bring back nuance

ALSO: an (AI) MAGA pixie dream girl, Kalshi gets hit with criminal charges, the rise in "alpine divorces," and more

Mar 20, 2026

Happy Friday, March 20th!

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 Planned Parenthood, IRAP, and Big Bowl of Ideas.

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 🙏

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!

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)