc #washingtondc #thunderstorm just another day in dc brought my outdoor furniture in for nothing

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Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “Against Campism” from of

  • I thought that this articulation of “inverted American exceptionalism” leading people down deeply problematic paths was the most coherent I’ve seen

• “I Paid a Stranger $12 to Tell Me What Was Wrong With My Face.” from of

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Friday!

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• Campaign Director, Abortion, The Hub Project

  • JD HERE, $105,000-125,000 per year

• Policy Research and Writing Associate, 5 Calls Civic Action

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• Policy Advisor, Transportation and Parks, Office of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

  • JD HERE, $135,000-145,000 per year (had to include for the NUMTOTs!)

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

REMINDER: the jobs corner is at the bottom of the newsletter! Today, we’ve got the DGA, the ACLU, Protect Democracy, and Vocal Media!

ALSO Want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter like the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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Today, we have some texts from the wonderful Emma June Welsh-Huggins, who is the founder of The June Group (amongst many things, including an alum of the Warren 2020 campaign 💚). She also runs here on Substack! Enjoy :)

LR: You just launched an additional content digest newsletter from Nontoxic Media to share everything that’s bubbling to the top on the left AND the right. Can you share a bit more about your motivation to start this up and what knowledge gaps you are seeking to fill? (Also, how did you come up with “Al Gore’s Internet”!)

EJWH: We think of Al Gore’s Internet, our weekly newsletter about politics and the Internet, as perhaps being for a more general audience than the Digest—some in our readership might be digital politics nerds like you and me, but others might only hear the name “Nick Fuentes” when I bring it into their inbox every week. On the other hand, our Content Digest is designed primarily for industry professionals in media, culture, and politics. It provides summaries of the dozens of videos being published every day by the most influential creators online (political and apolitical) to help teams working at these intersections make sense of the deluge. We built the Digest to help media teams, researchers, and creators themselves digest (pun, sorry) the unending stream of video content that makes up the creator Internet. 

The name for Al Gore’s Internet was a cheeky nod to the memeing of the former Vice President’s 1999 quote, “I took the initiative in creating the Internet,” which culture (newly online and off) took him to task for, as if he had claimed he invented the Internet. I think of it as the first example of a politician being misunderstood and meme’d online. At its inception. That’s what we cover in Al Gore’s Internet: The world of politics and the Internet.

LR: From your vantage point, in regard to all of our many, splintered social platforms, where do you think the most influential political conversations are actually happening right now – and are journalists/pundits paying attention to the right places?

EJWH: The most influential political conversations online are definitely happening in the places that pundits pay the least attention to. We are still not paying enough attention to YouTube. These conversations are happening in forums like Discord and Reddit, sure, but they’re definitely happening on YouTube, on streaming platforms, and in comment sections across the Internet. Gen Z is being radicalized in real time by seemingly apolitical channels on YouTube. That’s why we built our media monitoring tool, Sonar, to summarize and analyze video and comment sections across platforms. I predict we’ll see more use of comment section sentiment as a political temperature gauge in the future, similar to traditional polling.

LR: Who are three influencers or channels making content that addresses politics that you think are absolutely killing the game?

EJWH: I’m going to start by shouting out someone who isn’t a huge creator (yet) — @MaxLevyStrategies on Instagram (a fellow digital communications strategist) is out there talking about how Democrats should communicate online in a way I think is unique and valuable for the party and progressive movement. Another slightly deep cut, but I enjoy @InternetGentleman on TikTok. He’s a small creator with around 37.4k followers. He’s started to lean more into political content in a way that really works—his “breaking news” shtick engages with political and geopolitical issues with a sense of humor that doesn’t annoy me (yet). Lastly, I’ll shout out a local creator here in New Orleans, @AubreyAvocado, who makes content about politics and local issues that feels as creative as the city we live in. So many political creators at the national level are churning out news-only content, but they’re not expanding their audiences beyond their base on the left or the right. I see the most effective political creators as those who don’t just cover politics in one direction or another—they also talk about food, culture, local issues, and community.

LR: I know your creative strategy agency is called The June Group… but what’s your favorite month of the year and why?

EJWH: I have to admit that my favorite month is April because of my birthday. I was born on April 22nd (Earth Day). I really do enjoy spring as a season. The June Group is named for my great-grandma, with whom I share a middle name (June).

LR: If your newsletter(s) were a sweet treat, what would it/they be?

EJWH: Such a good question. Al Gore’s Internet would probably be a SpongeBob ice cream from an ice cream truck that actually plays a jingle. The Content Digest would be a scoop of vanilla bean in a cup. Maybe a drizzle of chocolate syrup. A little more buttoned up.

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This Is the Next Wave of Political Fundraising

Unlike traditional fundraising models like super PACs that pool funds from publicly reported donors, these creator collectives pool audiences and leverage social networks and off-the-shelf tools like Shopify and Tiltify to convert followers into donors. Creators for Peace is one of the most prominent groups in a line of creator coalitions mobilizing around causes from Gaza relief to immigration aid—establishing a model that could reshape grassroots fundraising ahead of the midterm elections. (WIRED, 3/11 – free version)

Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos

But after they published photos — which have broad reach because they are licensed by publications globally — members of Hegseth’s staff told colleagues that they did not like the way that the secretary looked. Hegseth’s aides decided to shut out photographers from the two subsequent briefings at the Pentagon, on March 4 and March 10, according to the two people familiar with the decision. (WaPo, 3/11 – free version)

Abortion bans reshaped reproductive health, and now the rental market

They found that between July 2022 — the first month after the fall of Roe v. Wade — and June 2025, housing markets with abortion bans experienced a 2.2 percent decline in rental prices, compared to similarly trending markets in states without bans. Rental vacancies went up by an average of 1.1 percent in housing markets with abortion bans compared to similar markets in states without bans. (The 19th, 3/9)

YouTube Lays Claim to Another Crown: The World’s Largest Media Company

YouTube had more than $60 billion in revenue in 2025, parent company Alphabet reported last month. Now, the influential financial research firm MoffettNathanson runs the numbers and comes to the conclusion that YouTube’s estimated $62 billion in 2025 will have allowed it to pass The Walt Disney Co.’s media business, which generated $60.9 billion last year (excluding Disney’s lucrative experiences division). (The Hollywood Reporter, 3/9)

Every influencer eventually becomes a merch store

To be clear, the new “fire” Carlson merch that “goes kinda hard” (not my words) is a niche curiosity in a corner of the internet. Progressives aren’t going out in droves to buy stuff from Carlson’s merch store, at least that I can tell, but the incident does relate to something I’ve wanted to prod at for a while: for influencers and content creators, one of the best things that can happen is they become a purveyor of branded physical goods. (The Verge, 3/10 – free version)

Meta is testing clickable links in Instagram captions for verified subscribers

The test is also the latest way that Meta has experimented with making link-sharing a paid feature. The company has also recently tested restricting creators’ ability to share links on Facebook by requiring a Meta Verified subscription. Meta Verified for creators starts at $14.99 a month, with the most expensive plans costing $499.99 a month. (Engadget, 3/12)

TikTok now lets Apple Music subscribers play full songs without leaving the app

TikTok has partnered with Apple Music to allow subscribers of the streaming service to play full songs without leaving its social network, the company announced on Wednesday. Apple Music subscribers who discover a song they like on their TikTok “For You” page or Sound Detail Page can tap the new “Play Full Song” button to open up an Apple Music player to listen to the full track. (TechCrunch, 3/11)

Wired headphone sales are exploding. What’s with the Bluetooth backlash?

Recently, a quiet movement has grown in the shadows based on a controversial truth: wired headphones are better than Bluetooth. Sales are through the roof in recent months. You can often get better sound for the money with a wired pair, but it’s not just audio snobs either. Wired headphones are a full-blown cultural trend – a resurgence some tie to a broader anti-tech backlash. (BBC, 3/11)

Buffalo Wild Wings unveils wing-flavored protein espresso martini

The Espresso Proteini rides the ongoing protein hype, as more food chains and brands add protein-centric items to their menus. In recent months, Starbucks added several protein lattes and protein cold foam, Subway unveiled Protein Pockets, Chipotle debuted a 4-ounce cup of meat and Tropical Smoothie launched new drinks with up to 39 grams of protein. (USA Today, 3/9)

Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Popular Protein Bar Is Packed With Extra Fat & Calories

A class-action lawsuit filed against David Protein on January 23 alleges that the brand is misrepresenting the calorie and fat content of its coveted bars, violating both state and federal consumer laws. According to the suit, the protein bars contain significantly more calories and fat than advertised—83% and 400% more, respectively. (Delish, 3/10)

• Lucy’s notes: and yes, the Mean Girls jokes are flying

Lords a-leaving: Britain is ejecting hereditary nobles from Parliament after 700 years

The House of Lords plays an important role in Britain’s parliamentary democracy, scrutinizing legislation passed by the elected House of Commons. But critics have long argued that it is unwieldy and undemocratic. The case of Peter Mandelson, who resigned from the Lords in February after revelations about his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, drew renewed attention to the upper chamber and the problem of lords behaving badly. (AP, 3/11)

@lv.alldisfrutando de la naturaleza #roki #chiwawa #paratiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii #argentina

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Extra Credit 🤓

• “How New Media Helped Push Washington to Open the Epstein Files” from and

• “Who’s really ordering all that DoorDash?” from and

• “Consumers paid for Trump’s illegal tariffs. These companies may profit.” from and of

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!

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Have a job or opportunity (full-time, part-time, contract, or a secret fourth option) to share? SUBMIT IT HERE!

• Digital Fundraising Director, DGA

  • JD HERE, $125,000 per year

• Senior Campaign Strategist, Democracy, ACLU

  • JD HERE, $161,123.00 per year

• Editorial Specialist, Protect Democracy

  • JD HERE, $84,000 - $94,000 per year, contact: hiring@protectdemocracy.org

• Meme Creator, Vocal Media

  • JD HERE, $1,000 per month

FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER!

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

Share

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U.S. was only country in a worldwide survey to say most fellow citizens are bad people

A striking survey released Thursday finds that 53 percent of American adults describe the morality and ethics of their fellow citizens as “bad” (somewhat bad or very bad). In the 24 other countries polled by Pew Research Center, most people said other residents there are somewhat good or good. (WaPo, 3/6 – free version)

Seeking Abortion Care Across State Lines After the Dobbs Decision (ACADEMIC)

Participants reflected on how restrictive policies in their home states deepened abortion stigma and stifled access to accurate information. Most participants encountered their longest delays in the information-gathering phase, as they had to find legitimate clinics, often without any referrals, and navigate the complex web of laws between states. (JAMA, 3/9)

Trump Is Obsessed With These $145 Shoes—and Won’t Let Anyone Leave Without a Pair

Recipients have taken to wearing their Florsheims around Trump, some apparently begrudgingly. One cabinet secretary has grumbled that he had to shelve his Louis Vuittons, according to people who heard the complaint. Officially the White House wouldn’t confirm Trump’s choice of Florsheim. One recipient said Trump had a stack of them in an office. A box read “Scott”—for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. (WSJ open link, 3/9)

$700 Erewhon hauls, 21-hour shifts: celebrity assistants go public with their grueling, fabulous work

The trend reflects a broader shift in celebrity culture itself; fame is no longer assumed to be self-evident, but is increasingly understood as constructed and forcefully sustained. Fans now speak easily about figures such as Tree Paine, the longtime publicist for Taylor Swift, and Lena Dunham’s social media ghostwriter. (The Guardian, 3/5)

Supreme Court says mayors can’t ban Facebook frenemies. N.J. lawsuit will put it to the test.

The mayor has two separate Facebook pages. One page uses his name but not his mayoral title. Some of the public posts are about political campaigns, and there are a few posts about food. It’s unclear if any other posts are there, but set to private for only his friends. Then there’s the “Mayor Mike Ghassali” page. (NJ.com, 3/8)

Live Nation settles government antitrust suit — and dodges a breakup

Eight states so far have indicated they plan to join the settlement, a district attorney said in court, and four others remain unclear on their status. The case alleged that it illegally monopolized parts of the live events industry, leading to higher ticket prices for consumers and locking venues into exclusive deals. Under the terms of the settlement shared by Live Nation, the deal won’t force it to split off from Ticketmaster. (The Verge, 3/9 – free version)

Uber expands women-only ride option nationwide

Women riders can request a woman driver on demand, reserve one in advance or set a standing preference in the app. Women drivers can toggle a setting to receive trip requests only from women — including during peak earning hours. Teens can also request women drivers where teen accounts are available. (Axios, 3/9)

A New Generation of Mall Rats Has Arrived

The first digitally native generation is resurrecting an old-fashioned American pastime: Shopping at the mall. Gen Z’s retail-spending growth is outpacing all other generations, according to data firm NielsenIQ, with the generation’s global annual retail spending expected to exceed $12 trillion by 2030. (WSJ open link, 3/9)

Difficult people in your life might make you age faster, study suggests

Researchers found that for every additional hassler participants regularly interacted with, their pace of aging increased by 1.5 percent. In other words, instead of aging one biological year per calendar year, a person with at least one extra hassler would age around 1.015 years during the same time. (WaPo, 3/8 – free version)

A new poll finds young volunteers embrace informal, everyday acts of service. So do some nonprofits

About 7 in 10 of 12- to 25-year-olds said they’ve helped someone at least “a few times” in the past week with a task — a sign to Allstate Foundation officials that young people view service more generally, not as an extracurricular but an ingrained part of daily life. Only about 1 in 10 young people who had volunteered said their service activities were all required, such as through school or a club. (AP, 3/9)

Viola Davis and her latest co-star, author James Patterson

To help flesh out the character of the victim, Davis says she drew on her own experience with sexual assault. “I felt a responsibility to women who have been sexually assaulted and raped, especially children, as I am one of them,” she said. “And what they also deserve is the truth of how it made them feel.” (CBS News, 3/8)

We tried the Golden Glizzy, the Miami Open’s $100 caviar-topped hot dog

“Caviar is having a moment,” Golden Goat managing partner Keith Glickman told me. (Look up #CaviarBump anywhere on social media and you’ll see he’s right.) The brand emerged from a private, members-only caviar club two years ago and still caters to the more traditional caviar audience. (Axios Miami, 3/6)

Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• ““It’s Not Living. It’s Survival.” What 22 Gen Z Voters Told Me in Charlotte” from

• “AI can do work. Can it do a job?” from and

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Friday!

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Have a job or opportunity (full-time, part-time, contract, or a secret fourth option) to share? SUBMIT IT HERE!

• Digital Communications Specialist, The Century Foundation

  • JD HERE, $95,000-105,000 per year, contact: digregorio@tcf.org

• Social Media and Narrative Director, Coalition for Healthy Democracy

  • JD HERE, $125,000 per year (but flagging this appears to be a CYCLE JOB), contact: jesse@coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org

• Thumbnail Designer & Packaging Consultant, Morning Brew

  • JD HERE, $250-400 per video (2-4 videos per month)

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

Want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter like the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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While chatting with Josh a few weeks back, I realized that I do have a whole theory for this newsletter, specifically how it conceptualizes news and narrative in a more holistic sense that hopefully helps us grasp American culture better… but I’ve never really articulated that here! So I made a TikTok that hopefully explains it all :)

@lucy_ritz_listen…. sometimes the path is right through the brain rot and the doomscrolling !!

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Trump tells Reuters he did not sign off on ad campaign featuring homeland security secretary

President Donald ​Trump told Reuters on Thursday that he did not sign off on a $220 million border security ‌advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who faced bipartisan criticism over the commercials during U.S. congressional hearings this week. “I never knew anything about it,” the Republican president told Reuters in a phone interview. (Reuters, 3/5)

• Lucy’s note: y’all, please just make sure any Trump-curious people in your family/life do NOT buy the strategy he’s now implementing to separate himself from Kristi Noem

CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bought data from the online advertising ecosystem to track peoples’ precise movements over time, in a process that often involves siphoning data from ordinary apps like video games, dating services, and fitness trackers, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document obtained by 404 Media. (404 Media, 3/4 – free w/ email)

Why right-wing media can’t stop Candace Owens

An independently produced “investigative series” that is little more than Owens speaking to a camera while suggesting that the widow of a murdered man may be a fraud — or worse — the hour-long premiere episode racked up nearly five million views after it was released on Feb. 25. The second drew 1.8 million. In the series, which is still ongoing, Owens hints that Kirk’s murder was an inside job, suggests foreign agents may have been involved and implies that Erika Kirk has “ulterior motives” in leading TPUSA. (Salon, 3/4)

Gen-Z identical twins model civility as political foes

Nick Roberts, a diehard Democrat, is an Indianapolis city-county councilor and one of the youngest elected officials in the country. Nathan Roberts, who identifies as a MAGA Republican, founded an Indiana political advocacy group last year and is a state organizer for Turning Point, the organization founded by Charlie Kirk. (ABC News, 3/5)

• Lucy’s note: I’ve seen this article get some traction, and I just wanted to say that I feel like there’s an element of framing that’s seriously missing: it is actually the easiest possible scenario to find “common ground” with someone who is literally identical to you in every way. The problems come in this country when people are asked to see people whom they instead perceive as “others” as equal humans deserving of dignity and justice.

AI data centers are America’s next political fight. Big Tech is ready

McAuliff’s experience provides a glimpse into how tech companies are trying to create an AI-friendly landscape in Virginia and beyond. AI firms including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta are mobilizing political groups to pour at least $150 million in elections this year at the state and federal levels. One of those organizations is the super PAC Leading the Future, which has raised $100 million so far, most of it from tech and AI executives. (Quartz, 3/5)

Meet your new phone away from phone

In between the oddball phones, another trend emerged in places like the Unihertz booth: phones that aren’t your main phone. This isn’t a brand-new idea, but the concept of a simplified device that provides a better typing experience, or gives you a little vacation from your regular phone’s constant nagging, seems to be gaining momentum. (The Verge, 3/6 – free version)

Ben Affleck Quietly Founded a Filmmaker-Focused AI Tech Company. Netflix Just Bought It.

In other words, the focus is on filmmaking technique, not the performance of the actors. The tool also allows directors or filmmakers to upload dailies to hone the model for a specific project. Still, anything that touches on AI has become something of a third rail for Hollywood. That may be why Netflix also released a video discussion Thursday, featuring Affleck, Netflix chief product and technology officer Elizabeth Stone, and chief content officer Bela Bajaria discussing what role the tech may play in the creative process, and what InterPositive and Netflix do differently than the AI giants threatening to swallow the rest of the economy. (The Hollywood Reporter, 3/5)

Gen Z Men Twice as Likely as Boomers To Say Wives Should ‘Always Obey’

A new global study of 23,000 people across 29 countries found that 31 percent of Gen Z men agree that a wife should always obey her husband, while one third, at 33 percent, say a husband should have the final word on important decisions. In comparison, just 13 percent of Baby Boomer men agreed that a wife should always obey her husband, and 17 percent said a husband should have the final say. (Newsweek, 3/4)

Rob Rausch Is Doing Audio Smut Now

What’s a reality star like Rob Rausch supposed to do after winning more than $200,000 on a reality show and becoming America’s heartthrob in the process? Audio erotica, of course. Rausch has lent his voice to the app Quinn for — what else? — a bit of smut in which he plays the sexy owner of a reptile sanctuary. (The Cut, 3/3 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: the Devil works hard, Kris Jenner works harder, and the people at Quinn work the hardest

Would you go to a play by yourself? Theaters are hoping so

Nearly 20% of Broadway theater tickets are now being purchased by solo attendees — double the rate from just a couple of years ago, according to audience data for the 2024-25 season from the Broadway League. One major theater company is taking action. ATG Entertainment, a live theater operator with venues across the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe, recently launched a “Solo Seats” initiative designed to make going to the theater alone feel less intimidating. (NPR, 3/4)

United Airlines can now boot passengers who refuse to use headphones with their devices

Any passenger listening to music, watching a video or scrolling a social media feed that emits sound must wear headphones, states the revised contract of carriage, which United quietly updated on Friday. The carrier also may “refuse transport, on a permanent basis,” to any passengers who “fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content,” according to the airline’s new rules. (CBS News, 3/3)

• Lucy’s note: I’m sorry to say it but… thank GOD.

Here Are The States That Don’t Do Daylight Saving Time

However, daylight saving time is a hot topic, and several more states would also like to switch up the long-standing protocol that allows for people to make use of more daylight hours in the spring and summer. About 63% of Americans would prefer to get rid of daylight saving time altogether, according to surveys from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (Forbes, 3/6)

Extra Credit 🤓

• “The War on Iran, Explained” from

• “YouTube to Hollywood: Amelia Dimoldenberg Opens Her Playbook” from from

  • I must say, Amelia Dimoldenberg has been SO fun to watch over the last several years

• “outcomes of crowd-sourcing every decision” from of

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!

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FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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TWO BIG UPDATES, WOOHOO! One is directly about GCC, one is not lol.

FIRST, I know there are a TON of people in the progressive space, and especially in the progressive digital/new media space, looking to hire or be hired. I am personally not the best at keeping track of notes I get about that so I want to create a dedicated space here! IF YOU ARE HIRING FOR A FREELANCE, PART-TIME, OR FULL-TIME ROLE in progressive politics, social media, new media, tech, culture, etc., please feel free to share that role HERE, and I will include it in this newsletter if it’s a fit!

Some examples of opportunities that I think would be great for this audience (all real jobs, largely pulled from some of my personal faves in the space, Arena Careers, , and The Publish Press):

• Iowa Senate Democrats/Senate Majority Fund: Digital Media Director ($5,000 per month)

• Tailwind Partners: Digital Content Creator ($4,000 per month)

• Civitech Researcher (Contract) ($15 - $18.50 per hour)

• The Publish Press Social Media Freelancer ($50 per hour)

• Future Caucus Coordinator, Policy Innovation Lab ($58,656-62,328 per year)

• Morning Brew Senior Video Producer ($100,000-130,000 per year)

SECOND, whilst law studenting, I am also helping my fabulous former team at COURIER (the national team, with over 4.5 million followers across platforms b/c they are the bestest in the biz) in a partnerships capacity (especially for folks in DC and NYC)! So please reach out if you’re interested in working together (and invite us to your gatherings and happy hours if you feel so inclined, I promise we are really cool and fun!).

But first… et tu, AP?

We texted 1,000 Americans about U.S. strikes in Iran. Here’s what they said.

Americans oppose Trump ordering airstrikes on Iran by 52 percent to 39 percent; 9 percent say they are unsure. Opponents are more passionate, with about 4 in 10 strongly opposing the strikes, whereas just over 2 in 10 strongly support them. (WaPo, 3/2 – free version)

Justice Department moves to drop defense of Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms

In papers filed with the U.S. appeals court in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration said it would be voluntarily dismissing appeals of lower court decisions that found the executive orders punishing the four firms were unconstitutional. The firms are Perkins Coie; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block. (CBS News, 3/2)

• Lucy’s note: turns out standing up for yourself and democracy IS the right move – very embarrassing for all the firms that didn’t!

Supreme Court blocks law against schools outing transgender students to their parents in California

The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for California schools to tell parents if their children identify as transgender without getting the student’s approval, granting an emergency appeal from a conservative legal group. The order blocks for now a state law that bans automatic parental notification requirements if students change their pronouns or gender expression at school. (AP, 3/2)

Mamdani has used Signal for government business as mayor

Three people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO that as mayor Mamdani has used the encrypted messaging app to communicate with fellow elected officials and political advisers. In at least one instance, he’s discussed government business over the app, according to one of those people, who like the others, was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue. (POLITICO, 3/2)

• Lucy’s note: two thoughts here – first, y’all know I love him, but we really can’t be doing this! second, I think a lot of us here have used the government-improved messaging systems, and they are unbelievably clunky to the point that it’s pretty inhibitive to productivity. perhaps, in addition to all the other things, this rash of Signal use is strongly gesturing to the fact that we seriously need to update governmental digital infrastructure and infrastructure as a whole…

8 facts about Americans and TikTok

Roughly one-in-five U.S. teens report being on TikTok “almost constantly.” Black and Hispanic teens are more likely than White teens to be almost-constant TikTok users. (In that survey, there were not enough Asian teens in the sample to be broken out into a separate analysis. As always, their responses are included in the general population figures.) Teen girls are also slightly more likely than teen boys to report this kind of use. (Pew Research, 3/2)

First Snapchat, now TikTok: Instagram has mastered the art of borrowing features

While it might be true that if you see a funny TikTok video, you can expect to see the same content recycled on Reels a few weeks later, for Insta users (and Meta’s mighty advertising machine), it doesn’t seem to matter. The once photo-focused app’s daily user count has overtaken TikTok’s in the US once more, according to data from Similarweb, a digital market intelligence company. (Sherwood, 3/2)

Clout-Chasing DJs Are Faking Co-Signs by Dubbing Over Crowd Videos. Will Labels Bite?

Now, a new test of the DJ ecosystem has reared its insidious head: the clout deepfake. This disturbing trend has taken on a couple of forms — so far. The first is the simplest: namely, fledgling dance producers have been hijacking footage of big-name DJs playing to jumping crowds, overdubbing their own music onto it, sharing it to their socials, claiming clout that doesn’t actually exist, and fooling fans and potentially even record labels in the process. (Rolling Stone, 3/2 – free version)

Snap, Crackle, and “Bop”

“Bop” used to mean a catchy song; online, it has become shorthand for a woman monetizing her sexuality. Depending on whom you ask, it stands for Baddie On Point, Body On Payroll, or Blown-Out followed by an anatomical reference. The term is elastic. The mechanics are not. Influencers sell products. Bops sell access to themselves. (Air Mail, 2/28 – if you submit an email, it should be free)

• Lucy’s note: if you also saw this all over your feed but were super confused about what was actually being described, the TL;DR is (mostly) already wealthy girls are further monetizing their content by funneling viewers/engagment to OnlyFans, which we knew – the new piece is that they have a name, which is “Bop” (and then they randomly interviewed an anonymous Brearley mom who was very chatty)

Why Are So Many Women Getting ADHD Diagnoses in Midlife?

When estrogen levels decrease, especially for longer stretches like postpartum or during perimenopause, so does dopamine, resulting in a sustained state of disarray. Kooij says, “That’s when women tell us, ‘We can’t function. We’ve lost ourselves. I don’t recognize myself; this is not how I am.’” (The Cut, 2/26 – free version)

Starbucks revamps chai, goes purple and coconut for spring

The March 3 launch leans into two powerful consumer trends — personalization and social-ready drinks — while modernizing one of Starbucks’ longest-running menu staples: chai. It’s the latest step in CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” reinvention plan, as the company pivots from menu simplification back to growth and innovation. (Axios, 3/2)

A Crisis in the Alps: Airbnb, Climate Change and Americans

The Alps have long been a destination for winter tourism, filled with legendary ski towns like Chamonix, Kitzbuhel and Val d’Isère. But recently, the resort towns that dot the mountains from Austria to France have reached what people here say is a crisis point, facing changes that threaten their cultures and even survival, as demand for short-term tourist rentals reshapes towns where skiing has traditionally only been part of their identity. (NYT gift link, 3/2)

9 night sky events to see in March, from a blood moon lunar eclipse to a planetary parade

March brings one of North America’s most buzzed-about astronomical events—a total lunar eclipse, which is visible across the U.S. But the eclipse is only the beginning. The month’s interstellar wonder continues with planet conjunctions, above-average aurora borealis odds, and increased Milky Way core visibility. (NatGeo, 2/26 – free version)

Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “🌻 AI vs. the pentagon” from

• “Missouri candidates start filing for a district that may not exist” from and of

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Friday!

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