but if influencing is just fancy gig work now...
ALSO: chatbot are running rampant in congress, squishmallows are about to hit theaters and make millions more, a new species in NYC, and more
Happy Friday, August 14th!
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 like the one below :) 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 🙏
I’ve been mulling a lot recently on the newly-announced Kickstarter Culture Fund, which is putting $1 million towards creators:
On its surface, this obviously seems like a good thing – I’ve never really been mad about more funding for “Arts, Fashion, Film, and Music.” But it really has got me thinking about a topic that I have discussed before: the precarity of earning a living as an influencer, and who that precarity benefits.
Influencing, especially UGC, which seems to be a huge chunk of it now, seems to really just be fancy gig work (unless you’re in the 0.1% of influencers that truly become their own media brand). And, don’t get me wrong, it makes a ton of sense that 57% of Gen Z reportedly wants to become influencers – it’s a way to escape corporate drudgery, get free stuff, travel the world, etc. But gig work, while it can offer freedom and flexibility to workers, can often offer much more in benefits to corporations, who don’t have to pay for healthcare, retirement savings, office space or culture, or, really, anything that benefits the actual workers.
The next right step, to me, obviously seems to be building more sustainable models and labor systems that protect gig workers, influencers, and anyone who falls under that umbrella. So, when I see funds like this launched, while I am absolutely happy they exist… I always feel skeptical about whether or not they simply serve to put a band-aid on the problem and kick the can further down the road on real solutions.
But! I will acknowledge I’ve been in a very cynical mood lately. To that end, I am now – and always – very open to other thoughts!
Chatbots are doing the work of Congress with little oversight
Amid the rapid adoption of AI on the Hill, lawmakers face a key question: How much of their responsibilities are they willing to hand over? Interviews with more than two dozen lawmakers and staffers — some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal operations — along with internal House and Senate policies obtained by The Post, show that the institution has left that question largely unanswered. The few House and Senate rules that exist are poorly understood and seldom enforced. (WaPo, 8/13 – free version)
The hot summer of data center politics
Candidates for House, Senate, governor and outside allied groups have aired nearly four dozen broadcast TV ads mentioning data centers this cycle, per our friends at AdImpact. The partisan split is nearly even: 22 of the 43 ads were from Republicans, while the remaining 21 were from Democrats. The ads ran in 21 different races across 18 states. (Punchbowl, 8/13)
The majority-minority shift changing rural America
An Axios analysis of federal data finds that 403 U.S. counties — roughly 12.8% of the national total — already are majority-minority. That includes 221 “non-metro counties” and 182 counties in urban and suburban metro areas. The non-metro or rural counties are spread across 27 states and have a combined estimated population of roughly 4.5 million. Of those rural counties, 205 — or 92.8% — had fewer than 50,000 residents, the Axios review found. (Axios, 8/14)
Republican students trust their colleges despite Trump scrutiny, poll finds
Sixty-two percent of Republican students said their college’s leadership mostly acts in students’ best interests, compared with 55% of Democrats and half of independents, according to polling from Lumina Foundation and Gallup. As the Trump administration targets prominent universities with investigations, funding cuts, and other threats, the polling also shows that students across political parties prefer policies from their campus leaders over those from state or federal government leaders (though Republicans are much warmer to federal decisions). (Semafor, 8/13)
Twitch is Mining Peoples’ Streams to Train Amazon’s AI
Twitch is positioning this setting as a favor to users. “We’ve added a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon,” the platform posted on X Wednesday. In practice, Twitch makes this choice for users unless they know about the new setting and proactively turn it off. (404 Media, 8/12)
People Are ‘Marrying’ Chatbots. These Lawmakers Want to Stop Them
The AI romance industry has gone boom as a result. On companion apps like Character.AI, Kindroid, and Replika, users can symbolically swap vows with their chatbot. Not long ago, in r/KindroidAI, a redditor shared a photo of their tattooed (and very human) hand wearing a silver wedding band. “Happily unconventionally married lol,” they wrote. For $15, the platform OpenVows provides a “certificate of commitment” that “transforms a private relationship into something meaningful and officially recognized,” according to its website. (WIRED, 8/14 – free version)
Squishmallows Movie in the Works at Amazon MGM
Squishmallows was launched in 2017 and has evolved into a billion-dollar venture across 60 countries. Stakeholders estimate that two of the toys are sold per second. The product range spans a universe of over 3,000 original character, from ambassador Cam the Cat to Bigfoots, Axolotls and an adorable sentient grilled cheese named Lil Gouda. The toys have cross-generational appeal, as well, hooking kids, teens, adults and the collector market. (Variety, 8/14)
Lucy’s note: oh, they’re going to make BILLIONS billions on this, I fear
Why Watchmakers Should Pay Attention to Gen Z
Gen Z has been focused on designs from the late 1970s into the 1990s, previously unpopular pieces that had languished in the bargain bins of secondary market sellers. For new buyers, they opened the door to dial-name cachet — and a new habit. (Business of Fashion, 8/13 – free version)
The Tramp Stamp Revival Is About More Than Nostalgia
Seeing the tramp stamp return on the backs of feminist icons like Alysa Liu, Doechii, beabadoobee, and Chappell Roan is both a pleasure for the eyes and a balm for the heart. People on TikTok have even taken to calling lower back tattoos “cake toppers” instead of “tramp stamps” to strip away old negative stigmas. The return of the tramp stamp in 2026 feels both surprising and promising—and while it likely won’t change the narrative around women’s bodies, it feels like a good start. (Cosmopolitan, 8/11)
We think we just discovered some new species living in New York City
Our wasps and flies yielded more than two dozen barcode groups that appear to be quite different. They are unlike anything that exists in the big genetic database, known as BOLD, which is essentially a massive library of biodiversity. That means that they may represent new species. And now, following further analysis by taxonomists, we have a strong indication that at least a few of those barcode groups may, indeed, be new species. (Vox, 8/14 – free version)
At the high-altitude birthplace of Saint Bernards, huge dogs are a big draw
As part of the arrangement, the canons requested about 10 dogs return to their ancestral home from June through September, the high season for trekkers, bikers, overnight guests and road-trippers. Barry Foundation enlists these pups for its high-demand summer hiking program. (WaPo, 8/14 – free version)
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Extra Credit 🤓
Substacks That Really Substacked This Week 🤌
The Personal is Still Very Political from Cool Shiny Culture, Kaley Mullin, & Megan Collins
FLIPR 2026 midterm election forecast from Nate Silver and Eli McKown-Dawson of Silver Bulletin
The Niche Survey
Sneaky Links
TL;DR I’ve inexplicably started receiving codes to stuff… here are the things I actually like :)
My BNTO code for August is LC7QE5 for $20 off (if you know me IRL, you know my rant about the Nuulification of the 20-something city dweller)
I also have a code for CampSnap??? And I do love my CS8 camera from them but like I don’t think I said that online? Either way, it’s LUCYR7 for 7% off
That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!