secret bunker ballroom core

ALSO: Gap x Gemini, super scrollers are not feeling democracy, HBO Potter, and more

Happy Tuesday, March 31st! 🌸 And happy National Run for Office Day (ty for reminding me NextGen America)!

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)

Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “The Pro-Democracy Advocates Who Are Suing Trump And Winning” from The Big Picture

• “Is the Smartphone Theory of Everything Wrong? A Comprehensive Investigation” from Derek Thompson

  • Only Part I is free, but still very well worth a read!

• “The perfect storm hitting millennials” from Kelsey Piper and The Argument

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

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• Digital Strategist, Friends of Sherrod Brown

  • JD HERE, $4,750-5,000 per month

• Social Media Coordinator, Public Opinion Productions

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• Social Video Producer (Freelance), Accelerate Change

  • JD HERE, $50-65 per hour

• Climate Action Leadership Course, Tidelines Institute

  • APPLICATION HERE, pay what you can (THIS IS A PROGRAM)