adults are pregaming again. you can blame $14 cocktails (and the horrors).

ALSO: the Internet reacts to WHCD, Spotify wants to break into fitness, some good news (!!!) about conservation and gorillas, and more

Apr 28, 2026

Happy Tuesday, April 28th!

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 🙏

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)